THE LANDSLIP, LYME REGIS. 



Daniel Dunster, of Lyme Regis, entitled "An Account of and 

 Guide to the Mighty Landslip of Dowlands and Bindon, near 

 Lyme Regis, December 25th, 1839." From this are reproduced 

 a plan of the scene of the occurrence and a view of the chasm 

 looking west. 



These illustrations furnish an admirable record of what took 

 place. The diagrams show the successive strata the chalk on the 

 surface, A ; then the chert beds, B ; and below them about 100 feet 

 of greensand, C ; all resting on Lias and Rhaetic beds of clay, D, 

 which slope gently towards the sea. The rain falling on the sur- 

 face would penetrate to the clay, thoroughly soak the basal portion 

 of the sand, and carry away with it wherever it found an outlet a 

 considerable amount of this loosened sand. Some rain also 

 would soak into the same bed of sand where it crops out on the 

 surface a little further inland, and would assist in the carrying 

 forward of this sand, grain by grain. Thus the lowest layer of 

 the sand would be reduced almost to the consistency of quick- 

 sand, and what has been aptly termed a "launch-way" would 

 be produced, down which a huge portion of cliff, having an 

 upper surface of 15 acres, slipped towards the sea. This is 

 "the insulated portion of land" (2), well shown in the plan, 



Bindon 



SEA 



The Great Chasm. 



The insulated portion of Land. 



The eastern Basin or Harbour 



The remains of the western Basin or Harbour. 



The upheaved beach. 



The Cottages. 



7 . The road from the summit by Dowlands lime 

 kiln to the Cottages.. N. B. Ladies ran 

 only descend by this road. Gentlemen 

 may descend at the western pan, after 

 having walked by the edge of the precipice 

 through Dowlands and Bindon. 



(G. Roberts.) 



