recent surface-strata, contrasts with the Cheshire beds, where below the thin bed of blue silt, superincumbent upon the upper black woody stratum, no sand whatever appears, proving in ancient times a sufficient height or distance from the shore for security from the drift sands under which the surfaces in medieval and later times have succumbed. On the Bootle and Seaforth shore, wherever the shifting sand has replaced the original peat and clay beds, springs and their concomitant quicksands occur. Only a couple of summers ago, a gentleman with whom I was personally acquainted, almost lost his family and himself in one of these dangerous spots; and yet the accident occurred within two hundred yards of a row of bathing machines !

Proceeding up the line, the former but now dry bed of the Rimrose Brook, upon the right, arrests attention—its course, nearly a quarter of a mile higher up, having been diverted for the purpose of constructing some "sidings," now forming a portion of the tramway embankment (C), upon which the visitor is supposed to be standing, has exercised a remarkable influ-. ence upon the intermediate ground (G). This comprises sod and soil, viz.,-light upper peat-loamy sand-boulder clay; the last abounding with hollows filled by the sand, the larger ones being the orifices of springs, all probably originating in a similar cause. The incongruous stratification here has been so compressed by the converging embankments as to cause the soil, peat and sand (G)—and partially both to the eastward and westward-to surge up in ridges varying from ten to fifteen feet in height above the original level, as still plainly to be seen by comparison with the remaining and unaffected portion of the meadow lying north of the tramway. Through the kindness of his friend, Mr. H. H. Vale, architect, the writer is enabled to supply a vertical section, illustrating all the elevations here, both natural and artificial: they are lettered to correspond with the general view and small plan. The disrupted masses are pervaded by large gaping crevices,

presenting the appearance of volcanic action and measuring from two to seven feet in depth. Whilst the artist was, at or near the point B, engaged in sketching the general view, a train of ballast trucks passed along the line (D), when the vibration proved so great that it became necessary to suspend operations for a few moments; and casting his eyes upon the summits of the disrupted ridges, they were seen distinctly quivering against the sky. But a more practical illustration is afforded in the costly experience of the contractors for this line, in the attempted construction of a large culvert under the point at B. Here, Mr. Thompson informs me, above thirty of his men were busily employed for many weeks, endeavouring, by the use of clay and large balks of wood, to effect their purpose, but in vain; for the treacherous soil all but swallowed up the balks; and, although upon making another attempt at a spot more removed from the old bed of the stream, the timber partially re-appeared, the job was necessarily abandoned, after a great expenditure of time, labour and money.

The above proves to be by no means a solitary instance of excessive dislocation of the ground, from a convergence of embankments-instances having occurred in Staffordshire and elsewhere; but the facts transpiring in our own immediate neighbourhood, and forcibly illustrating, as they do, the instability of the substrata over a considerable area landward, they appear worthy of record. The old Rimrose Brook is understood to have been, for some half-mile upward from the beach, a salt-water creek, but it can only have become so partially and in recent times, or the peaty beds above described would have been scooped away in an increasing volume to seaward; whereas, as we have seen, considerable deposits of vegetable growth were found close to the littoral outlet of the brook.

ORIGINAL LETTER, REFERRING TO THE PRETENDER'S MARCH INTO ENGLAND IN 1745.

Contributed by General the Hon. Sir Edward Cust, K.C.H.

(READ 15TH MARCH, 1866.)

[This document was found by Sir Edward Cust among some family letters in an old portmanteau. Sir Henry Marshall, M P., was an Alderman of the City of London, who had been Lord Mayor the previous year.]

If God is pleased to send us such tryals we must bear it, but I woud not purchase all the honours & riches of the world, by undergoing such another day & night as I did from sat noon untill Sunday morn 7 a clock, on sat noon 3 expresses came in to let L' mayor (& one to the dean) know the Rebels were turn'd back into Yorkshire, & woud be at york on monday, all faces gather,d blackness indeed, people run about the streets crying we are ruined, & we who had not pack began to secure a few of our best effects, every coach in york was hired to carry the woman out of present danger, I had share wh a family of a coach & a waggon for Hull & so over Humber, but after all the hurry I am here still, for sunday morning we rec'd an express that it was but part of the rebels who were come as far as Rochdale, for to plunder, & get horses & turnd back to Manchester a gain, Gen: Oglethorps foot came in yesterday evening, & are still comeing in, a few horse came yesterday & we expect part of Wades to morrow, but I who do not understand the art of wars so well as I do the principles of the welsh, fear that they will get into Wales; if they do not it is thought

that this neighbourhood will be the seat of war: at least 20 coaches & 6 went out yesterday morning wth 7 or 8 people in each, but to day we are quiet;

We have clapd a phicisian into the castle who has been in the pretenders camp, his name Burton, I dont love to give charrecters of people but we always say that He is a fool who hangs himself & he is sayd to have confess'd more then He need the gates are double gaurded every night. pray write me a line

Written from York; put into the post at Tadcaster and bears that post mark.