ST. BONIFACE.

135

The cliffs, or rather very steep slopes, on the opposite side ofthe cove, appeared to consist of chalk ; hut upon particularlyexamining them, I observed that the red sand stratum still ex-isted behind, and that the face of the chalky part was only aheap of loose materials, consisting of chalk, marl, flints andgravel, which had evidently fallen over, and concealed the sandrock. The whole of the shore from Dunnose was covered withlarge fragments of flint, and I had no doubt that these ruins wereconnected with the appearances I have mentioned respecting St.Boniface’s down.

Towards the west of these white cliffs, the lower part consistsof chalk without flints, lying in perfectly distinct and solid strata,which had all the appearance of never having been disturbed. Itis about twelve feet high, and several hundred feet in extent:the rest of the cliff over it being similar to the loose chalk justdescribed. It has been considerably worn by the waves, andmay be traced on the beach much lower.

It seems difficult to account for the unexpected appearance ofso large a mass of chalk horizontally stratified, so far below thelevel of the chalk strata in this part of the island. All the restof the materials on the southern shore, from Bonchurch to Niton,has evidently fallen from a higher situation ; but from the extentof this mass of chalk, from its perfect solidity, and from the bedsbeing almost quite horizontal, it is not easy to imagine that ithas been removed from so high a level as the top of theUndercliff; and I could not discover any circumstance that dis-proved its being formed in its present place. Supposing thisto be the case, a deficiency must have existed in the inferiorstrata at this spot, previous to the formation of the lower chalk;