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June i8th. 



ORDINARY MEETING.— MR. F. E. SAWYER, F.M.S., 

 ON "THE EROSION OF THE SUSSEX COAST, 

 WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO GREAT 

 STORMS WHICH HAVE VISITED the COUNTY." 



The present shape of the coast line of Sussex was mainly owing 

 to the two ranges of hills which traversed the County, and in a lesser 

 degree to geological causes and to the rivers. One of these — the 

 South Downs, which in the western part of the County were about lo 

 miles distant from the sea, terminated in the bold headland of Beachy 

 Head ; the other — the North Downs, which, passing through Petworth, 

 terminated in Fairlight Cliffs. The district situated to the south of the 

 South Downs chiefly embraced the Tertiary formations, and it was this 

 district which had suffered most from the sea. A long but shallow bay 

 extended from Selsea Bill to Beachy Head. The latter being com- 

 posed of chalk had suffered less denudation than the alluvial plains to 

 its west, and thus the bay had been gradually formed. Another, 

 though smaller bay, extended from Beachy Head to Fairlight Cliffs, 

 and this owed its origin to similar causes. 



At one time considerable estuaries of the English Channel are 

 said to have extended to Lewes and to Bramber, and it was somewhat 

 difficult to conjecture why these have ceased to exist. In the time of 

 the Romans the Weald was covered with large forests and lagoons, 

 and probably, therefore, a considerable quantity of water made its exit 

 through the valleys of the Adur and the Ouse. When, however, the 

 forests were cut down the rainfall decreased, and consequently less 

 water flowed down the valleys, and a gradual silting up took place. 

 He should surmise tliat this had taken place at the latest by the year 

 1400, if not much earlier. Hayley, in his " History of Chichester," 

 states that in the time of the Romans the Lavant flowed entirely round 

 the City of Chichester, whereas it now flowed round two sides only, 

 and that it was probable that the bed of the river was, at an early 

 period, diverted by an earthquake shock. He (Mr. Sawyer) was further 

 inclined to think that since the time of the Romans the whole of 

 the coast of Sussex west of Beachy Head had been slightly raised 

 by an earthquake shock. 



There were no very early records of storms on this coast. Tegg's 



