ON THE RELATION OF PALAOLITHIC MAN TO THE GLACIAL EPOCH. 401 
merely the remains of some clay brought to the pit, and that this Boulder 
Clay distinctly rested in one place on the recent vegetable soil. They also 
discovered numerous Arctic plants in the clays, but were unable to ascer- 
tain the exact relations of the deposits, for the pit was full of water.! 
They returned, therefore, in 1895, and made a series of borings, which 
pointed to a succession like that now demonstrated ; but, as the results 
were not conclusive, the manuscript notes? were reserved for incorpora- 
tion in this Report. 
Field Work. 
The Committee hoped to commence work at Hoxne immediately after 
the close of the Ipswich meeting ; but unexpected difficulty was met with 
in obtaining permission to make the excavations, so that the most favour- 
able season was thus lost. Nothing could be done during the winter ; 
but as soon as the days became longer and the weather more propitious, 
renewed application was made, and Mr. Stafford, on behalf of the 
owners, immediately granted the necessary facilities. On March 23 Mr. 
Clement Reid went to Hoxne, and remained in charge of the work 
throughout, Mr. E. P. Ridley, of Ipswich, visiting the place twice during 
the ten days. During these days a pit was sunk in the brickyard to a 
‘depth of 20 feet, and a boring from the bottom of this pit was carried 
22 feet lower, till the glacial sands were reached. The Section obtained, 
and the large samples of the strata taken to London for examination, 
proved of so great interest that it was thought desirable to complete the 
investigation by continuing the chain of borings right across the old basin 
or channel. Permission to bore in Oakley Park was at once given by Mr. 
Hay, the tenant of the estate, and an application was made by Sir John 
Evans and Sir Archibald Geikie to the Royal Society, which granted an 
additional sum of 30/. With this grant stronger boring tools were hired 
from Messrs. Le Grand and Sutcliff, and work was recommenced on May 6, 
Mr. Reid again taking charge for the fortnight that it lasted. Twelve 
additional borings were made, and as nine of these reached the base of the 
lacustrine deposits, we have now sufficient evidence to draw an accurate 
Section across the ancient silted-up channel (see Plate). 
Having the experience of 1888 and 1895 to guide them, they were able 
at once to select the spot where the buried channel was probably deepest, 
and where each of the deposits contained in it was fossiliferous. The site 
selected had, in fact, one of the trial borings of 1895 (BH 2) at its 
southern end, and it was within 3 or 4 yards of the flooded pit out of 
which the Arctic plants discovered in 1888 had been thrown. The length 
of the hole was 234 feet, and the breadth nearly 4 feet, the intention being 
to work the clay in steps, as the men are accustomed to do. It was found, 
however, that the lacustrine deposits were considerably thicker than had 
been estimated, so after a time the hole was reduced to a vertical shaft, 
the material and water being removed by a well-sinker’s tub and windlass. 
The Section (fig. 1) will explain the mode of work. The principal, in 
fact the only real, difficulty met with was due to a spring flowing from the 
gravel at the south end of the pit. This necessitated constant attention ; 
@ sump was made to prevent the lower working being flooded, and the 
water was baled out from this sump. The lower part of the pit yielded 
little water, but the spring above filled the pit to within 5 feet of the 
' Geol. Mag., new ser., dec. iii., vol. v. pp. 441-444. 
2 Read at the Ipswich meeting, 1895. 
1896. DD 
