36 



G. H. KINAHAN ON THE CHESIL BEACH, DORSETSHIRE, 



2. It lies on the N.E. shore 

 of Lyme Bay (the large bay be- 

 tween Start Point and Portland 

 Bill). 



3. This beach is a barrier di- 

 viding the lagoon called The Fleet 

 from the open sea (Lyme Bay). 

 The Fleet has its embonchnre 

 into the sea on the east of Port- 

 land Island. This high tract 

 must have been an island when 

 the sea was a little higher than 

 at present. 



4. The pebbles in the beach 

 graduate regularly from sand at 

 the western end to shingle at the 

 eastern end. 



5. Towards the eastern termi- 

 nation the beach increases con- 

 siderably both in bulk and height. 



6. The beach ends at Chesilton, 

 some distance north of Portland 

 Bill. 



7. Many of the pebbles in the 

 beach are similar to those found 

 on the west shore and in the 

 country west of Lyme Bay, but 

 especially in the " raised beach " 

 that occurs in places at Start 

 Bay and elsewhere. 



8. Possibly most of the pebbles 

 found in Chesil beach have tra- 

 velled from the westward across 

 the deep water in Lyme Bay. 

 According to the records of dif- 

 ferent observers some pebbles 

 travel eastward, along the north 

 shore to Pinne}^ Bay, immediately 

 west of Lyme Regis ; but, accord- 

 ing to the Admiralty Chart, there 

 could not be a continual tidal 

 driftage round the shore of Lyme 

 Bay from the Start to Chesilton, as 



2. It lies on the N.W. shore 

 of Wexford Bay (the shallow bay 

 between Greenore and Cahore 

 Points). 



3. This beach fringes a 

 long irregular accumulation of 

 vEolian drift (blown sand), this 

 latter dividing a reclamation, or 

 intake, formerly a lagoon, from 

 the sea in Wexford Bay. The 

 ancient lagoon had its embou- 

 chure into the sea on the south 

 of Cahore highland, which hill 

 was an island when the sea was 

 a little higher than at present. 



4. The beach in its southern 

 part is a mixture of sand, gravel, 

 and shingle ; while near its north 

 end it is a clear shingle. 



5. Towards the north the 

 beach slightly increases in bulk, 

 also nearly due west of the north 

 end of Rusk Bank. 



6. The beach terminates 400 

 yards S.S.E. of Cahore Point. 



7. Many of the pebbles in the 

 beach are fragments of the rocks 

 only found in the country south 

 of Wexford Bay, but especially 

 between Greenore and Cams ore 

 Points. 



8. Many of the pebbles found 

 in the Cahore shingle beach must 

 have travelled across the bay 

 from Greenore*, as there is not a 

 continuous travelling of the beach 

 round the shore of the bay. From 

 Greenore some fragments of the 

 Greenore rocks travel, first west- 

 ward and then northward, round 

 the shore of the south or Bally- 

 geary Bay ; these, however, with 

 others that have come across the 

 deep water, collect as shingle on 



* I am informed by T. Winder, Esq., M.Inst.C.E., that during last summer, 

 while making a submarine survey for the extension of Ballygeary Pier, he ftnind 

 a -stream of pebbles travelling northward across the bay from Greenore. 



