113 



much to relieve the prevailing monotony characteristic of this 

 coast. 



These aeolian rocks extend several miles inland at various 

 places, and from the large amount of calcareous matter which 

 they contain there has been formed by its solution. and by 

 transpiration towards the surface, and precipitation there, a 

 limestone crust or a stratum of consolidated sand. For the 

 most part this crust occupies the present surface, and may be 

 best studied about Streaky Bay and thence to Bramfield. But 

 other layers are frequently visible, which have doubtlessly been 

 formed under similar conditions, and which mark older sur- 

 faces. The sands and consolidated beds contain land shells, 

 which are often met with imbedded at great depths below the 

 surface. The following section on the coast near Fowler's 

 Point illustrates the leading characteristics of these aerial 

 deposits : — 



Feet. 



Loose sand, white in colour, rising to considerable eleva- 

 tion in from the edge of the cliff. 



Travertine and limestone breccia in rude courses, over- 

 hanging ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 



Sand layer mixed with lumps of travertine and blackened 

 angular fragments of limestone, presenting a very 

 scoriaceous appearance ; land shells in abundance ... 2 



Sand rock : consolidated coarse yellow-red sand in thick 

 wedged-shaped 'courses ; weathering into stalactitic or 

 columnar-like form on the face, and also honeycombed 40 



At Fowler's Bay the travertine band comes down to the sea 

 level, where it forms reefs, and the whole cliff seems to be 

 made up of shifting sand. Similarly it falls to sea level at 

 Fowler's Point, leading one to infer that a sandbank had 

 become elevated, then had acquired its calcareous crust, and in 

 later times become buried by blown sand. 



The sand dunes have in many places barred extensive bays 

 and creeks, such as Lakes Hamilton and MacDonnell ; which 

 in other instances have been subsequently silted up, and by 

 elevatory movements are now shallow salt pans or lagoons, 

 such as the Yalata and Peelunibie Swamps. 



, The Talata Swamp is not more than two feet above high 

 water mark, it is an extensive basin, occupied with yellow or 

 white clayey sand. Around its margin is a loose shell sand, 

 surmounted by a white shell-limestone ,full of bivalves with 

 valves in apposition. The general level of the top of the recent 

 marine bed above the swamp is four feet ; or six feet above 

 high water mark. A more recent deposit in the form of a sheet 

 of travertine of about six to nine inches thick at the greatest, 

 I 



