GRISTHORP. 131 



nificent effects of breaking waves, and delights the naturalist 

 with its many fucoids, corallines, radiata and mollusca. After 

 storms the shore is frequently one vast collection of the beautiful 

 productions of the sea. On the north side of the Brig the waves 

 have excavated romantic cavities in which the clear sea-water 

 rests. Leland calls this place ' Philaw Bridge/ 



GRISTHORP. 



The highest point of the cliff above Filey Brig is composed of 

 a thick mass of boulder clay, and is 106 feet above the sea; but 

 as the strata rise continually to the north, the rocks which form 

 the Brig ascend to 280 feet in Gristhorp Cliff, and allow of other 

 strata appearing below. The whole series stands thus in feet : 



Diluvial clay and pebbles 8 



Lower part of the calcareous grit 30 



Gradations between calc. grit and Oxford clay . . 40 



Oxford clay 120 



Kelloways rock 25 



Clay -and Cornbrash rock 5 



Carbonaceous shale and sandstone 50 



A little further north, between Gristhorp Cliff and Red Cliff, 

 still lower strata come out, consisting of various sandstones and 

 shales, in particular layers of which vast multitudes of beautiful 

 Ferns, Zamia3, Lycopodiacese, and much wood, have been col- 

 lected by Mr. Bean, Mr. Williamson, Dr. Murray, and other 

 palaeontologists. Some layers of ironstone occur, and thin la- 

 minae of bad coal, and below all is a coarse irony oolite full of 

 shells, and covered in some places by Millepora straminea. 



A tumulus on the cliff at Gristhorp was the burial-place of a 

 British chief. A receptacle in the middle of this mound con- 

 tained a coffin made of a large split log of oak, full of water, in 

 which lay the skeleton of the warrior, with a small portion of 

 adipocere derived from his flesh, and several objects which were 

 dear to him in life. The coffin was 7 feet 6 inches long by 3 feet 



K2 



