XXI. — Notices and Extracts from the Minute-Book of the Geological 



Society. 



1. — Notice respecting the Appearance of Fossil Timber on the Norfolk Coast. 

 By Richard Taylor, Esq. F.G.S. [Read Dec. 2nd, 1825.] 



IHE extraordinary high tide which visited the coast of Norfolk on the 3th 

 of February last, swept away considerable portions of the cliffs throughout 

 their course on the eastern side of the county, to the no small injury of the 

 property exposed to its attacks, and, for some weeks, afforded an unusually 

 favourable opportunity of examining the geological phaenomena of this coast. 

 The tremendous effects produced by a sea elevated many feet above the high- 

 est level recorded, and agitated by a strong gale blowing full upon the shore, 

 were accelerated by the remarkable wetness of the soil. So completely were 

 the high grounds along the eastern coast previously saturated by the land 

 springs, that daily avalanches, or ^"^ shoots" as they are provincially termed, 

 had occurred during the winter. Many of these shoots consisted of enormous 

 masses of clay, mud and sand, from 100 to 200 feet in thickness, which over- 

 spread the beach with their debris and prevented all passage below, except at 

 extreme low water ; and formed an inaccessible barrier, in some cases several 

 hundred yards in depth, for some miles along the shore, between Cromer and 

 Mundesley. The most remarkable fall occurred in the preceding month ; 

 when a portion of the Lighthouse Cliff at Cromer, at the point where it exhi- 

 bits an almost perpendicular face of 250 feet, suddenly disengaged itself, and 

 was followed by a considerable rush of water from the rear of the fallen mass. 

 The materials of this extensive avalanche now form a promontory, occupying 

 twelve acres, projecting many yards into the sea. As might be expected, its 

 surface presents a rugged and shattered appearance, such as can be only com- 

 pared to the effects of an earthquake. It may be here observed, that the 

 lower portion of the fallen cliff w as projected further than the upper part ; a 

 circumstance only to be explained by observing that the water having passed 

 freely through the sand of the upper half of the cliff accumulated in conside- 

 rable quantities in the rear of the tenacious blue clay of the lower half, until 



VOL. II. SECOND SERIES. 2 U 



