388 R. M. Deeley — Erosion by Rivers and Glaciers. 



has nothing to do with business, but people like to be posted in the 

 antecedents of those with whom they are dealing, and for the 

 information of those on this side of the world who may have 

 occasion to require an honest, skilled report on any mining 

 property in Western Australia I append a few particulars of 

 Mr. Woodward's career, which is naturally not so well known in 

 England as in Australia, where his professional life has been spent. 

 [See ante, p. 385.] 



;;;;= >;;;« 4;;^ ^ 



" Besides his official publications, he has contributed many 

 valuable papers to the learned societies, and has published an 

 extremely useful Mining Handbook to the Colony of Western 

 Australia. 



" Mr. Woodward was the first to predict the discovery of artesian 

 water upon the plains to the westward of the Darling Range in 

 Western Australia, where the numerous bores put down are 

 yielding an abundant supply of fresh water. Also, unfortunately, 

 his prediction has up to date proved equally true that no artesian 

 water would be struck upon the goldfields. From their first 

 discovery, Mr. Woodward had the very highest opinion of the 

 value and permanence of the goldfields, advocating strongly 

 the construction of a railway into the interior long before the 

 Government had sufficient confidence in their success to incur the 

 cost of making it. He always in his official capacity as Govern- 

 ment Geologist did his best to protect the British investor from the 

 numerous spurious and worthless undertakings put forward by the 

 unscrupulous to ensnare the public, and for which he received the 

 usual thanks. 



" He acted for some months as Warden of the Dundas Goldfields, 

 and is thoroughly acquainted with all the goldfields and other 

 mineral areas of the Colony. 



" It will be seen from the above that Mr. Woodward has established 

 a right to the title of 'expert,' which seldom appertains to the 

 numerous self-confident gentlemen who without any ci'edentials 

 have assumed the diploma, greatly to their own gain and the loss 

 of the British investor." 



11. — The Erosive Power of Eiveks and Glaciers. 

 By E. M. Deeley, F.G.S. 



ALTHOUGH we are probably well acquainted with all the chief 

 agents of change, the long-continued action of which has 

 shaped the surface of the earth into mountain and vallej^ and 

 laid down and metamorphosed the deposits forming those portions 

 of its surface which natural or artificial sections or excavations have 

 enabled us to examine, there still remains considerable difference 

 of opinion, not only as to the particular agent or agents which 

 have formed many deposits, but also as to the rapidity with 

 which changes have been brought about by them in the past. 

 However, since the days when plutonists and pluvialists contended 



