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or less rounded, and the soil it makes light or lightish rather than 
heavy. The stiff clay known as Till, in which angular or sub-angular 
stones of various kinds are confusedly heaped together, is seldom 
visible in this district, though not uncommon at higher levels. The 
ridges formed by the earthy gravel are gentle and regular in out- 
line, and often run strictly parallel to each other for a considerable 
distance; the direction of these ridges, in the country about Wigton 
and Aspatria, being a little north of east and south of west. In other 
places it may happen that the contours are flatter, or that no per- 
ceptible order is manifest. The influence of the underlying rock 
on a drift-covered surface is best seen between Aikton and 
Great Orton. Anyone who stands at Wiggonby and looks alter- 
nately north and south, cannot fail to notice the contrast between 
the rolling drift edges southward and the flat plateau-like appearance 
of the country in the opposite direction. This plateau-like aspect 
is due to the influence of the underlying outlier of Lias, which 
makes itself felt through a thinner covering than usual of drift ; 
while the rolling ridges owe nothing of their shape to the older 
rocks below. 
But, rising above the earthy gravel, certain mounds and ridges 
of clean, sandy, gravel occasionally appear, which, though they 
occupy comparatively little ground, are often very conspicuous 
where they do occur. This arises from the contrast of their 
irregularity and the steepness of their sides with the low regular 
undulations of the earthly gravel. They are known as Eskers, and 
abound on both sides of the Solway; in Dumfriesshire about 
Cummertrees and north of Dumfries; in Cumberland around 
Brampton, and midway between Abbey Town and Allonby. The 
finest are those about Brampton, though either district is worth 
visiting. On leaving Carlisle by the Newcastle and Carlisle 
Railway the journey as far as Heads Nook is on the earthy gravel. 
Between Heads Nook and How Mill the esker tract is entered, 
and the contrast between the two formations becomes very obvious. 
Instead of low regular undulations, a series of steep irregular ridges, 
diversified by isolated mounds and peaty hollows, is seen on both 
