416 H. H. Howorth—A Great Post- Glacial Flood. 
present stream, and afterwards altered its course, and flowed several 
miles to the north. But this could never have been the case: for 
just as at Moulin Quignon and St. Acheul the gravel beds described 
by Mr. Prestwich are not commanded by any higher grounds, and 
are out of reach of all running water, and of any possible interference 
from agents in present action, so here they are found at an elevation 
of at least 80 feet above the source of the river, which is not more 
than twenty miles distant, and there is no highland in the neigh- 
bourhood from which a river capable of leaving such a deposit could 
possibly have been supplied. It is equally clear that if the waters 
had been supplied, it never could have reached to the summit of the 
hills. These immediately overlook or overhang the great level of 
the fens, which was formerly a considerable valley, much of it having 
been filled up by peat within a period comparatively recent. Before 
the river could have attained to a height sufficient to submerge the 
hills and cover them with its spoils, it must have fallen into the low 
grounds on either side, and filling up the valley have found its way 
to the sea, or if not, it would have formed an inland lake. In either 
case the transporting power of the water would have been lost long 
before it reached the required level” (Flower, op. cit. pp. 408-9). 
Mr. Flower, in view of these facts, does not hesitate to invoke as 
the vera causa of the distribution of these gravels the diluvian 
theory of the French geologists in a passage which I quoted in an 
earlier paper. Agreeing completely with his reasonimg on this sub- 
ject, 1 think it well, nevertheless, to support it by opinions offered 
by others more committed to extreme glacial views than he was. 
I cannot accept some of Mr. Skertchly’s reasoning on other 
matters, but in regard to these gravels I fail to see how he can be 
answered. His testimony is at one with that of Mr. Flower. He 
says, “I must now turn to the paleozoic (paleolithic is of course 
meant) gravels and sands of Suffolk. They have been described by 
many previous writers as confined to the river valleys, and to be, 
consequently, river gravels. This is no otherwise true than that 
being (naturally) thicker in valleys than elsewhere, they are there 
worked and the implements brought to light. In point of fact, how- 
ever, they spread all over the country quite irrespective of the 
drainage systems, crossing watersheds, occupying the highest ground, 
and running down to the lowest; and at points as widely distant as 
possible from any water-course I have found implements. These 
gravels and sands are for the most part quite unstratified, and only 
show signs of stratification in limited areas. They form wide 
sandy heaths, which are only useful for rabbit warrens. Hvery 
phase in their character shows that they are the effect of great floods 
sweeping across the face of the country. They have naturally accumu- 
lated in greatest force in the valleys, and as it would be impossible but 
that streams were locally formed, so we find portions showing stratifica- 
tion and false bedding ; but these appearances are by no means confined 
to ihe river channels. hey are older than much of the present river 
valley, for the river has cut through them, and the waste so derived. 
has been re-arranged as true river gravel, and in both, paleolithic 
