Reclaiming part of Forest of Delamerc. 
.'371 
consisted chiefly of light sandy and gravelly soil, with some peat. 
The surface is tolerably level, except at the south end, where a 
stream in a low valley traverses it. The marl-pit is at the 
extreme north part of the land (at Waterloo Gate), as shown on 
the map. Trial-shafts and borings were made to ascertain the 
thickness of the earth overlying the marl, technically called 
"fee" or "rid," which was found to be very variable, as the 
upper surface of the marl undulated to a greater extent than that 
of the land above it. 
At the first commencement of the operations at Honslough it 
was deemed advisable that the work of excavating, carrying, and 
spreading the marl should be performed by contract ; the work 
was consequentlv advertised, several tenders were received, and 
an agreement was entered into at the price of 8%d. per cube 
yard, and a commencement was made in February, 1860. When, 
however, the contractor had brought a limited quantity of rails, 
waggons, horses, ccc, on the land, and had marled about sixty 
acres, it became apparent that he could not continue the work at 
that price. The contract was therefore put an end to, and the 
work was proceeded with under the charge of an engineer and 
superintendent, by whom it was completed in December, 1860. 
The modus operandi was this : — The fee was in the first 
instance carefully removed from the upper surface of the marl, 
and I may here observe that it was subsequently disposed of by 
being thrown into the part of the pit from which the marl had 
been excavated. The marl having been laid bare and opened^ 
rails of light form, fastened upon longitudinal sleepers, were 
laid into the pit at a low level, so as to arrive at the bottom 
of the marl bed. The average depth of marl was from 10 to 
17 feet; the fee above it varying from 4 feet to 5 feet, or about 
from a quarter to one-half the depth of the marl. The marl beds 
were stratified and were very much distorted, as shown by the 
annexed section, and their colour varied from a dark red to that 
of a light blue slate : — 
The following is an analysis of an average sample of the 
marl : — ■ 
Moisture 1-96 
Organic matter and water of combination 2 - 52 
Oxides of iron and alumina 14 - 21 
Carbonate of lime 8-65 
Magnesia 1-39 
Phosphoric acid *36 
Potash and soda 1-91 
Insoluble silicious matter G9 - 00 
The railway was 2 ft. 7 in. gauge, and the waggons, made on 
the side tipping plan, contained about IX cube yards of marl, 
and weighed about 1 ton 18 cwt. The waggons upon being 
