45* 



THE NORTH SEA.* 



In this pamphlet Mr. Wheeler has reprinted, with additions, 

 an article appearing in ' The Engineer ' for May 1907. The 

 sections dealing with the sea and its adjoining coasts as they 

 appear to-day, are clear, concise, and apparently accurate. 

 But in referring to those early times when man was not known,, 

 and of which we have no written record, we might use Mr.. 

 Wheeler's own wwds, and say ' certain land-marks and data 

 exist from which inferences may be drawn, but there is room 

 for wide difference of opinion as to the conclusions arrived at.'' 

 We certainly think that the author gives too much credit to 

 the glacial period in connection with the formation of the- 

 North Sea and its adjoining lands. For instance, on page 3 

 we find ' between the coast of Yorkshire and Durham there 

 are indications that a large fiord extended inland for over one 

 hundred miles, nearly to Nottingham, the area of which is now 

 occupied by the large level plain known as the Vale of York,, 

 the drainage from which found its way to sea at the outlet 

 now occupied by the estuary of the Tees. The Chalk Wolds, 

 formed a continuous line through Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, 

 and the sea washed the foot of the Wolds. The Humber, as a. 

 river, did not exist at that time.' This seems very simple and 

 straightforward, but, unfortunately, Mr. Wheeler does not 

 quote references to his authorities, nor does he give us any 

 data upon which these generalisations are formed, assuming 

 they are his own. That there was a deep inlet in what is now 

 the Vale of York is fairly certain, judging from the details of 

 borings ; but that it extended from Nottingham to the Tees' 

 mouth, and joined the sea there, is not proven. It is more 

 than likely that the Vale of York fiord was joined to the Norths 

 Sea somewhere to the south ; possibly through the Humber 

 gap, which certainly did exist at that time. The pre-glacial_ 

 floor of the Humber has been exposed in more places than one ; 

 its direction, across central Holderness to the North Sea, has. 

 been demonstrated by borings — a fact referred to in several 

 papers which have been published by Messrs. Kendall, Stather,. 

 Crofts, and others. It also simplifies matters to learn that 

 ' at the close of the glacial period, the whole of the northern 



* The North Sea : Its Physical Characteristics, Tides, Currents, and 

 Fishery, by W. H. Wheeler. J. D. Potter, London, 1908. 41 pp.,. 

 price 2/6. 



1908 December i. 



