138 THE SEA-COAST. 



near Hovingham ; and Valerius Vindicianus on a monument at 

 Old Penrith. His designation is here given in the third line, 

 but that has only been interpreted by a series of conjectural 

 values for each letter. 



There is here a fault ' throwing up ' the strata to the north, 

 about 400 feet. The effect is to place on the same level fossil 

 plants of beds above the Lias, and fossil shells often 300 or more 

 feet deep in it. The fallen cliffs at this point have the pictu- 

 resque aspect of ruins. As nearly the whole series of Lias is 

 here visible, and in our progress northwards we must sometimes- 

 speak of its parts by name, this appears the proper place for in- 

 serting a classification of the thick Lias formation. 



Under the general cover of gritstones, which have been suffi- 

 ciently noticed already, we have : 



Upper Lias Shale, generally about 200 feet thick ; alum 

 is made from the upper half : near the bottom are some parts 

 firmer and harder than the rest, and through the whole run 

 bands of scattered nodules of a ferruginous and argillo-calcareous 

 nature. In the interior country south of Stokesley, this set of 

 beds grows thinner, and less fitted for the preparation of alum. 



Ironstone and Marlstone series, about 150 feet. Ironstone 

 bands more or less mixed with shale constitute the upper part 

 of the series, and at many parts of the coast, in Cleveland and 

 Eskdale, and towards the foot of the Hambleton Hills as far 

 south as Thirsk, they have a positive commercial value. The 

 shells which accompany these bands abundantly, add carbonate 

 of lime to improve the fusibility of the other earthy admixtures. 

 The produce in iron is about 28 per cent. Below are shales, 

 and still lower laminated sandstones, of a soft and argillaceous 

 character, generally very shelly, and partially ferruginous. These 

 are the true marlstones, and make prominent edges under Rose- 

 bury Topping and the Cleveland Hills, as they also do in Lin- 

 colnshire, Northamptonshire, and Gloucestershire. 



Lower Lias series, probably 500 feet. This is a nearly uni- 

 form mass of rather firm shale, with nodules of ironstone, in 



