1854.] WESTON ISLE OF SHEPPEY. 399 



2. Geological Notices of the Isle of Sheppey, and of its 

 Outlier of Bagshot Sand. By Charles Henry Weston, 

 Esq., B.A. Cantab., F.G.S., and Barrister at Law. 



(Received January 2, 1849.) 



[Abridged.] 



The north-western and southern parts of the Isle of Sheppey are low 

 and marshy, as well as a portion of the north-eastern coast from 

 Sheerness to Scrap Gate. From this point the cliff begins to rise, 

 and from Minster to Warden attains a considerable height. The 

 highest points must be at least 200 feet above the level of the sea. 



The elevated coast-line shelves off towards the interior of the Isle, 

 leaving such parts low and marshy ; but from some circumstances 

 connected with the cliffs near Warden and the inclination of the 

 strata near Scrap Gate, I strongly suspect that this depression toward 

 Elmley Isle is rather the result of an actual sinking of the strata in 

 that direction, than the effect of mere denudation. I had not time, 

 however, to substantiate this as a fact. 



The extent of the marsh and low ground on the north side from 

 Sheerness to Scrap Gate is about two miles. At Scrap Gate there is 

 a kiln for the manufacture of draining tiles, showing the existence of 

 clay intermingled with sand, as well as the absence of lime. To these 

 points we shall have occasion to refer. 



From Scrap Gate the coast-line begins to elevate itself towards the 

 S.E., and attains its greatest height at a point about 1| mile distant. 

 On its first emergence it is composed of a stratum of ferruginous- 

 coloured clay ; but before reaching East End Lane Preventive station, 

 another stratum of blue clay is seen coming out from under the super- 

 incumbent ferruginous clay rising in the same direction. At the ter- 

 mination of the cliff at Warden (the southernmost extremity), this 

 bed of blue clay forms the floor of the sea*. 



After examining the coast-line, I proceeded on the following day 

 along a great part of the edge of the cliff, and examined its upper 

 surface. I commenced at Scrap Gate, and before reaching the East 

 End Preventive station, I found, to my great surprise, the commence- 

 ment of a bed of ferruginous sands (see fig. p. 400). This bed 

 extended itself towards the S.E. for about 1^ mile, crowning the 

 highest parts of the cliffs. It lay conformably upon the stratum of 

 ferruginous clay, but its limits I did not trace beyond the Ensbrook 

 Preventive station -}■. 



I was not before aware that this development of ferruginous sand 

 existed in the Isle of Sheppey ; and yet, in analogy with various other 

 elevated portions of the Loudon Clay on whose tops outliers of the 

 Bagshot Sand are confessedly found, this deposit might have been 

 expected in this locality, which forms part of the highest ground of 

 the Isle, and where the upper portion of the London Clay has also 

 evidently been attained. 



* The clay of the cliffs sometimes separates in conchoidal forms, and some- 

 times, while stratified and divisible into laminsc, it exhibits a sort of cleavage at 

 right angles to the lamina:, pointing to the nioiiohedral syninietry of slaty structure. 



t I visited the Isle of Sbeppey in April 1848, and then first saw this bed of 

 sand. 



