Mr. De la Beche on the South Coast of England. 41 



RegiSj resting upon green sand ; and proceeding westward from thence, it 

 forms the caps of the hills of Pinhay, Whitelands, Charlton, Rusedon, and 

 Dowlands near Axmouth. At White Cliff and Beer Head, near Beer, it is 

 in greater strength, resting upon green sand, which, together with the chalk, 

 fills up a large hollow or basin in the red marl of the new red sandstone 

 formation : and from this circumstance the chalk has, in the section, at this 

 place, the appearance of two dips, the one west, the other east. From Beer 

 Head, proceeding westward, the chalk continues to cap the hills, but gradually 

 diminishes in thickness, until it disappears at Dunscombe Hill, a short di- 

 stance to the east of Sidmouth. 



It is worthy of remark that, beneath the sea, seven miles south of the 

 Cobbe Head at Lyme, at the depth of about fifteen fathoms, there are chalk 

 rocks, well known to the fishermen who troll for fish. 



Above the chalk of this coast there is almost always gravel composed of 

 unrolled chalk flints. This deposit varies much in thickness : it is in great 

 abundance at Dunscombe Hill, and the tops of several hills capped with green 

 sand are also covered by angular chalk-flint gravel, the debris most probably 

 of former superincumbent chalk. 



Green Sand. 



The most eastern appearance of green sand on this part of the coast is 

 at Down Cliff*, a short distance to the west of Bridport Harbour, where it 

 forms the top of the hill, resting upon beds of the oolite formation : proceed- 

 ing westward, it forms the caps of Golden Cap, Shorne Cliff, Black Ven, &c. 

 resting there upon blue lias. At Black Ven, between Charmouth and Lyme, 

 there occur in the green sand regular compact and unbroken beds of chert; 

 but on Shorne Cliff and Golden Cap Hill the same chert occurs, in the form of 

 loose angular shattered fragments, occupying the same position in the green 

 sand formation; and a similar disintegration of the chert is observable upon 

 other hills between Lyme and Sidmouth, which are capped with green sand. 



To the west of Lyme, among the cliffs of Ware, Pinhay, Whitelands, &c. 

 the solid and unbroken beds of chert are numerous, and contain many fine 

 specimens of chalcedony. 



At Axmouth Point the green sand rests upon red marl. At White Cliff, 

 near Beer, it dips below the level of the sea, still resting immediately upon 



* Traces of it only arc observable at this cliff, but there is an abundance of green sand about 

 a furlong inland, upon the same hill. 



VOL. VI. G 



