458 



MR. E. HULL ON THE DRIFT-DEPOSITS 



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In order to account for the pheno- 

 mena above stated, regarding the slope 

 of the Drift- formation from the hills to- 

 ward the plains, and which bears a strong 

 resemblance to a true dip of the strata, 

 I at first supposed that it was due to an 

 upheaval of the country at the close of 

 the Drift period along the old lines of 

 elevation ; but Professor Ramsay sug- 

 gested to me that a more simple ex- 

 planation might be found in the un- 

 questionable fact that these various beds 

 of clay and sand were deposited over a 

 sloping sea-bottom, and consequently 

 partake of its variations of level. The 

 height to which erratics ascend on these 

 hills is about 1800 feet, as stated long 

 since by Sir H. De la Beche ; and from 

 my own observation I can state that 

 there is not a trace of a foreign rock ! 

 on the tableland of the Peak, which is 

 about 2000 feet high. 



The following general section (fig. 3) 

 will serve to explain the general pheno- 

 mena connected with the relativeposition 

 of the post-Pliocene and older forma- 

 tions in this district. 



Supposed Land-surface in the Drift. — 

 A very interesting section has been 

 opened in certain beds which I am now 

 about to describe, at the foot of the 

 hill, west of Heaton Mersey. The hill 

 itself is composed of the middle sand 

 and gravel (No. 3) ; and along its base 

 are large brick-yards excavated in the Lower Boulder- clay 



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