THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. I5I 



which was gaining through the deposition of material a few yards, or a few 

 hundred yards, higher up or lower down the stream. In this way a river 

 flowed, at one time or another, over every square foot of ground occupied by 

 the marshes adjacent to it. As to the nature of the strata found in these 

 alluvial or marsh sections, gravel was always seen towards their base and 

 loam at their surface, and sometimes they were the only beds visible. But in 

 other places, between the gravel and the loam were mud, peat and irregular 

 deposits of shell-marl. Sections there showed how very frequent had been 

 the changes of channel in certain spots, as compared with others. Thus 

 human relics or other remains found, which had evidently been deposited in 

 an old channel at one spot, might easily be hundreds or even thousands of 

 years older or newer than others similarly deposited but a few yards away. 

 The dug-out canoe, for example, seemed to him to be more likely of greater 

 rather than of less antiquity than the year B.C. 500. The supposed Viking 

 ship — if not of much later date — was perhaps a vessel of the Danish fleet 

 blockaded up the Lea by King Alfred in the year A.D. 896. Sections of this 

 kind also threw much light on the way in which the older river deposits, now 

 existing as comparatively obscure fragments, had been formed, a matter on 

 which more light certainly seemed desirable in view of the very discordant 

 opinions expressed by various geologists about them and their fossil contents. 

 [Reference should be made to Mr. Holmes' paper in the last part of the 

 Essex Naturalist, ante., pp. 1-16]. 



The remains of the so-called " Viking Ship," which had been uncovered 

 in what at one time had been a backwater in the old river channel, were 

 inspected with much interest. Some archaeologists of the party were, 

 however, unwilling to allow for this relic the antiquity suggested by Mr. 

 Holmes in his remarks above quoted, and in his paper (ante., p. 13), viz., that 

 it might have been a member of the Danish fleet which went up the Lea in 

 A.D. 895 and was destroyed by King Alfred. The "ship " was found with 

 the bottom upwards, and was in a very decayed state. It was probably 

 about 40 feet long, and what is called "clinker-built," with metal nails, and in 

 some places the remains of hair (? cow) were found, probably used in caulking 

 the boat. 



The information concerning the ship was very meagre, and it was most 

 unfortunate that nothing but fragments could be kept ; several pieces are in 

 the Epping Forest Museum. To preserve the boat properly would have been 

 a difficult and costly work, and its great size would not have permitted its 

 retention in any ordinary museum. We are greatly indebted to Mr. Sharrock 

 for some photographs of the " ship " in situ, from which tne two illustrations 

 in the accompanying Plate were taken. It appears that this is not the first 

 instance of such an occurrence in the alluvial deposits of the Lea. About 

 1830 a large boat was unearthed in excavating for the East London Water 

 Company's Reservoirs near Temple Mills, and another is mentioned by 

 Camden as having been found near the same place. See extracts from 

 Robinson's History of Hackney in the " Notes" in the prese::t part. 



Mr. Traill pointed out the site of the discovery of the " Dug-out Canoe " 

 at the depth of about 6 feet from the surface. The details will be found in 

 Mr. Holmes' paper above referred to, and some particulars of a " Dug-out," 



