112 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 



apparent, as level as the sea itself, looking very like rail- 

 way embankments, while in many of the Fjords terrace 

 rises behind terrace to a height in many instances of 

 several hundred feet. 



The materials of which the terraces are formed varies, 

 as it might naturally be supposed, according to the 

 materials which the sea had to act upon, and the circum- 

 stances under which they were deposited, in some 

 instances consisting of pebbles and shingle, ranging from 

 huge boulders weighing many cwts. each, down to fine 

 gravel ; in others, as in the Romsdal, being composed 

 almost entirely of sand ; again, in other places being 

 mainly constituted of clayey material, and not un- 

 frequently of shells and shell sand. Where the shore is 

 steep and exposed to the open sea, usually there is but 

 little evidence of terracing, but occasionally more or less 

 obscure notchings in the cliffs could be seen. Two 

 reasons may be assigned for this — 1st, the violent action 

 of the water would tend to keep all portable material 

 below high tide mark, and, as the elevation of the land, 

 though relatively rapid at times, was nevertheless very 

 gradual, the sea had ample time to work upon the in- 

 coherent material which in more sheltered spots would 

 have been left where it was deposited ; 2nd, the accumu- 

 lation of debris from the crumbling of the cliffs would 

 obscure any such narrow terraces as the sea might have 

 left. On the other hand, in the Fjords and sheltered 

 coves terraces are almost invariably found. 



The city of Trondhjem stands on a terrace of sand far 

 up in the Fjord of the same name, formed, so far as one 

 could judge from a very hasty survey, in the manner 

 indicated, but moulded, so to speak, by the river which 

 winds around the city. 



In the Romsdal the terraces could l)e plainly seen for 

 many miles up the valley, extending right up to and beyond 



