180 
THE AGE OP THE WYE* 
attended by exactly tbe same resolts, namely^ a Mgb and greatly 
worn cliff on the east side, just below Ross^ and a low and 
slightly worn cliff on the west side. 
Lastly, there is an eastward bend at the Wear end, attended 
by just the same results. 
It may here be. remarked, that looking down the whole 
length of the river, on the ground or even as shown on the 
ordnance map, it will be noticed that the “ bends ” of the stream, 
as they wind about through the alluvium, frequently do not 
arrive at the cliff on the retreating side, but always impinge 
forcibly on the salient cliff, unless artificially hindered, and that, 
in those cases in which the stream does arrive at the retreating 
cliff, the length of the cliff exposed to the action of the water is 
usually less than in the opposite cases of the salient cliff. 
These are, evidently, the main causes of the greater amount 
of w’’ear from the salient cliff. But, nevertheless, the mechanical 
attrition of the gritty water may also have some small effect in 
addition. 
These remarks apply, of course, only to those parts of the 
stream where the banks are left to natural causes, and not 
artificially protected by walls or cribbs, &c. 
The six miles of country near Ross, through which the river 
flows, have a gently undulating and rounded surface of no great 
elevation. The sections of the ground made for the railway 
fully bear out this character, excepting only in those places 
where they cross the marginal cliff of the river. 
I had also three sections taken across the “ general course ” 
of the river in different, hut characteristic, places. These 
sections were prolonged, at both ends, for a certain- distance over 
the natural surface of the ground, and when the sections w'ere 
plotted, it was sufiiciently evident where the surface should have 
been in order to preserve the same rounded contour of the ground. 
One of these sections was made just below Wilton Bridge, and is 
