Physical Structure and older stratified Deposits of Devonshire. 635 



1st. One of them extends through the most eastern portions of the county; 

 and is ahnost exclusively made up of deposits belonging to the formations of 

 new red sandstone and green sand*=. To describe any portion of this region 

 forms no part of our present object. But we may just observe, that the new 

 red sandstone is expanded through a part of it, in a series of rich valleys and 

 low well-wooded plains, which are prolonged northward to the coast of Somer- 

 setshire; while the green sand forms, almost without exception, the summits 

 of high barren tabular hills. These two characters, and the horizontal position 

 of the strata, at once distinguish ihh first region from all the others, 



2nd. The second region occupies all the most northern partsof the county; 

 being bounded to the east by the Vale of Taunton, and the plains of new 

 red sandstone above-mentioned, extending thence to the coast of Somerset- 

 shire; to the north and west by the sea-coast ; and to the south, by a line 

 commencing at Fremington Pill on the south side of the Barnstaple river, 

 thence ranging through a low undulating region in a direction about east and 

 by south, (passing about two miles north of South Molton, Bampton, and 

 Holcombe Rogus,) so as finally to terminate in the above-mentioned plain of 

 the new red sandstone. 



Along a considerable part of the north coast runs an irregular chain of 

 rugged hills, intersected by some valleys of exquisite beauty, and forming a 

 noble series of perpendicular cliffs and bluff headlands. One or two of the 

 highest points of this coast chain, between Minehead and Combe Martin, 

 reach an elevation of about twelve hundred feet. 



In the interior of this region is a succession of still loftier elevations, (Dun- 

 kery Beacon attaining the height of more than 1600 feet,) which in some 

 places put on the character of a mountain chain. But what we chiefly wish 

 to observe is, that these interior ridges form a regular crest or water-shed, 

 which (with a few inconsiderable deviations) ranges as far as the meridian of 

 Ilfracombe, in a direction almost exactly parallel to the southern boundary 

 above indicated. From many parts of this water- shed, the country descends 

 towards the south by a succession of long sweeping inclined planes ; giving 

 to the country an external character which is remarkably contrasted with the 

 features of the great undulating region that lies expanded further towards the 

 south. 



3rd. The third region commences immediately on the southern limitof the 



* The tertiary basin of Bovey Tracey, chiefly occupying a depression among the older strata, 

 may perhaps seem an exception to these remarks. It is, however, too inconsiderable in extent to 

 be noticed in a general sketch like the present. 



VOL. V. — SECOND SERIES. 4 N 



