EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES

xi

Plate XVIII. Culver Cliff from, the Sea , I. W. T. W. del. I *

This view presents a complete section of the middle range of chalk hills whichextends from the Needles to the Culver. In it the dip of the chalk beds may bedistinctly seen by the Hints. On the right hand, in the distance, are the clay cliffsin White Cliff bay. On the side of the chalk adjoining to it, large flakes or portionsof the beds of chalk frequently slide down, the lower part being undermined by thesea. This part of the shore is therefore more covered with fragments than the lefthand or south side, which is worn into caverns like those at Freshwater gate. Thedistance, on the left of the view, is the bottom of Sandown bay. This promontoryis in many parts extremely picturesque and elegant in its form, which, however,changes at every instant, according to the motion of the vessel; a circumstance,which, like most other views from the sea, renders it difficult to delineate. Thepresent point was chosen rather with a view to shew the real dip of the strata, thanas the most picturesque. See page 120.

Plate XIX. No. 1. Sandown Bay and Culver Cliff, from the south side near^

Shanklin, I. of W. T. W. del ('

This view is drawn from the top of the ferruginous sand cliffs a little way to thenorth of Shanklin chine. The chalk promontory under A, is the Culver cliff, theeast front of which is seen in the last plate. This side of the cliff next the bayexhibits a section of the series of beds from the flinty chalk to the ferruginous sandalluded to page 121. The east end of the promontory consists wholly of the chalkwith flints. On sailing along the bottom of this side of the cliff, the flints soondisappear, and somewhere under B, the chalk without flints comes up, and the strataare seen rising to the west. Under this is the chalk marl, which is distinguishedfrom the last by its splitting and shivering. Next follows the green sandstone,which is here chiefly of the whitish sort called firestone, and at a distance is notdistinguishable from the chalk ; the part of the cliff under C consists of it. The verydark cliff under D is the blue marl, which is strongly contrasted with the latter ; thecliffs of chalk and green sand stone are quite perpendicular, but the blue marl formsonly very steep slopes as this stratum continually pulverizes and falls, so that it iseasy to walk up in the hollows. The very deep red cliff, under E, is that known bythe name of Red cliff, and consists of silicious sand, often strongly cemented with oxidof iron, alternating with yellow sand and black shale. These dills are quite per-pendicular, and large masses of I hem continually fall, from the shivery nature of theshale. Some parts of them, however, are very firm ; they extend to the bottom ofthe bay as far as F, where they lower entirely, and arc succeeded by the flat beach of