Report of Committee of Investigation on Bog-flow in Kerry. 488 
clearly seen from the sections of the bog given in figs. 2 and 3. 
A striking indication of this reversal of slope was furnished 
by several shallow surface drains which had been cut in order 
_to dry the surface of the bog for turf-cutting at its eastern 
extremity. These, when made, had a slope of one in forty 
towards the Blackwater valley ; they were now broken across, so 
that what had been the upper half sloped with an equal gradient 
towards the Ownacree. It was along the southern edge of the 
basin that the greatest amount of marginal disturbance had taken 
place, the proportion of crevasses to crust here being quite 2:1. 
This appears to have been the shallowest portion of the bog; 
several ridges of the underlying gravel had somewhat disturbed 
the general subsidence of the peat. The portion overlying the 
erests of the ridges had remained 7m situ, while that on their slopes 
had broken away on both sides, and flowed down through the 
depression between them. Soundings with a pole in these depres- 
sions showed hard bottom at from 5 to 8 feet. This was the only 
place where an 8-foot pole gave an indication of bottom. Owing 
to the increase in the number and width of the crevasses, on 
entering the depression from its margin, it was quite impossible to 
make any observations for more than 20 or 30 yards inwards from 
the edge. But there appears to be no doubt that along the line of 
greatest depression, the thick covering of bog had been entirely 
removed ; in some places the hard bottom could be seen. 
Effects of the Flood.—Immediately above the Kingwilliamstown 
road we pass from the area of subsidence to the region of flow. 
The flood has left behind it, in the upper portion of the valley, a 
deposit of peat averaging 3 feet in thickness, here as everywhere 
contrasted by its black colour with the grass land or other surface 
on which it rests. Its compact convex margin, like that of out- 
poured oatmeal porridge, often 2 feet in height, serves equally well 
to define it; so that it was an easy task to determine and map the 
high-water level of the flood. The surface of the deposit was 
everywhere broken by great roots and trunks of Scotch firs, which, 
in their enormous numbers, bore convincing testimony to the evis- 
ceration which the bog had undergone. The appearance of this 
extensive sea of black peat, with its protruding stumps of blackened 
trees, overlying fertile fields, was a sight melancholy in the extreme. 
