Discussion. On the Alluvial Formations, and the Local Changes, of the South Coast of England.

Abstract

SOUTH COAST OB ENGLAND. 205Mr. REDMAN, in answer to questions by Mr. Walker, explained, that the authorities he had consulted, for the present state of the outline of the coast, were the Admiralty charts, and the Ordnance and other modern maps of acknowledged accuracy, and as far as was practicable, he had verified the topographical correctness of those documents, by personal inspection, having walked over, and carefully examined the whole length of coast described, for the purpose of preparing the paper submitted to the Institution. He had already given in the paper, the ancient authorities, and he had spared no expense, or trouble in obtaining access to the earliest maps and the works of the best topographical writers, as the subject was of vast importance in marine engineering, especially in reference to the construction of harbours and coast-works of defence ; and he submitted, it was most desirable, that such natural agencies, as had been described, and the instances of the compensating effects of alternating loss and gain, should be correctly understood.Mr. NEWTON directed attention to the recently-exposed remains of the Roman castrum, at Lymne: it might be presumed, that at one period, that building had been situated on the shore ; and that the high lands at the back, being filled with springs, not drained away by any agricultural operations, had caused an ext.ensive landslip, whereby the castle walls were carried bodily forward for some distance, altering the line of the coast and occasioning a deposit from the river, which probably debouched near it.' I t was worth investigation, whether the first accumulation at Dungeness, might not have been originally formed by a somewhat similar occurrence.Sir WILLIAM CUBITT, said, that at Rye he had counted twenty distinct ' fulls ' of shingle ; he apprehended that these ' fulls' coincided with, or at least were influenced, to some extent, by the lunar cycles. H e would throw out the suggestion for the consideration of those who had more leisure for observations of that kind than he had, as the question was one of great interest, both theoretically and practically. H e was of opinion, that Winchelsea Castle was originally built close to the sea, as the ' fulls' now extended from the Castle to the present high-water mark.Sir CHARLES LYELL had derived much practical information from the interesting paper just read : particularly from the portions treating of Hurst Point and the Chesil Bank, to which he had devoted some attention. T h e effect of recent storms, on these parts