88 Mr. W. Kemp's Observations on the latest 



over, they frequently extend across valleys where currents of 

 water had formerly swept along. There are some very con- 

 spicuous moraines to be seen in this district ; in the valleys of 

 the Tweed, the Teviot, the Ettrick, and the Gala, &c. As 

 examples of such we point to those very fine ones near Gala 

 House, and the Fairy knolls by the Allen water. A very re- 

 markable one extends partly across the valley a little below 

 the town of Galashiels; it exceeds 140 feet in height by 600 

 feet in length, extending from the north bank at a right angle 

 across the valley: that is only its remains, for it is evident 

 that it had once crossed from side to side, for opposite upon 

 the top of a high bank a portion of it is still very prominent. 

 However, as it would form a barrier to the Gala, it has sub- 

 sequently carried a great part of it away. The turnpike road 

 passes over the north end of this mound, and as its steepness 

 there has long been a cause of complaint, last summer work- 

 men were engaged in excavating the height, and have opened 

 up a highly interesting section about 12 feet deep where it 

 bends to the west, adjoining what may be termed the lateral 

 moraine. At the east side, below a mass of gravel and sand, 

 there is exposed a large quantity of rolled stones each from 

 about 5 to 13 pounds weight, which appear as if they had 

 been tumbled together without any admixture of smaller ma- 

 terial, so that we may thrust in our hand between the boulders. 

 These are seen along the lower edge of the cut about 1 4* feet, 

 and 3 feet high, — how deep we cannot say. The bank above 

 those stones, although having visibly a stratified appearance 

 of small and coarse gravel alternating with intervening por- 

 tions of boulder clay, is yet so strangely contorted, especially 

 a little further west, where the thin beds of fine gravel become 

 quite vertical at more than one place, as to confound all 

 idea of its having been finally laid there by aqueous deposi- 

 tion. In fact we have therein displayed the formation of that 

 mound in characters infinitely easier to understand than those 

 of the ancient Egyptians. It is well known that a glacier 

 bears a considerable quantity of debris upon its surface, which 

 it grinds off the ground in its course, beside what rolls down 

 upon it from the adjoining bank; in this case we see that 

 a current of water has run along its surface carrying away the 

 lighter material, while the glacier bore along the grosser debris 

 which would be deposited at the extremity. Anon the water 

 has changed its course, while sand, clay and stone were next 

 deposited, and so on alternately in a greater or less degree ; 

 and after that semi-stratified mass was laid there, the immense 

 pressure of the glacier had thrust it up in the contorted man- 

 ner above described. 



