18411880] GLEN ROY 187 



return it to me, as it will serve as a memorandum for me. Letter 522 

 Possibly I shall write to Mr. Chambers, 1 though I do not 

 know whether he will care about what I think on the 

 subject. This letter is too long and ill-written for Sir J. 

 Clark. 



To Lady Lyell. Letter 523 



[October 4th, 1847.] 



I enclose a letter from Chambers, which has pleased me 

 very much (which please return), but I cannot feel quite so 

 sure as he does. If the Lochaber and Tweed roads really 

 turn out exactly on a level, the sea theory is proved. What 

 a magnificent proof of equality of elevation, which does not 

 surprise me much ; but I fear I see cause of doubt, for as 

 far as 1 remember there are numerous terraces, near Gala- 

 shiels, with small intervals of height, so that the coincidence 

 of height might be cooked. Chambers does not seem aware 

 of one very striking coincidence, viz. that I made by careful 

 measurement my Kilfinnin terrace 1202 feet above sea, and 

 now Glen Gluoy is 1203 feet, according to the recent more 

 careful measurements. Even Agassiz 2 would be puzzled to 

 block up Glen Gluoy and Kilfinnin by the same glacier, and 

 then, moreover, the lake would have two outlets. With respect 

 to the middle terrace of Glen Roy seen by Chambers 

 in the Spean (figured by Agassiz, and seen by myself but 

 not noticed, as I thought it might have been a sheep track) 

 -it might yet have been formed on the ice-lake theory by 

 two independent glaciers going across the Spean, but it is 

 very improbable that two such immense ones should not 

 have been united into one. Chambers, unfortunately, does 

 not seem to have visited the head of the Spey, and I have 

 written to propose joining funds and sending some young 

 surveyor there. If my letter is published in the Scotsman, 

 how Buckland, 3 as I have foreseen, will crow over me : he 



1 R. Chambers, the author of Ancient Sea Margins, 1848. (See 

 Life and Letters, I., p. 361) ; also note I to Letter 519, to Mr. Milne- 

 Home from Mr. Chambers. 



2 "On the Glacial Theory," by Louis Agassiz, Edinb. New Phil. 

 Journ., Vol. XXXIII., p. 217, 1842. The parallel terraces are dealt with 

 by Agassiz, pp. 236 et seq. 



3 Professor Buckland may be described as joint author, with Agassiz, 

 of the Glacier theory. 



