Miss E, Hodgson — The Granite-drift of Furness. 331 



two places for water. Stratification is but faintly shown; but a 

 sand and gravel layer about one foot thick had been worked through 

 at 7 feet from the surface, having an incline of 3 or 4 inches in a 

 yard towards the west. Unfortunately this bed was in water at the 

 time of my visit. In the brick-pits still nearer to the cliflP, the 

 ascertained depth of clay is not so great, being only from 18 to 20 

 feet ; while at Mr. Myerscough's, which is more round to the east, 

 and about the same elevation, 17 feet is the thickness given. 



The workable deposits, in these pits are identical with d. in the 

 section near Lodge Green. The colour, from being newly exposed, 

 may be of a richer brown, and thus may contrast more beautifully 

 with the variegated blue film. The latter is sometimes found 

 lining very small cavities, when it assumes a sort of striated crystal- 

 lization, similar to what may sometimes be seen coating inferior 

 blast-ore, or rather iron-impregnated carboniferous limestone. Mr. 

 J. Cameron, F.O.S., obligingly describes this blue film as follows : — 

 "A calcareous clay, containing silica, alumina, peroxide of iron, 

 protoxide of iron, carbonate of lime, and a trace of magnesia." 



In the last-named excavation, a much lighter brown and more 

 silt-like bed reposes on the older, at an incline of 2 inches in a yard 

 to the north-east. 



Section at Mb.. Myerscotigh's Pit. 



a. Light brown silt. 



6. Rich brown clay. 



This, though a fine clay, is more sandy, less tenacious, and mace- 

 rates readily in water ; moreover, I believe it contains a very few 

 frustules of Diatomacese, but they are too scarce and fragmentary to 

 admit of easy determination. Upon these grounds it seems probable 

 that a. is only the muddy subsoil of the salt-marsh that has here 

 found its highest level.^ No shells or other fossil remains have ever 

 been seen by me, either inland or in the cliff face. There is brisk 

 effervescence, but this may be caused by the limestone with which 

 it is said to be pretty largely intermixed. 



Granite, the only rock that could characterize this marine deposit 

 on Furness, is obtained from all the clays in considerable quantity, 

 and in some variety red and white : it varies also in size, as well 

 as the other stones, from the pretty large cobble, or even boulder, 

 down to little nests of its disintegrated minerals. Striation is so 

 common as to be pointed out by the workmen. 



^ A good illustration of the rate at which in point of time these broken swards or 

 salt-marshes will form along shores, is given in the fact that between Barrow and 

 Eampside, at a point now protected by a railway embankment, there is an old iron 

 ore shipping floor, which was used about 100 years ago. Over part of this floor soil 

 has been laid, and many crops of potatoes grown ; but in another place it underlies 

 pebbles, sand, soil, and good herbage, to the thickness of 2 feet 3 or 4 inches. This 

 shows in section, having been cut down again by tides ; and from the base may be 

 dug out to this day good samples of Stainton ore. 



