100 
The first impression on seeing this wide-spread bed of iron 
ore (for the most part in a perfectly soft state) was, that it was 
the result of deposit from water at once, as peroxide of iron, 
in the same manner as we see ferruginous springs depositing, 
as the water is exposed to the air, the iron it holds in solution. 
Under this hypothesis these beds may have been of compar- 
atively very recent formation, having no relation indeed to 
the geological conditions by which they are surrounded. Nor 
would there be much difficulty in discovering sources from 
which the iron might have been derived. Waters flowing 
through and from the Green Sand might have been spread 
out over this district as a shallow lake, or the water might 
have obtained its iron from either the Oolite or the Lias 
formations, since we know of vast beds of iron ore in each. 
A careful examination, however, of the geological section 
as we find it in Lincolnshire, and as we have it in the Esk 
valley, near Whitby, will lead to a contrary conclusion. 
Again, the analyses clearly show that these beds must at one 
time have existed as carbonate of iron; and hence the 
inference is that the oxidation, which, as we ha^e seen is not 
entirely complete, has been produced by long continued 
exposure to the action of water, and of atmospheric air, 
probably in alternating intervals. 
The section of strata in the Esk valley, as given by 
Mr. T. Watson, of Whitby, is as follows : — 
Ft. in. 
1 Sand and Clay 13 0 
2 Freestone 25 0 
3 Marl and Shale 24 0 
4 Freestone 15 0 
5 Marl 8 0 
6 Coal 0 10 
7 Marl 8 0 
8 Freestone 10 0 
9 Oolitic Ironstone 14 0 
10 Aluminous Shale 185 0 
11 Cement Dogger Line . . 
Ft. in. 
12 Jet Rock 30 0 
13 Sulphur Rock 42 0 
14 Pecten Ironstone 6 0 
15 Sulphur Rock 12 0 
16 Ironstone 1 0 
17 Sulphur Rock 24 0 
18 Avicula Ironstone 5 0 
19 Sulphur Rock and Shale 30 0 
20 Fire Clay 4 0 
21 Sulphur Rock and Shale 40 0 
The Oolitic ironstone (No. 9) band appears near the surface 
in the coast section, on the southern side of Whitby Harbour ; 
