Travels in a Tree-top 37 



the many-colored rocks ; the different densi- 

 ties of the several strata resulted in deep or 

 shallow ravines, fantastic arches, caverns, and 

 beetling precipices. On a ridiculously small 

 scale, you may say. True, but not too small 

 for the eyes of him who is anxious to learn. 

 A few rods farther down the stream we 

 came to a small sandy island which divided 

 the brook and made a pleasant variety after a 

 monotonous course through nearly level 

 fields. A handful of the sand told the story. 

 Here, meeting with so slight an obstruction 

 as a projecting root, the sandy clays from 

 above had been deposited in part, and year 

 after year, as the island grew, the crowded 

 waters had encroached upon the yielding 

 banks on either side, and made here quite a 

 wide and shallow stream. Small as it was, 

 this little sand-bar had the characteristic feat- 

 ures of all islands. The water rippled along 

 its sides and gave it a pretty beach of sloping, 

 snow-white sand, while scarcely more than 

 half a foot inland the seeds of many plants 

 had sprouted, and along the central ridge or 

 backbone the sod was thick set, and several 

 acorns, a year before, had sprouted through 

 it. We found snails, spiders, and inse&s 

 4 



