4G 



treats of a lifetime. The heavens are cleared in patches, the sun 

 shines thi-ough the rifts, the rain falls, and rainbow-tinted glory 

 decoi-ates the heavens. The sight is truly grand. 



" In ascending these mountains we started from their resting places 

 large and small stones, which rolled down hundreds ot feet. Boulders 

 when displaced bounded forth with tremendous force and crashed 

 through the trees below with irresistible violence. 



" Streams caused by the falling rain were hastening down the 

 precipices and gorges, carrying with them myriads of shining sand 

 grains. These if examined under the microscope would be found to be 

 granules of mica, quartz, feldspar and hornblende. On the very sum- 

 mit could be seen the simplest formation of these streams. Man}' 

 almost invisible streams, each formed by a few drops of rain, were 

 uniting and forming minute currents of water following the inclines 

 and slightest indentations of the rocks. On careful examination fine 

 grains of sand could be detected even in the spi-eading-out rain drops 

 and on the bare head of the hardest and smoothest gneiss rock. In 

 descending we reached the converging points of the si?)aller streams, 

 and finally the home of the torrents furiously leaping through the deep 

 gorges, and issuing with terrific force to join ' the brimming river.' 

 Here we noticed something more than sand. Pebbles and small sized 

 stones were violently borne along and deposited in the less rapid 

 water. These are covered by the sand and soon lost to sight, Init aid 

 in filling up the valley. 



" In sunshine and calm we ascended the same peaks the next day. 

 Along the top, at the very summit, we looked cai'etully to see if any 

 sand grains were left. To our great astonishment, in every direction, 

 we found sand in quantities varying from a cubic foot to a single grain. 



"Our curiosity being aroused, we examined not only the top of the 

 bare peak, but the tops of loose boulders, and even the upper edges of 

 small sized stones. Strange but true, this next day after a drenching 

 rainstorm, which finished up not sud'ienly but v(n-y gradually, and in 

 the warm month of July, grains of sand were lying loose on every 

 spot which was examined. 



" Another similar rainstorm would wash these grains away, and 

 their places in turn would be occupied at once by other sparkling 

 points. 



