THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 151
which was gaining through the deposition of material a few yards, or a few
hundred yards, higher up or lower down the stream. In this way a river
flowed, at one time or another, over every square foot of ground occupied by
the marshes adjacent to it. As to the nature of the strata found in these
alluvial or marsh sections, gravel was always seen towards their base and
loam at their surface, and sometimes they were the only beds visible. But in
other places, between the gravel and the loam were mud, peat and irregular
deposits of shell-marl. Sections there showed how very frequent had been
the changes of channel in certain spots, as compared with others. Thus
human relics or other remains found, which had evidently been deposited in
an old channel at one spot, might easily be hundreds or even thousands of
years older or newer than others similarly deposited but a few yards away.
The dug-out canoe, for example, seemed to him to be more likely of greater
rather than of less antiquity than the year B.C. 500. The supposed Viking
ship—if not of much later date—was perhaps a vessel of the Danish fleet
blockaded up the Lea by King Alfred in the year A.D. 896. Sections of this
kind also threw much light on the way in which the older river deposits, now
existing as comparatively obscure fragments, had been formed, a matter on
which more light certainly seemed desirable in view of the very discordant
opinions expressed by various geologists about them and their fossil contents.
[Reference should be made to Mr. Holmes' paper in the last part of the
Essex Naturalist, ante., pp. 1-16].
The remains of the so-called "Viking Ship," which had been uncovered
in what at one time had been a backwater in the old river channel, were
inspected with much interest. Some archaeologists of the party were,
however, unwilling to allow for this relic the antiquity suggested by Mr.
Holmes in his remarks above quoted, and in his paper (ante, p. 13), viz., that
it might have been a member of the Danish fleet which went up the Lea in
A.D. 895 and was destroyed by King Alfred. The "ship" was found with
the bottom upwards, and was in a very decayed state. It was probably
about 40 feet long, and what is called "clinker-built," with metal nails, and in
some places the remains of hair (? cow) were found, probably used in caulking
the boat.
The information concerning the ship was very meagre, and it was most
unfortunate that nothing but fragments could be kept; several pieces are in
the Epping Forest Museum. To preserve the boat properly would have been
a difficult and costly work, and its great size would not have permitted its
retention in any ordinary museum. We are greatly indebted to Mr. Sharrock
for some photographs of the "ship" in situ, from which the two illustrations
in the accompanying Plate were taken. It appears that this is not the first
instance of such an occurrence in the alluvial deposits of the Lea. About
1830 a large boat was unearthed in excavating for the East London Water
Company's Reservoirs near Temple Mills, and another is mentioned by
Camden as having been found near the same place. See extracts from
Robinson's History of Hackney in the "Notes" in the present part.
Mr. Traill pointed out the site of the discovery of the "Dug-out Canoe"
at the depth of about 6 feet from the surface. The details will be found in
Mr. Holmes' paper above referred to, and some particulars of a "Dug-out,"