THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
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capped 'by fine gravel.1 This gravel is considered by Prof. Prestwich to be
"Westleton Shingle." But as to this point the reader is referred to Prof. Prest-
wich's important paper on the Westleton Beds in the Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc,
vol. 46 (1890).2 The Red Crag at Walton-on-Naze has been much alluded to by
writers on that formation, as, though it does not cover a large area, it is well shown
in the sea-cliff. Its characteristics are the more worth noting, as the course of a
century, or less, may perhaps witness its total disappearance in this locality.
The walk along the brow of the cliffs was a very pleasant phase of the excur-
sion. The broad expanse of ocean was dotted with ships—later on the white
wings of yachts competing in the channel match glistened in the sunshine ; Lan-
guard Fort, Felixstowe, and the red cliffs at Bawdsey were perceptible on the far
horizon.
Descending the cliff, the geological collectors were enabled to obtain some
fair bags of Crag fossils, Mr. J. W. Eagle having kindly given his permission for
an exploration of the few remaining patches of the Crag. The damage done by
the recent landslips was very evident in many places, and falls were seen to
be still taking place almost daily. [The editor hopes to be enabled to give a full
account of these landslips in a future part of the Essex Naturalist (see also
E.N. iii. p. 230).]
Speaking of the possibility of coal being found in Essex, Mr. Whitaker
pointed out that many years ago, in a deep boring at Harwich, a little to the
north, Lower Carboniferous rocks were found at a depth of 1029 feet. Similar
evidences had been obtained from other borings in London, and as they had got
so near, it seemed to him that, somewhere in the intermediate district, there was
a very good chance of coal measures being touched. The position was briefly
this—at Harwich they had found rocks slightly older than the coal measures,
they knew that at Dover there were actual coal measures, and many spots between
these two points were favourable sites of exploration for coal. The only difficulty
was that the Tertiary beds increased in thickness as they got further from these
outlying limits, but as the rocks at Harwich were found at a depth of about 1000
feet, and some collieries were 3000 feet in depth, there was reason to hope that
the coal would not be unworkable. But of course, he added, amid laughter, you
must first find your coal. He hoped that the enterprise of the county would do
something in that direction, and believed that Essex would some day be a coal-
producing county. In conclusion, he drew an imaginative picture (with apolo-
gies to the Secretary of the Essex Field Club) of the appearance the county
would present in some parts if this hope should ever be realised.3
The botanists of the party explored the cliffs and the meadows inland, under
the guidance of Mr. C. A. Wright, F.L.S., but nothing worthy of special note was
found. The next day, on the sand-dunes west of Clacton, some interesting plants
were observed, including Convolvulus soldanella, Arenaria peploides, and Eryngium
maritimum.
Tea was taken at Dorling's Hotel about 5 o'clock, when Mr. Holmes pro-
posed a very hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Whitaker for his services as Director,
which was carried by acclamation. Mr. Whitaker, in response, said, that so far
as conducting the excursion went, he was always willing and ready to act as their
1 Mr. W. H. Dalton has lately suggested that the loam may be Post-Glacial.—(Essex
Naturalist, vol. iii.. p. 224.)
2 See abstract of this paper by Mr. Holmes, ante, pp. 100-102.—Ed.
3 See Mr. Whitaker's paper on "Coal in the' South East of England," in "Journal of Society of
Arts," vol. xxxviii. (April 25th, 1890), pp. 543-547.
K 2