MOUNT HOLYOKE. 293 



the summit of Mount Holyoke. It presents to our view a 

 very perfect example of an ancient lake filled up, and the 

 river flowing through the new ground in a tortuous chan- 

 nel. 



" Are we going by Mount Holyoke on our way home ?" 

 asked John. 



" We are going pretty near to it," said Lawrence. 



" Then let us stop and go up," said John ; " I like to 

 climb mountains and see the views." 



" Very well," replied Lawrence. " The view from Mount 

 Holyoke is very beautiful, and it is very instructive, too, 

 for one who is studying these subjects. But we can see 

 the operation of the process to better advantage at Carl- 

 ton, for there every thing is on a smaller scale, and the 

 changes are more perceptible. The great principles are 

 the same in all cases, from the smallest brooks to the 

 mightiest rivers. But why does not the gong sound ?" 



" I wish it would sound," replied John, " for I'm hungry 

 for supper." 



" The general principle is this," resumed Lawrence, re- 

 verting to the subject of the flow of rivers : " The true and 

 ultimate function of brooks and rivers is to remove the 

 mountains to the sea ! Of course they can not carry them 

 down whole, but the frost, and the ice, and the rain disin- 

 tegrate and wear away the rocks, and deliver the materials 

 into the streams in such a form that the water can carry 

 them on. The river first employs these materials in filling 

 up all the hollows and depressions in the ground that it 

 meets with on its way. But it does not leave any single 

 portion of them long there, for, by twisting and winding in 

 its course, it continually washes away and carries down 

 the stream successive portions of the land it formed years 

 before, and replaces what is thus removed from one side of 

 the river by new formations, which it gradually builds up 



