ventnor to sandown bay. 257 



The coast from Ventnor to Sandown Bay. 

 — From Rocken-end, east of Blackgang Chine, to 

 Bonchurch, the sea-cliffs, in consequence of the 

 displacements which have produced the Undercliff, 

 present no continuous sections of the strata, of 

 sufficient importance to require especial notice. 

 It may be briefly stated, that after passing along 

 that ruinous district, and arriving at the eastern 

 termination of the promontory formed by the 

 southern chalk downs, a repetition of the section 

 observable at St. Catherine's-hill on the western 

 extremity, is presented to view on the east of 

 Bonchurch Cove, at Dunnose Point and Shanklin 

 Down. This section of the nearly horizontal 

 strata of chalk, firestone, gait, and greensand, is 

 shown in the diagram, lign. 9, p. 134. The white 

 chalk forms the upper series of deposits ; of the fire- 

 stone, which varies in total thickness from 70 to 

 100 feet, a good section is seen above the ravine at 

 Luccomb, between Bonchurch and Shanklin. The 

 gait underlies the firestone as at Sandrock, near 

 Blackgang ; and beneath are the ferruginous sands 

 and dark clays of the greensand • the layer of 

 ironstone nodules full of casts of shells (see ante, 

 p. 226) extends through the upper part of the cliff 

 at Dunnose ; but the pema mulleti bed has not 

 been observed along this part of the coast. 



