i899 THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS 5 



For the first Field Meeting, held on June 6, 1898, the 

 lower part of the Wye Valley was selected, and the 

 members assembled at Chepstow station. 



Starting from Chepstow, with Mr H. Saunders as local 

 guide, the party soon halted to examine a quarry in the 

 Mountain Limestone, when Mr Wethercd gave an 

 explanation of the genesis of these beds of rock, pointing 

 out the important part played by microscopic organisms 

 in the building of such beds of limestone. 



The journey was then continued to the Windcliff, and 

 when the party had ascended to the summit the beautiful 

 view was much enjoyed. Here Mr Wethered sketched 

 the estuarine conditions under which the Old Red Sand- 

 stone was formed. A gradual deepening of the water led 

 to the deep sea deposit of the Carboniferous Limestone, 

 which is mainly made up of remains of microscopic life. 

 Shallower water conditions then again prevailed, and con- 

 siderable sandy sediment brought down by rivers formed 

 the Millstone Grit; and still greater shallowing brought 

 the lagoon conditions of the Coal Measures. 



Following up the geological record from the point at 

 which Mr Wethered left it, Mr Buckman gave an account 

 of the making of the Wye Valley, pointing out the infer- 

 ences to be drawn from its configuration. (This paper is 

 printed in the present volume of Proceedings, p. 25.) 



From the Windcliff the party went to Tintern, and after 

 lunch at the Beaufort Arms, Mr John Bellows read a 

 paper, in which, taking Tintern Abbey as an object lesson, 

 he traced the evolution of monasticism in this country, 

 submitting evidence that the suppression of the monas- 

 teries was a just and necessary act. (This paper will be 

 found in the Proceedings, p. 33.) The members then 

 visited the abbey, under the guidance of Mr Saunders. 



Returning to Chepstow, through Piercefield Park, the 

 party went over the Castle. Here Mr Bellows discoursed 



