THE EROSION OF THE COAST. 181 



At the Montreal meeting in 1884 this committee presented a 

 preliminary report, in which the importance of the subject and the 

 urgent need for enquiry were insisted on, and pointing out that the 

 problem could only be successfully attacked by many observers 

 working with a common purpose and upon some uniform plan. To 

 secure this unformity a formidable list of questions had been pre- 

 pared and circulated, and the co-operation of individuals and 

 societies solicited. The hon. sec. of the Dorset Field Club 

 promised, I believe, his aid, and under his direction I promised to 

 collect the facts and observations relating to this immediate neigh- 

 bourhood. I soon, however, repented of my rashness when I read 

 over the list in question. I found to my dismay that answers were 

 required to no less than 50 questions, arranged under 19 headings, 

 whilst a hint was thrown out that sketches illustrating the points 

 refeired to would make the answer more valuable-. It was evident 

 that the work was to be done thoroughly. 



At the Aberdeen meeting in 1885 the first detailed report was 

 presented. It contained two general reports on the south-eastern 

 coast of England one on that part of the Sussex coast between 

 Langley Point and Beachy Head, one on the coast of East Kent, 

 and 20 particular reports of a variety of places, many of them on 

 the south coast. Four of these referred to Dorset, and included 

 Lyme Regis and Charmouth, Bridport Harbour, Christchurch to 

 Poole, and lastly, to my intense relief, \Yeymouth, whose reporter 

 was Mr. Bernard Henry "NYood ward, of 80, Petherton Road, 

 Highbury New Park, London. Mr. Woodward's report is in the 

 form of short answers to some of the questions formulated by the 

 committee ; but it would, I think, be more convenient if on this 

 occasion the questions and answers were combined so as to form a 

 continuous statement. 



His report refers only to the coast north of the town of 

 "VVeymouth, which he describes as a shingly beach, bordering 

 alluvium, from about three furlongs north-east of St. John's 

 Church to the south of Jordan Hill. The cliffs at either end 

 of the shingle bank are of Oxford clay. The direction of the 



