LAMPLUGH : OX THE SUPPOSED RAISED BEACH AT SALTBUPvX. 349 
western side, which carries the su])posed raised beach, occurs just where 
the main stream is Ukely to have been driven ac^ainst the western slope 
by the agency of its eastern tributaries. If it be recognized, as I think 
it must, that the platform has had its origin as a river-terrace, all 
difficulties as to its position disappear ; and there is seen to be a corres- 
ponding feature at about the same level on the opposite side of the 
valley, on the spur between the main beck and its chief tributary. 
The fluviatile aspect of the jjatch of gravelly wash seen beneath the 
sand in the recent cuttings on the terrace lends further support to my 
o])inion that the platform has not been cut by the sea, but by the beck. 
At the time that the terrace was formed it would, of course, be 
well within the valley, which must then have extended some distance 
farther northward than now before reaching the sea. The drift-clilfs 
up to the setting in of the solid Liassic rocks east of Old Saltburn show 
every indication of steadily wasting land, and the encroachment of the 
sea must have been in progress here until it was checked by the artificial 
defence-works. The persistence of the terrace-feature on this wasting 
coast, on the supposition that it was an ancient beach, was always 
* difficult to account for, but if considered as a feature belonginor to the 
valley, there is no difficulty. 
Other supporting arguments against the ' beach ' origin might 
be brought for\vard, but it seems unnecessary to labour the discus- 
sion further. I think that we need no longer take this awkward and 
anomalous ' Raised Beach " into our reckoning in dealing with the 
Post-Glacial history of the Yorkshire coast-lands. 
In conclusion I may mention that the examples of former stream- 
diversion on a small scale, which cause the irregularity of the ridges 
between the confluent streams and the cliff-front, are probably 
due to the readjustment of the drainage-gradients between the main 
stream and its tributaries, consequent upon the shortening of the 
principal valley by the encroachment of the sea. The features afford 
an instructive physiographical study in miniature. 
