828 CAV. W. r. JERVIS^ F.n.S., ox TirALASSOOCAPIIICAI, AXD 



newer Pliocene strata of Holland, as revealed by well-borinf?, 

 and those of the Eastern ('ounties, as well as on their 

 mineral coDstitution, Mr. Hariner concludes that Great Britain 

 still formed part of the Continent of Europe, and traces the 

 course of the "Rhine" by such data, or, as Ave distingniish 

 it, the Palajorhine, in a tortuous course, from Walton-on-t he- 

 Naze (Suffolk), for a distance of 70 miles, uninterruptedly, 

 to Mundesley, near Cromer (Norfolk). Were the river still 

 to run in its orij^inal bed we might speak of Tpswieh-on- 

 Khine, Lowest oft-on-Rlnne, X( irfolk-on-Khine. 



The North Sea currents, acting during thousands of years, 

 have so distributed the fine si'diment brought down by the 

 Khine, Schelt, and Thames, forming numerous shoals, that 

 the course of the Palajorhine for a distance of 103 miles, 

 which is the croAv flight between the Hook of Holland and 

 Walton-on-the-Naze, has been entirely obliterated. 



In this part of its course t])e Paheorhine received tAvo im- 

 portant affluents on the left, the Schelt and the Thames, 

 which may have been of a width similar to what it noAv has 

 near Greenwich, until it blended its Avaters Avith th.ose of 

 the parent stream from the Alps. 



Mr. Harmer leaves the Palceorhine at ]\[undesley, supposing 

 for reasons Ave cannot follow that it had reached its estuary. 

 But is such a deduction logical ? 



T/ie Stive)' Pit. — Fifteen miles out to sea off the coast near 

 Grimsby, lies the Silver Pit, Avell knoAvn to fishermen. This 

 remarkable physical feature is a distinctly marked, tortuous, 

 submerged riA-er valley, 2o miles long by 2 miles broad, 

 running toAvards the north. For the first 15 miles the depth 

 of the mid -channel rapidly increases from 40 to 45 and 50 

 fathoms consecutiA'ely, bounded by lateral decllA'itics 40 

 fathoms in height, in other Avords by respectable elevations 

 of 240 feet. Farther on tin; depth gradually diminishes to 

 35 fathoms and finally is only 23 fathoms, beyond Avhich avc 

 cannot noAv follow the A'alley, Avhieh lias been quite filled h\ 

 Avith sediment. 



Cromer (]\Iundesley) is 33 miles illstantto the S.E. from the 

 head of the Silver Pit, which avc consider to have undoubtedly 

 formed part of the course of the Palajorhine. There is 

 nothing to surprise us if all eA'idence of the line the river 

 folloAved should ha\"e been obliteratcjd (as betAveen Holland 

 and Walton), except in this one isolated place, seeing that 

 it ran principally through Tertiary strata Avifh Ioav banks. 

 Possibly the Silver Pit, <iu the other hand, marks its 



