SOUTH-WEST IRELAND. 207 



twenty feet " of peat, containing tree remains, was 

 sunk through, and in various places off the coast 

 submarine forests are known to exist. According to 

 this authority, the general section of the low levels is 

 as follows : 



4. Vegetable mould. 



3. Peat with trees, . . . 3 to 5 ft. 



C Dark-blue silt (clayey), with ^ 



2. < fresh-water shells above and > 5 to 25 

 (. marine shells below, . . j 



1. Pipe clay, . . . 1 to 4 



34 ft. 



From the above facts it is evident that the land 

 once stood much higher than at present, during which 

 time a bay over 70 feet deep was excavated in the 

 place now occupied by Komney Marsh; that after- 

 wards the land began to rise higher, and the bay was 

 filled with estuary deposits. At the first the sea had 

 free egress into the estuary ; but afterwards it became 

 a fresh-water lagoon, and eventually dry land, on 

 which a forest grew and flourished. But subsequently 

 the land again began to sink and be subject to floods, 

 while mosses and the other peat-forming plants 

 established themselves. The trees then began to 

 decay away, till eventually all were destroyed and 

 covered with peat. After that the land sank so low 

 that even the peat could not grow, the place being con- 



