tVfs^ Peak, and What It Saith. 6l 



Ice piled on ice to mountain height, 

 Moving, methought, resistlessly. 



I felt his cruel ice-bound teeth 



Plough in my flanks, as on his way 

 He ground and crushed my rocks beneath : 



I show the furrows to this day. 



I've seen the new-formed earth press back 



The waters of the refluent sea. 

 And wide diffused along its track 



The germs of floras yet to be. 



I've seen the living germs far borne 



By wind and wave from other lands. 

 Grasses and grains, and trees uptorn, 



Find lodgement in the new-made sands. 



And as these sands have richer grown, 



And turned to mould from year to year, 

 From seeds by wind and water sown 



The flowerets and the plants appear. 



I saw the primal forests rise. 



And slowly grow from year to year, 

 Until their branches swept the skies, 



And veiled the landscape far and near. 



I saw the beasts and birds appear ; 



Beheld their forms and heard their song. 

 Prowling or flying, without fear 



These mountains and these hills along. 



The mastodon, the mammal's pride. 



Unchallenged roamed through all these lands. 



And birds, immense in height and stride, 

 Left their deep foot-prints on the sands. 



Huge dinosaurs and hadrosaurs 



Stalked through this vale with awful form; 



Lcvleps, with dread carniverous jaws. 

 Defied the prehistoric storm. 



These on the land ; while, in the sea. 

 And every stream that marked this vale. 



The fishes played in sportive glee. 

 And left their impress on the shale. 



