OCCURRENCE OF A SUBMERGED FOREST. 163 
In 1862, the Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods corroborated Mr. 
Becker’s observations, as to a rising of the southern coast of Aus- 
tralia, and on the evidence partly of the shallowing of the sound- 
ings, since they were taken by Flinders in 1802, partly from the 
occurrence of marine shells on the shores of coastal lakes now 
fresh, but evidently formerly salt, concluded that the rising affected 
the whole coast from Melbourne to King George’s Sound. 
In 1869, Dr. Alexander Rattray published his opinion that in 
the Cape York district there was evidence of a recent elevation of 
the coast. He says®:—‘‘ Equally interesting is the evidence that 
the north-east, if not the whole of the east coast of Australia, is 
slowly rising, to be found in the gradual shoaling of the channel . 
between Hinchinbrook Island and the mainland, (Lat. 184° S.) 
which is due to all appearance, neither to silting up nor to the 
growth of coral—in the presence of waterworn caves in the sand- 
stone cliffs of Albany Island and those of the mainland opposite, 
now well above high water mark—and in the existence along 
many parts of the coast, especially towards the northern end of 
the peninsula, of extensive tracts of level country now covered 
with sand dunes bearing a scanty vegetation stretching inland, 
and on either side to the base of lofty hills now ten, fifteen, or 
twenty miles off, but which had once closely bordered the sea, the 
whole looking as if they had once been under water.” 
Tn 1890 two of the authors published an account of some well 
developed and extensive raised beaches near the apex of the 
Hunter River Delta near Maitland, N. 8S. Wales. The marine 
Shell beds nowhere attained a greater elevation ates that of fifteen 
feet above high water.’ 
In 1892, Mr. E. J. Statham, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., described certain 
shell heaps and shell beds near the mouths of the Clarence, Rich- — 
mond and Brunswick Rivers.‘ He states, 5 «These layers are to 
ie 
1 Geological Observations in South Anatiaiin 1862, p. 205. 
* QJ.G.8., Vol. xxv., 1869, p. 302. 3 Op. cit.. p. ) 
Journ. Roy. Soc. N.S. Wales, Vol. xxvr., 1892, pp. 304-314. 3 Op. 
