president's address. 157 



In the peat deposits of L'Ancresse we have evidence of 

 a similar people, who may have been contemporaneous with 

 the cromlech builders. Only neolithic animals are here 

 represented : the ox, stag, hog, dog, &c. The pottery is 

 similar, and the polished stone ring, found in digging this 

 peat on the shores of L'Ancresse Bay, may point to a date 

 in late Neolithic times. 



The narrowness of this peat band, and the leaves of flag 

 seem to show that at this spot there was at that time a small 

 stream or pond bordered by vegetation similar to that now 

 growing near, while the frequency of hazel and other larger 

 trees points to a considerable extension of the land seaward, 

 and that to a greater extent than can be accounted for by the 

 very slow subsidence in this part of Europe, which is generally 

 acknowledged to have been going on for centnries, and to be 

 still in progress. The number of deer bones proves these 

 animals to have been abundant, and to support such herds it 

 is thought an area much larger than the present island would 

 be necessary. It is objected that Herm was large enough to 

 support a herd of stags 200 years ago, but these were 

 preserved and treated somewhat like domestic animals, 

 whereas those in Ancient Guernsey were hunted, killed and 

 eaten, and would soon have been exterminated from the 

 smaller area. The peat deposits, generally, promise to throw 

 considerable light on the subject we are discussing, but they 

 have not yet been examined sufficiently to enable us to speak 

 with much certainty as to their teaching. Our worthy 

 ex-President, in his address (Transactions, 1896, p. 83), says : 

 " There are three levels of peat." He might have said at 

 least four, for he has not mentioned that covering a common 

 below the Guet, at Cobo, towards Houmet, which is at a 

 higher level than any he enumerates. But the peat, notwith- 

 standing differences of level, may all be of the same age. 

 When the peat was being formed on the then enlarged island, 

 there may have been various places suitable for its deposition 

 at different elevations. In Ireland such conditions are 

 constantly found ; we all remember, lately, that a bog burst, 

 ran down a slope, and overwhelmed another at a lower level. 

 So I put it that the patches of peat recently dug into and the 

 larger beds buried deeper under the sand, are likely to be of 

 one period if not one bed. Would it be fair to make this 

 comparison between the clay and peat beds ? The compact 

 yellow clay occurs at different elevations, yet because of the 

 uniformity of its general appearance, its contents and its 

 structure, it is regarded by all of us as being of one age, in 



