South-Western Part of Somersetshire, S83 



perhaps been washed away since the time he observed them, for in 

 the place where the forest now exists it was formerly of much, 

 greater extent, and is evidently wearing away so rapidly by the 

 action of the tides, that it is probable not a trace of it may exist 

 some years hence. How far it extends out to sea it is impossible 

 to say, for from within half a mile of low water, the shore is 

 covered with mud. 



§ S5. There is a very considerable resemblance between this 

 submarine forest, and that on the coast of Lincolnshire observed by 

 Sir Joseph Banks and Mr. Correa de Serra, and described by the 

 latter in the Philosophical Transactions for 1799. I did not how- 

 •cver find that flattened appearance of the trees which he speaks of, 

 and the bark did not seem to be better preserved than the rest of the 

 tree. I could not learn that any similar substratum had been found 

 in the adjoining country, but it is stated by Mr. De Luc, that in 

 digging new channels for the rivers Brue and Axe, eastward of 

 Bridgwater, there was found at a great depth under the soil of the 

 marsh, a continuous bed of peat. 



§ SQ. It is hardly possible to describe this interesting pheno- 

 menon without offering some conjecture as to its cause. Before 

 any rational and well grounded theory could be formed, it would 

 be necessary to examine with great attention the district of low 

 land adjoining to the river Parret, and to collect all records of 

 sections that have been made in it. The explanation that most 

 readily occurs is that it has been caused by an encroachment of the 

 «ea on the breaking down of some barrier. But the remarkable 

 disturbances that appear in the strata, the slips in these which must 

 have evidently taken place after the consolidation of the rock, and 

 the occurrence of the forest opposite that part of the coast where 

 there are perpendicular cliffs 20 feet high, appear to me to favour 



