542 



have been found, and these equally distinct 

 and well defined with such as are nearer 

 the surface. Dr. Duncan, of Ruthwell, has 

 been led to offer the following plausible 

 conjecture as to the manner in which the 

 sand composing the rock was originally 

 accumulated. He conceives this succes- 

 sive accumulation might be the effect of 

 the drifting occasioned by violent winds 

 from the south-west. Supposing a sand- 

 hill to be thus formed, a period of rainy 

 weather following, the stormy season would 

 soften and diffuse the particles of clay, 

 which may easily be believed to have ming- 

 led with the sand-drift, and would not only 

 prevent the sand from being again moved 

 by the wind, but would form it into a sub- 

 stance of some tenacity resembling mortar, 

 well fatted for preserving any impression 

 which it might receive. If, during, or im- 

 mediately after, the rainy season, animals 

 were to traverse a hill thus formed, 

 their tracks would be either altogether 

 obliterated or partially filled up, of which 

 latter state many traces are to be found in 

 the quarry ; but when the surface had be - 

 gun to dry, the footmarks impressed on 

 it would remain a considerable time quite 

 distinct and well denned. Now, supposing 

 the stormy monsoon again to commence, 

 the neighbouring sands, which had not yet 

 been fixed by any mixture of clay, and 

 which happened, from their situation, to 



Varieties. [MAY, 



be easily dried by a few days of favourable 

 weather, would be suddenly drifted on the 

 hill in question, forming a layer, M'hich 

 may easily have covered over the half in- 

 durated surface without being incorporated 

 with it, and without in any way injuring 

 the form of the footsteps imprinted on it. 

 Let the monsoon be now supposed to con- 

 tinue during the whole course of a dry 

 summer, fresh layers of sand would be 

 drifted, pure at first, but mingled again 

 towards the close of the season with the 

 clayey dust swept from an arid soil, which 

 mixture would form the materials of what 

 the quarrymen know, in its present state, 

 by the name of ' clay face,' and would once 

 more, when subjected to the operation of 

 the returning period of rain, both fix the 

 sand, and prepare it for the reception of 

 permanent impressions of the tracks of 

 wandering animals. Thus from year to 

 year the same round would be continued, 

 and the same appearance would take place, 

 till, after the revolution of many ages, what 

 was originally sand would be converted, 

 by a common process of nature, into sand- 

 stone, and, being exposed, in common with 

 the rest of our globe, to those mighty but 

 mysterious convulsions, of which there are 

 every where such incontrovertible proofs, 

 would at last, by the submersion of the 

 universal deluge, be buried under its pre- 

 sent covering of soil. 



WORKS IN THE PRESS AND NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



WORKS IN PREPARATION. 



A Poem, entitled Tecumoch, or the 

 Warrior of the West, the scene of which 

 is laid in Canada The Hero, a Chieftain 

 well known in America. 



Mexico, in 1827, by H. G. Ward, Esq. ; 

 in 2 vols. 8vo, with plates. 



An Essay on Wheel Carriages: contain- 

 ing a concise View of their Origin, and a 

 Description of the Variety now in use. 

 By J. Fuller, Coach Builder, Bath. 



Constanca, a Poem. By W. H. Merle, 

 Esq. 



Tales of the Wars of our Times. By 

 the Author of " Recollections of the 

 Peninsula," &c. 



The Life and Correspondence, Public 

 and Private, of the late Marquess of 

 Londonderry. 



Preparing for Publication " The Life 

 and Times of Francis I., of France," 

 embellished with an Engraving of Francis, 

 from Titian's Painting in the Louvre. 



The Second Series of " The Romance 

 of' History," is in a state of forwardness, 

 to comprise Tales illustrative of the Ro- 

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 of Charlemagne, to that of Louis XIV. 

 inclusive. 



Detraction Displayed. By Mrs. Opie. 



St. Valentine's Day; or, the Fair Maid 

 of Perth, in 3 vols. By Sir Walter Scott, 

 Bart. 



An Abridgement of the Rev. H. Soane's 

 History of the Reformation of the Church 

 of England, in 12mo. 



Mr. Griffiths is preparing for publication 

 a volume of Antique and Modern Gems, 

 from drawings by Alkin and others, with 

 appropriate Mottos and Quotations to each 

 subject. 



In a few days will be published, in one 

 Volume, post, 8vo., Three Days at Kil- 

 larney ; with other Poems. By the Rev. 

 Charles Hoyle. 



Observations on Early Rising, and on 

 Early Prayer. By Henry Erskine Head, 

 A.M. 



A Manual of Advice to Young Candi- 

 dates for Holy Orders, in a Series of 

 Letters from a Father to his Son, prepara- 

 tory to his Ordination. 



Narrative of a Journey from Constan- 

 tinople to England. By the Rev. II. 

 M r alsh, L.L.D. 



The last qf the Greeks ; or, the Fall of 

 Constantinople, u Tragedy. By Lord 

 Morpeth. 



Botanical Register; or, Ornamental 



