BY FREDERICK DANVERS POWER, F.G.S. 41 



was bulged up in a confined place. In order to bring in a 

 flippant remark about some "Jelly Theory," Mr. Mont- 

 gomery goes out of his way to apply hydraulic data to solid 

 matter! which proves that he does not understand the 

 situation. A solid body like rock will, as we well 

 know, yield to pressure to a certain extent, and while it 

 is being bent up a considerable amount of friction is developed. 

 If the active force is removed the raised land will not 

 fall back into its original position, for although 

 the weight of the accumulated rock may cause 

 a slight sinking, still the weight is not sufficient 

 to overcome the necessary friction that the greater force was 

 able to do ; not only this, but the rock when strained will 

 give in places, so as to ease itself, thus obtaining a state of 

 rest, although out of its original position. We therefore see 

 that this is not a case of balancing a dead weight, but one of 

 steady pressure, and that it is not necessary for the rock to be 

 so mobile as to be affected to any great degree by solar or 

 lunar influences, as Mr. Ward suggests. It is my aim to 

 account for the plications which we see, and know to have 

 taken place ; not to prove the earth's crust mobile like a jelly, so 

 that it can have its form changed ad libitum like a rubber 

 ball. Assuming Mr. Mallet's calculation of the 600 miles 

 excess of original circumference to be correct, it by no means 

 follows that all this surplus land is heaped into mountains. 

 There are other land surfaces to be accounted for besides 

 these, but even if these 600 miles were heaped up into our 

 present ranges, why should these almost invariably be near 

 past or present sea coasts, and more or less parallel to them, 

 unless the oceans had some great influence over their struc- 

 ture ? Again, if due to contraction, it seems rather strange 

 that some of our highest mountains should be built up of 

 comparatively young rocks, which could not have been 

 deposited when most of the earth's crumplings, due 

 to contraction, were formed, e.g., the Alps, in 

 speaking of which Professor Archibald G-eikie in his text 

 book, p. 918, writes : — " It is strange to reflect that the endur- 

 ing materials out of which so many of the mountains, cliffs, 

 and pinnacles of the Alps have been formed are of no higher 

 geological antiquity than the London clay and other soft Eocene 

 deposits of the South of England." I have been accused of 

 advocating new theories contrary to well-known principles. 

 What I have really done is to make use of nature's laws to 

 account for observed phenomena, and not to invoke miracles 

 to my aid. These laws of nature are in force now, and can 

 be seen at work any day. It is no use for us to try and 

 ignore them, for they will exist whether we like it or not. 



To return to our local subject. If the ocean has not been 

 the chief cause of the range which includes Mounts Lyell 



