198 GEOLOGY OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 



has a remarkable appearance, from the rows of 

 flints, which score the surface of the white rock 

 with fine dark parallel lines, running in an oblique 

 direction from the top to the bottom of the section. 

 In some places the lines are undulated, in others 

 arched, and near the summit of the cliff towards 

 Alum Bay, they are very fiexuous, and bent 

 down, as if a heavy mass above had pressed upon 

 the upper ends of the layers of flints, while the 

 chalk was in a plastic state. The general inclina- 

 tion of the beds of this part of the range is nearly 

 vertical on the north, with a gradually decreasing 

 angle towards the south. 



Scratchell's Bay. — The most stupendous line 

 of chalk cliffs is that termed the Main-bench ; and 

 beyond is ScratcheWs Bay, which is bounded by the 

 Needles. The aspect of the scene in this bay is 

 romantic in the extreme ; in the face of the cliff, 

 from the destruction of the lower beds of the bent 

 strata, a magnificent arch «300 feet high has been 

 produced, and forms an alcove that overhangs 

 the beach 150 feet.* 



The well-known pinnacles of chalk, called The 

 Needles, are isolated masses of the extreme western 



* In calm weather Scratchell's Bay and the Needles may he safely visited 

 in the pleasure-boats to In- hired at Freshwater-gate; parties generally land 

 cm this strip of shingle to view the stupendous arch above. A splendid \ lev 

 baj li) Mr. Webster is given in PL 2. r >, of Sir H. Englefield's work. 



