The Willamette Sound. 57 



at all times, is scarcely discernible from one of 

 last year's fruitage drifting in the neighboring 

 waters. From these vegetable remains, as 

 from those of the shell fish, the same truths' 

 are taught, for the trees are the same in kind 

 as those growing on the bluffs one hundred 

 feet above them, while the waters that covered 

 them there with one hundred feet of sedi- 

 ment have passed away. The fossil story then 

 that may be read here is linked to our own 

 times by the sameness of vegetable and ani- 

 mal life, and separated from ours by the pass- 

 ing away of the agencies by which the rec- 

 ords were written. It is useless to ask, How 

 long ago? There is no chronological record 

 legible here. Future discoveries may connect 

 these things with human story. We may not 

 attempt this now. 



The lowest marine remains of these bluffs 

 plainly prove that when they lived the waters 

 around them were at, or near, their present 

 level. They are species that love shoal water 

 and they are in place where found. The 

 oyster is very abundant among them, and 



