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history, politics, customs, folk-lore, etc., peculiar to Jersey, deeply 

 interesting as they are, so I propose to tell you something of the 

 Island from a Natural Science point of view, and to show you 

 some pictures of the scenery, the architecture, and the antiquities 

 of the Island. I hope in this way to interest members of each of our 

 sections. As many of you may have a somewhat hazy idea of the 

 geography of the Channel Islands, I will commence with a few 

 remarks on their position and relations. 



Geography. 



The entrance to the English Channel, about 100 miles wide, 

 between Land's End and the Island of Ushant, near Brest, retains 

 that width towards the East for about 100 miles. From Start 

 Point in Devonshire, the coast of England recedes northwards and 

 from the opposite land, in Brittany, the French coast recedes 

 southwards rather abruptly, so that the width of the Channel is in- 

 creased to 150 miles. At a distance of about 50 miles more towards 

 the East, near St. Michel in Normandy, the French coast abruptly 

 bends round to the North, and continues in that direction for about 

 80 miles, terminating at Cape Le Hague, while the English land 

 rounding gradually to the South-East terminates in Portland Bill, 

 almost exactly opposite. The distance between France and Eng- 

 land between these two points of land is thus narrowed to little 

 more than 50 miles. In this wide expanse of Channel, within the 

 deep recess or bay formed by part of the coasts of Brittany and 

 Normandy, is found the remarkable group of Islands, known col- 

 lectively as the Channel Islands. With one exception (the 

 Chaussey Archipelago) all these Islands belong to England. 

 Geographically, these Channel Islands belong to the Continent and 

 to France. They must be looked upon as outlying possessions of 

 England, and their communications with England are much more 

 frequent and complete than with the Continent. This can be 

 accounted for by the fact that whereas on the South Coast of Eng- 

 land there are numerous natural harbours and important towns, 

 there is not a harbour of the smallest importance along the whole 

 enclosing shore of Brittany and Normandy, except St. Malo, and 

 only two towns (St. Malo and Granville) larger than fishing 

 stations. This part of the French Coast is approachable only by 

 small vessels and at great risk, owing to the vast number of 

 rocky islets and shoals, and the narrow channels and shallow 

 water. The area of sea including the Channel Islands is a nearly 

 regular trapezium of 3,000 square miles. In this Archipelago, 

 Jersey with its surrounding groups of rocky islets and shoals, 

 forms a South central group. 



Jersey is an island of oblong form, about n miles long from 

 E. to W., and from 5 to 7 miles wide. It is about half as long and 

 half as wide as the Isle of Wight. It contains about 39,500 Eng- 

 lish acres, equal to 62 square miles, whereas the Isle of Wight con- 

 tains 100,000 acres, equal to 149 square miles. The Isle of Wight 

 has therefore about 2J times the area of Jersey. The distance of 



