22 FeatherslonhaugWs Geological Report. 



minded of it. A geologist, however, is struck with the im- 

 mense heaps of flints deposited in various parts of this hill, 

 some in entire nodules, exactly as they are found in the chalk, 

 and others broken up and comminuted into a thousand pieces. 

 Looking around him, he sees at the foot of the hill a rich and 

 broad valley with the river Ex flowing through it to the ocean, 

 which is visible on his right. At some distance in front he 

 sees the white chalk cliffs of Dorsetshire. He now compre- 

 hends the phenomenon, sees that the chalk has once been in 

 position where he now finds only the flints, and that some 

 cause has put an immeasurable water power in motion, which 

 has scooped out the vale of Ex, and washed out all the creta- 

 ceous matter for many miles, leaving the flints behind as 

 monuments of the deposite in which they were imbedded, and 

 of the irresistible force of the movement which separated 

 them. This has been found repeated in other parts of Europe. 

 On this continent no chalk flints have yet been found, nor 

 any other evidences that the chalk has been removed, and 

 the same observation may be applied to the oolitic series, 

 wanting here, since its characteristic fossils have not been 

 found. 



Of the absence of other beds of the geological series, we 

 have remarkable instances on this continent. On the geologi- 

 cal line extending from the State of Maine continuously, in 

 the direction of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, 

 Washington, and the falls of all the Atlantic rivers, to We- 

 tumpka, on the Coosa river, in Alabama, there are no beds be- 

 tween the primary rocks at the bottom of the series, and the 

 loose detritus and alluvial deposites on the surface, but very 

 important members of the upper secondary and tertiary 

 groups are found east of that line, from whence it may be 

 inferred that they were deposited when the ocean was bound- 

 ed by that geological line. Of the causes of this deficiency 

 of strata upon so long a line, whether it is to be attributed to 

 the early elevation of the primary rocks above the marine 



