46 WALKS AND TALKS. 



Mountains. It comes out of its ice-roofed cavern milky white 

 with the clay sediment which results from the scouring of the 

 rocks by the sliding glacier. The sharp collision of trans- 

 ported rock-fragments accompanies the loud roaring of the 

 impetuous stream. On this occasion, the white streamlet, 

 always rapid, had been swollen to a furious torrent by a re- 

 cent cloud-burst. The torrent, in its rage, had rent all bar- 

 riers, and coursed over the adjacent lauds. Stones, up to 

 several tons in weight, had been hurled right and left, as the 

 autumn wind disperses the light leaves of the maples along 

 the street. Hundreds of acres lay buried beneath sand and 

 mud, cobble-stones and massive rocks. The rough and rocky 

 slope had received its deposits ; the late goat pasture lay con- 

 cealed beneath a bed of stones, and the grassy flat was hidden 

 by a blanket of gravel and slime. 



Observe the power of assortment exerted by the moving 

 water. The heavier rocks were left where the most precipitous 

 hill-side graduated into the sharp slope. Here was the first 

 abatement of the force of the stream. It dropped what could 

 no longer be moved by the diminished power of the torrent. 

 The smaller rocks lay next in order. Where the sharp slope 

 passed into a gentler grade, the still waning force of the 

 maddened stream became insufficient to bear them on. Still 

 beyond, on the lower levels, the flood was widened, its veloc- 

 ity slackened, and its transportative power so abated that the 

 average sized cobble-stones had to be left. Still went on the 

 gravel, and found pause only on the pastures where domestic 

 animals had been grazing. But the sand was borne to the 

 level, and spread itself out over many an arable field and 

 fragrant meadow ; while the fine alluvial mud had floated with 

 the tired waters, which sought out sheltered nooks and de- 

 pressions in which to rest. 



This was yesterday. This morning the lesson lay boforo 

 me. Here were effects of a geological cause on whose action 

 the startled peasant yesterday gazed despairingly. He needs 

 no theory to convince him of the nature and mode of action 

 of the forces which devastated his fields; and I, who found 



