UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 247 



cold, yet numbers escape, and are found early 

 in spring, sucking the buds of the peach and 

 other trees. 



14 th. I have not yet found the least, difficulty 

 in comprehending what my uncle tells us in our 

 geological conversations. This is partly owing 

 to the clearness with which he teaches ; and 

 partly to my immediately writing down the sub- 

 stance of it for you. The habit of writing this 

 journal has been indeed of very great use to me, 

 and I have to thank you, dear mamma, for 

 desiring me to do it. I am afraid Marianne 

 will not be much interested as yet by the present 

 subject, for want of my uncle's explanations ; but 

 when I am once more with you and her, I will try 

 to give her at full length the details of what he 

 has told us ; and I am sure that she will then 

 like it for his sake. 



We have just had another little chapter on the 

 changes in the globe. My uncle said, that 

 extraordinary as the changes on its surface 

 appear, yet when we have an opportunity of 

 penetrating a little into the interior by means 

 of deep mines, or of viewing a lo-ng section of 

 the strata in cliffs or on bare mountains, then 

 our ideas expand into a clearer conception of 

 the extent and grandeur of its ancient revo- 

 lutions. In examining the more elevated chains 

 of mountains, or in following the beds of their 



