Geology -- Great Britain; Geology, Stratigraphic -- Cretaceous
Whilst descending, let us survey the scene that lies before us. It is a
grand one, rendered picturesque by the broken ground, the solitude, and
the sounding of the waves. Right ahead, there is the open Bay of Filey;
on the left hand, the town of Filey and its Brig; not a ship, as one
might imagine, but a huge mass of rocks of the coralline oolite, jutting
out to sea at right angles from the shore, like a pier formed by human
hands, and crowned on the land-side by strangely cut pinnacles of pink
and rugged drift. On the right hand there are the high and perpendicular
white chalk cliffs of the Flamborough range. As we pass down we shall
meet with a gulley or bed of a small stream, in all probability quite
dry, by following the winding course of which we shall reach the shore.
This gulley passes over an escarpment of diluvial matter (the whole
place being in confusion through the effects of small landslips),
and traverses the Red Chalk itself, the first trace of which will be
rendered visible by means of rolled fragments, which the force of the
stream has at different times detached.
It will be only here and there that we shall find the Red Chalk _in
sitû_, because sometimes vegetation, sometimes diluvium, sometimes
fallen masses, entirely conceal its real position. However, there will
be plenty of rounded pieces at the feet. Some of these had better be
examined on the spot, in order that we may gain a clear perception of
the appearance of the bed, should we meet with it again. These pieces
are found to be hard and rough to the touch, and of a bright red tinge,
though occasionally marked with streaks of white. Most likely on some
of their sides a fossil or two will be seen peeping out; a blow from a
hammer will divulge still more. So plentiful are the rolled fragments,
that a few hours' work will satisfy the conscience, and fill the pockets
of the traveller.
If I might be permitted to give advice to any member of our Association
who should hereafter visit the place, it would be this--that it would
be well for him to carry away moderate sized boulders entire, rather
than to break them on the spot. The fossils will best be developed at
leisure. The material is so hard, and the fossils so brittle (especially
the belemnites and serpulæ), that imperfect specimens only will result
from the quick and rough treatment of the hammer. The "find" will not
produce any very great variety, only numbers; terebratulæ, serpulæ, and
belemnites will be all that will be obtained.
Having now procured specimens, we had better walk southward along the
shore; after a short time will be seen a fine perpendicular section of
this particular stratum; we shall notice it is bounded on the one side
by the White Chalk, to which it is parallel; on the other by the Speeton
clay, which is not conformable to it, that is, not parallel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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