STAITHES. 99 



the tumuli exhibits a very pleasing scene at low-water. For then the 

 ironstone courses, which there spread out from the cliff, are visible over 

 a wide extent, in a series of elegant flexures corresponding to slight 

 variations of their declination. They contain multitudes of terebratulas, 

 pectines, belemnites, wood, &c. Beyond, they rise into the cliff, and may 

 be traced towards Staithes, till their regularity is suddenly broken by 

 an oblique dislocation, which causes a depression, on the north side, of 

 fifteen feet. The section here exhibited consists, under the diluvial 

 covering, of hard shale, soft shale, and ironstone beds, and the extent of 

 the dislocation may be accurately determined. 



On arriving at Staithes, a much greater dislocation demands our 

 attention. The cliffs on the opposite sides of this harbour display fine 

 sections of strata ; and it is with surprise we perceive that they are quite 

 dissimilar. The signal cliff on the east has a diluvial covering, and 

 beneath it hard shale, irony, and rugged, with great balls of ironstone ; 

 soft shale, with a remarkable sulphureous line in it ; and the ironstone 

 series, consisting of layers of ironstone nodules and beds, alternating with 

 shale. But in Colborn nab, on the west side, we find a diluvial covering, 

 and beneath it a series of alternations of shaly and sandy beds, in some of 

 which are an indescribable profusion of fossils, especially cardium trunca- 

 tum, pectines, and dentalia ; and at the bottom the deeper lias shale, 

 with a few layers of ironstone nodules. The extent of this disloca- 

 tion is obviously something greater than the whole height of Colborn 

 nab ; for all the strata which it exhibits are naturally placed below the 

 lowest of those in the signal cliff: they are therefore elevated about 

 one hundred and fifty feet higher on the west than on the east side of 

 the harbour. 



This being a place where the ironstone and marlstone series are seen 

 to great advantage, I have drawn an enlarged section of the opposite 

 cliffs, which should be connected with the following reference : 



so. Diluvial clay and pebbles lying on the top of the cliffs, on both sides of the 

 harbour. 



O 2 



