I04 Sir H. C. Englefield's Obfervatioiu 



of equal breadth or height throughout their extent. At Betn- 

 bridge, where they form the caftern point of the ifland, they rife 

 abruptly from the fea to a height of about 400 feet ; and, bending a 

 little to the northward, they continue of nearly the fame elevation 

 and a very narrow breadth, till they terminate at the valley through 

 which the Medina runs. To the weft of the Medina the range 

 grows confiderably wider, and is fubdivided into feveral fubordinate 

 vallies. This additional breadth gives the fouthern limit a great 

 curvature to the fouth, while the northern line remains nearly 

 flraight. Their elevation increafes much, and at Mottifton is 700 feet. 

 The acute and perpendicular promontory in which they terminate 

 to the weft, well known by the name of the needles, is nearly as 

 high as Mottifton. Befides the valley of the Medina this range is 

 fingularly interrupted by two vallies exadlly fimilar to each other 

 at the two ends of the ifland. Brading Haven renders Yaverland 

 at the eaft almoft an ifle, and the Yarmouth inlet cuts off the 

 vveftern end fo nearly that at high tides it is fometimes quite infu- 

 lated at Frefliwater Gate. 



To the north of this range of chalk hills the foil is chiefly clay, 

 with a fuperftratum, in many parts, of gravel. The clay is inter- 

 fperfed with many beds of ftone of different qualities, and which 

 appear to lie in great confufion. Of thefe fome are grit with a 

 flight admixture of calcareous matter; others have nearly equal 

 parts of fand and hme, and others are purely calcareous. In the firft, 

 which are of great hardnefs, very few extraneous bodies appear. In 

 the fecond are many fine impreflions of Ibells, while the laft are almoft 

 entirely compofcd of moulds of turbinated flidls fo as to appear 

 quite honeycombed by them. This ftone is, however, of great 

 durability, for the walls of Cowes.Caftle, which was built by Hen- 

 ry VIII. and is expofeJ to the fea air from the weft and north, arq 

 as perfect as on the day in which they were built. Below all thefe 



ftrata 



