90 RAMBLES AND REVERIES. 



with some others, constitute what are called the 

 Upper Silurian strata. Below are many thousands 

 of feet of Lower Silurian, Cambrian, and Pre- 

 Cambrian formations ; while above are the enormous 

 deposits of Old Red Sandstone, Coal, Millstone 

 Grit, New Red Sandstone, the Oolites, Chalk, and 

 numerous other kinds of rock and clay, all laid by 

 decaying forests or by the accumulation of animal 

 remains. Now, perhaps, you can form an idea of 

 the sort of evidence which has led geologists to give 

 up the belief that our globe is only some few thou- 

 sands of years old." 



" Indeed I can," said Baxter ; " but, to tell the 

 truth, you almost take away my breath." 



" Oh," said I laughingly, " out of pity for you I have 

 told you next to nothing of the wonders casketed 

 in the rocks ; you can't digest geological strong 

 meat yet. But let us get to work, for we shall find 

 the time go quickly." 



The first thing to be done was. to sketch the 

 adjacent district and to draw a diagram of the 

 section before us. Then marking down the various 

 thicknesses and directions of the bands of stone, 

 and the angles which the beds made with the floor, 

 measurements which are known technically as the 

 dip, strike, downthrow, and so on, all the prelimi- 

 naries were finished and work was begun in earnest. 

 I asked Baxter to grope about wherever he liked, 

 and if he came across anything that looked in- 

 teresting among the debris to bring it to me. To 

 some people our occupation would have seemed 

 toilsome drudgery ; but, to those who are trained 



