Sotith-Western Part of Somersetshire^ 375 



grauwacke and quartz similar to what is found in the surrounding 

 country. On crossing the brook the cliffs soon begin to rise again,' 

 and the lyas strata appear at the bottom covered by about 1 2 feet of 

 this gravel, which becomes gradually thinner towards the west. 

 The lyas strata continue as far as the headland on the eastern side of 

 Watchet Harbour, and at the place of junction great confusion takes 

 place. 



§ 43. It was in this place tliat walking across the line of bear- 

 ing of the strata at low water I discovered them in that position 

 which leads me to think that the appearances of the red rock alter- 

 nating with the lyas may be deceptions. Fig. 1. PI. 24. is a ground 

 plan of this part of the coast, the dark line representing the cliffs, 

 and the faint lines the strata ; a a being the limestone and b b the 

 red rock. I found at A and B strata of lyas dipping towards the 

 same point, and conformably with the dip of the strata of red 

 rock at C. I therefore expected that as in going from A to B, I 

 should cross the prolongation of the strata of red rock from C, 

 although the ends of the strata were not much raised above the 

 sand, I might obtain distinct evidence of the red rock alternating 

 with the lyas : but instead of this I found the strata in the position 

 represented in fig.- 2. which is a vertical section in the line A B of 



§ 44. The whole of the headland is composed of strata 

 of the red rock, dipping rapidly towards the north in the cliff, 

 but as they extend out to sea they undergo great changes, dip- 

 ping to every point of the compass and with every variety of 

 inclination. In some places they sweep round, forming a portion 

 of a great circle with the dip of the strata towards the centre, as 

 the lyas strata are seen to do in the eastern part of the coast. Here 

 the grey parts of the red rock, which in general only appear as 



