186 HIGHWATER MARK. 



remains, and in another this is covered and obliter- 

 ated by its successor. 



It is a wide indentation of the Channel coast on 

 which we are gazing. On the left hand, lofty wooded 

 hills, covered with the white suburban villas of a 

 flourishing watering-place terminate in sloping points 

 of rock, off which two rugged islets lie like chained 

 lions guarding the port. To the right, the view is 

 similarly bounded by a long nearly level wall of high 

 down, ending abruptly in a bluff and perpendicular 

 headland. Between these expands a long range of 

 angry horizon, and at our feet stretches for a couple 

 of miles a beach of yellow sand. 



Well, now*, have we seen all of interest ? and shall 

 we go back ? By no means ; we have come out ex- 

 ploring, and we have only just reached our hunting- 

 ground. But is there anything to be found on this 

 naked beach, on which the sea is breaking so furiously 

 that we cannot approach the line of low-water ? Yes, 

 much ; if we only know where and how to look for it. 



Do you see a long black line, or belt, a yard or so 

 in width, which your eye may trace along the whole 

 length of the yellow beach, lying parallel with the 

 sea-edge, but far up, almost close to the landward 

 verge of the sand ? This is the sphere of our opera- 

 tions to-day. 



This is the line of high water ; the mark to which 

 the waves have reached at the highest flood-tide, 

 where they have deposited the spoils which they had 

 collected from various sources, and which they had 



