63 



sand dries, and when the wind blows on shore is carried inland, 

 where it accumulates like a snow-drift round any object that 

 breaks the wind. On this sand many plants grow, notably several 

 grasses and rushes that root into it — hence is formed sand hills, 

 which gradually accumulate the sand, and form other natural sea 

 defences. We thus see that a large extent of country below high- 

 water mark is protected from the further action of the ocean. 

 If now from any cause there is an alteration of the direction of 

 the tide or ocean current, a part of the coast so protected is 

 attacked by the waves ; they first remove the talus of the beach, 

 and thence undermined by the waves it is surely swept away ; 

 and such part of the coast may again be inundated by the sea. 

 So well known and important is the preservation of this beach 

 that groins are erected to help this accumulation, and thus pro- 

 tect the coast from the sea. When the sea-currents sweep along 

 a coast, they are influenced by any projecting headland, and 

 accumulate the beach on the outward and prevailing current side 

 of the obstacle. In this way the formation of the Dover Harbour 

 has favoured the accumulation of beach west of that point ; the 

 current, moreover, after passing the obstacle, is deflected inland, 

 and thus, at St. Margaret's Bay, a former collection of beach is 

 being removed towards Deal. It is very probable that a river 

 emptying its waters into the sea, has an important modifying 

 effect on these shore-currents, and consequently the accumula- 

 tions of beach or sand. In this way the Stour's mouth may 

 have protected the Pegwell Bay from accumulations. The 

 tide runs eastward at the flow, or towards Ramsgate, at 

 which time the water flows up the river. At the ebb the sea 

 runs westward towards Dover, and at the same time the water of 

 the river is emptying itself into the sea ; so the river water 

 constantly runs in the opposite direction to the prevailing 

 current, which is eastward ; and this would be an additional 

 reason for regarding the Stonar beach as a drift from the 

 eastward. 



ROMNEY MARSH. 



Let me now pass on to another part of Kent, where great 

 changes have taken place since the Roman period, and where 

 we have also historical data of the greatest interest. I have shown 

 you in my former paper that the whole of Romney Marsh is 

 below high-water mark, and that in consequence some have 

 gone so far as to affirm that, in the Roman period, it could not 

 have been dry land; while others have speculated on its having been 

 cut up into islands. We have undoubted evidence that a river of 

 considerable dimensions once emptied itself into the sea at 

 New Romney, that being a port of great importance as one of 

 the cinque ports. The historical period would bring us back to 

 the Saxon times, or perhaps the Roman, as the port — perhaps 

 Portus Lemanus. I am glad to find Archaeologists are now too 

 ready to learn something from the Geologist, though they are 



