NEWPORT CLIFFS. ■ 311 



The section along- the cliffs at Newport, from Easton's Beach to the 

 Forty Steps, includes about 175 feet of rock, the strike being, in general, 

 north-south, and the dip variable westward, but averaging 45° W. The fol- 

 lowing notes will give an idea of the section disclosed: Southward from 

 Eastons Beach, going upward in the section, 3 feet of coaly shale, 29 feet 

 of sandstone with shaly layers, dip 20° W.; 4 feet of conglomerate with 

 pebbles up to 4 inches, dip 45° W\, and 32 feet of sandstone. Thence, 

 going down in the series, the conglomerate and the sandstone, containing 

 some conglomerate layers, and dipping 50° W., are passed again. Beneath 

 occur 19 feet of coaly black shale, containing impressions of fern leaves, 

 15 feet of conglomerate with pebbles up to 4 inches in diameter, 22 feet of 

 sandstone, and an unknown thickness of carbonaceous shaly sandstone, 

 disappearing seaward, these last being the lowest rocks exposed along the 

 cliff. Southward, in ascending order, the cliffs expose 20 feet of con- 

 glomerate and 23 feet of shaly or fine-grained sandstone, dipping 80° W. 

 Southward, in descending order, the conglomerate occurs again. Then in 

 ascending order are found again the coaly shale and sandstone; then 7 feet 

 of conglomerate, 11 feet of shaly sandstone and coaly shale, 11 feet of 

 conglomerate, 40 feet of carbonaceous sandstone and coaly shale, 8 feet 

 of conglomerate, 27 feet of dark carbonaceous shaly sandstone, and high in 

 the bank, just before reaching the Forty Steps, and again on the south side 

 of the steps, a layer of conglomerate. At the steps the dip has become 

 very low eastward, the pitch being plainly southward, about 15°. 



The total thickness of Carboniferous rocks south of Forty Steps does 

 not exceed 225 feet. 



The conglomerate at the Forty Steps is 11 feet thick. Overlying it 

 are, in ascending order: 11 feet of black shale and gray sandstone, almost 

 horizontal; 11 feet of conglomerate, west of a fault, dip 40° W.; 11 feet of 

 sandstone and shale, 5 feet of conglomerate, dip steep west; 24 feet of 

 brownish shaly rock; more faulting; 9 feet of conglomerate, some of the 

 pebbles being a foot long; more faulting; 13 feet of coaly shale, having a 

 steep west dip. 



After the coarse conglomerate with large pebbles comes in, a short 

 distance south of the Fort}* Steps, layers of very coarse conglomerate are 

 seen all along the shore as far as Ochre Point. It is probable that a care- 

 ful study of the section along this part of the coast would show that there 



