70 



peat and forest beds in most of the bays. Normally, the surface 

 of the Bay of St. Ouen's is covered thickly with sand, but in 

 September, 1902, owing to some peculiar circumstances of wind, 

 and tide, and currents, a vast quantity of sand was suddenly 

 removed, and this submerged forest was laid bare. Luckily, the 

 Curator of the Jersey Museum, Mr. Sinel, was near by at the time, 

 and obtained an unique and most important photograph. 



Again, there is a record of a Manorial Mansion which stood 

 on the northern side of St. Ouen's Bay, now the remains of that 

 mansion are covered at high tide by seven to eight feet of water. 

 There are also the remains of a Chapel on the Ecrehou reefs to 

 N.E. of Jersey. This Chapel was built in the 12th Century, when 

 these reefs were continuous with the French Coast, now the ruin 

 of the Chapel is covered by several feet of water at high tide. 



It has been calculated from various observations that land 

 subsidence has occurred for the last few thousand years at the 

 rate of about 17^ inches per century. Therefore, with an average 

 of 30ft. of water at low tide between Jersey and France, the Island 

 must have been accessible from the Continent about 2,000 years 

 ago at low tide, and, assuming the same rate of subsidence for 

 the preceding milleniums, Jersey would have been fully Con- 

 tinental some 4,000 years ago. The larger bays of St. Ouen's and 

 St. Aubin's have been carved out of the less resistant Archaean 

 shale, while their horns are formed of the more resistant granites. 



The sea has carved out a great number of caves in the softer 

 portions of the granite rocks — about 60 occur on the north coast, 

 and about eight on the south-western corner. 



Sub-aerial denudation also plays an important part in giving 

 the Island its rugged appearance, as can be seen by the coast near 

 La Moye, where the cliffs are weathered into fantastic forms, 

 while the shore is strewn with blocks which have fallen from these 

 cliffs. * 



Very few minerals are found in Jersey, in fact, none exist in 

 payable quantity. Amongst the ores that have been fourd arp 

 Galena, with silver, copper as erubescite, and Sulphate of 

 Baryta; whilst traces of gold, platinum, zircon, molybdenite, and 

 iron have been found by analysis. 



