2 Rev. W. D. Con ybcare's Notice of Mr. Walker's Paper 



ticed the course of our chalk hills and the subjacent sandy 

 districts; and with regard to the present question, I have 

 only to quote pages 3 and 1 of the first volume of the work 

 referred to. 



" If we cast our eyes on the geography of England, we 

 must observe that much of the eastern shore is flat low ground, 

 while the western is steep and rocky. This holds generally 

 true throughout the globe as to its great parts, countries or 

 islands, and likewise particularly as to its little ones, mountains 

 and plains. I mean that mountains are abrupt to the west, 

 especially north-west, and have a gentle declivity eastward or 

 to the south-east.. ..Those that have gone about to demon- 

 strate the problem of the earth's motion have neglected this 

 proof, which is most sensible, and lies before our eyes every 

 minute ; for it is the property of matter, that when whirled 

 round on an axis, the loose parts are thrown the contrary 

 way in a tangent line.... By this means the elevated parts of 

 the globe, as they consolidated, while yet soft and yielding, 

 flew westwards, and spread forth a long declivity to the east." 

 Thus far our antiquarian topographer, whose explanation, 

 however, I have taken the liberty to abridge a little, by omit- 

 ting a few of the repetitions which he judges necessary to 

 elucidate such a subject; but I trust that what, I have re- 

 tained is amply sufficient to evince the exact identity of his 

 views with those of Mr. Walker. Stukeley, in the progress of 

 his journey, instances a great variety of examples of the local 

 configuration of the chains which he traverses, always, as is 

 undoubtedly true with regard to England, in favour of his own 

 hypothesis. 



Many geologists have at a later period speculated on these 

 phaenomena in a similar spirit. Bergman in 1773 remarked, 

 that in mountains running north and south, the western 

 declivity was most steep; and that in those running east and 

 west, the southern face was most abrupt; and he enters 

 into a large induction of the chains of the globe to confirm 

 these statements. Buffbn, in 1778, also insists that in conti- 

 nents, generally the most rapid declivity is to the west : and 

 subsequently the subject was treated of by Herman, De la 

 Metherie, Foster, and more especially by Kirwan, who 

 collected the observations of the preceding geologists, and 

 added many of his own. The inductive survey of the moun- 

 tain chains of the globe by the latter is particularly copious. 

 Kirwan, from his own peculiar views, refers the westerly ele- 

 vated escarpments to the course of the tidal waves of the ocean, 

 beneath which the strata were deposited, irom east to west, 

 as a consequence of the earth's rotation; and the similar 



