THE AGE OP THE WYE. 
181 
represented in Plate 2. The strong line shows the present 
surface, as taken over the river, the alluvium, the cliffs, and the 
original surface beyond on both sides. The dotted line repre- 
sents the supposed restoration of the original surface as existing 
before the river had worn away either bank ; and according to 
the universal curvature of the surface throughout the whole of 
this district, there is no doubt that this restoration must be very 
near the mark. 
If we now suppose that the river originally ran down the 
lowest ground, its centre must have been about 350 yards from 
the salient cliff and 130 from the retreating cliff*. And deducting 
40 yards, or half the width of the river, from each, we have the 
amount of “ wear ” in each case, namely, 90 yards from the 
retreating cliff and 310 from the salient cliff, the whole breadth 
from cliff to cliff being 480 yards. The amount of wear from 
the salient cliff we shall want again, further on, when we will 
caU it 300 yards as being fairly within the mark. 
We see, therefore, that these cliffs have been worn away to a 
greater or less degree, exactly according to their position in 
regard to the general course ’’ of the river. 
Now, the surface of all the country about here is, as has 
been said, of a gently undulating and rounded character. There 
is no instance of an abrupt fall, much less of a cliff, anywhere 
except along the course of the river, but there we have them all 
along and on both sides down the “ general course ” of the river ; 
and, as this course bends one way or the other, we have seen 
that the cliffs show distinctly, by the greater or less evidences of 
wear, the effect of the impact of the current due to their greater 
■ or less opposition to its force by reason of these bends. 
This evidence is so striking to an observer who carefully looks 
at the whole length of the river course, that I do not think it 
possible for him to doubt that these cliffs have been formed, 
during the process of time, by the action of the river itself. To 
