194 A. Champernowne — The Devonians of N. and S. Devon. 



between the two parts of limestone if they (the slates) are really 

 newer beds. Therefore I conclude that they are not newer beds, 

 but that all the rocks on the left of the diagram are older than the 

 limestones. This brings the Eed Sandstones (3) into direct and 

 natural relation with those of Cockington, the Warberry, Lincombe, 

 etc., at Torquay, which are beneath the limestones. 



I may add that thick-bedded red sandstones on the strike of 

 (3) in the Halwell Valley, nine miles to the westwards, dip north, the 

 Harbertonford limestone also dipping north, though thrown by a 

 !N . and S. fault on its east ; and I believe that as soon as the 

 boundaries shall have been accurately surveyed, the real infraposition 

 of the red sandstones will be established beyond doubt. 



Now, having at Plymouth received from my opponents, of whom 

 not the least formidable was my friend Mr. Pengelly, our Sectional 

 President, a sort of challenge to study North Devon, about a month 

 later I took the hint, especially as I had not visited that part of the 

 country since the time when I held opinions widely differing from 

 those I now believe to be true. 



I first went to the north side of Morte Bay to see the Morte 

 slates close to their junction with the Pickwell Down sandstones, 

 and I give my notes almost as I took them. 



Between Barricane Beach and Woolacombe the Morte slates dip 

 at 65° and 70° S., crossed by cleavage dipping north at about the 

 same angle ; the latter dip was obviously not due to " surface 

 bending," though that is sometimes seen in the neighbourhood. The 

 reefs are a mass of jagged edges formed by the two sets of planes. 

 Some very even quartz veins stand in the plane of the cleavage, and 

 also vertical. 



The slate is here distinctly bedded. Some beds are coarse and 

 brownish, semi-arenaceous. One bed of brown sandstone 3 ft. 6 in. 

 thick, obliquely traversed by quartz veins, is just like the Ilfracombe, 

 etc., grits. With these exceptions, the character which the Morte 

 slates bear of "fine-grained, smooth, glossy slates," will apply to 

 them very close to the junction. 



Still nearer Woolacombe the beds bend over as they rise, evidently 

 forming part of a great denuded curve, as shown in the accompany- 

 ing sketch, Plate VI. Fig. 3. The spot is about 200 paces from the 

 foot of the blown sands, as near as I could take it for the advancing 

 tide. Still nearer the sand hills the beds dip 80° S. 



This curve, if not large enough singly, forms probably one of a 

 series of curves which would carry the beds right over Pickwell 

 Down, bringing them in again on the south. 



Where the brook cuts through the sand hills at the Life-Boat 

 House are some very smooth slates belonging to the Morte series. 

 About 600 paces south of the Boat House is a reef of grey and 

 purplish sandstones and slates dipping S. 65°. These should pro- 

 bably be included in the Old Eed Sandstone ; the boundary-line at 

 any rate must be drawn somewhere about the foot of Potter's Hill. 



The tide being almost full, I was unable to see much of the reefs 

 which, according to Mr. Etheridge, are very well shown ; but as long 



