TRANSACTIONS. 



XXXIII. 



REPORT OE LOCAL SUB-COMMITTEES, INSTITUTED AT 



THE SUGGESTION OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 



FOK THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE; 



TO OBSERVE AND REPORT UPON " COAST EROSION." 



Since the year 1884, when Mr. Dowker submitted to the 

 Committee of the British Association on " Coast Erosion," a 

 detailed account of the coast line between "W aimer and Whitstable, 

 he has made no minute surrey of the coast, but in a general way 

 has noted the clianges that have taken place since then, along the 

 before-named coast-line, which may be summarised as follows : — 



At Pegwell Bay, where the greatest amount of erosion had 

 been previously noted, the change since 1884 was most marked, 

 the sea having not only removed the talus of the cliffs and beach 

 which existed along the shore, but having cut back the cliff at a 

 most alarming rate, especially where it is composed of the tertiary 

 beds. 



Eastward of Ramsgate liarbour the sea has likewise removed 

 much of the beach and sand of the shore, laying bare the chalk 

 and undermining the cliffs, and several large falls of cliff have 

 since taken place. Between Margate and Bii'chington the sea has 

 been gaining on the shore, more especially to the West of 

 ilirchiugtou, where the shore has been swept away and the erected 

 groins emptied of beach. 



Beyond Birchington and S. Nicholas, where the sea defences 

 liave been kept up by the Commissioners of Sewers as fur as 

 Reculver, the sea has not gained, and the defences have been 

 effectual in retaining the beach. Between Reculver and Whit- 

 stable there has been a continued loss of land by falls of the 

 London clay, but immediately in front of Heme Bay the destruc- 

 tion of coast line has not much increased, and the same may be 

 said of Whitstable, except towards Seasalter, where th(! sea has 

 considerably gained on the land, removing the greater part of an 

 old marsliy accumulation of former years. 



Captain McDakin has reported on the Dover cliffs. Mr. 

 Dowker has noted chiefly the changes that have taken place at 



