759 
(3.) Faults along the upper portions of other. valleys. If the 
Lake valleys have originated in dislocations we seem justified in 
inferring, from analogy, that other valleys differing from the former 
only in the circumstance of not containing lakes, have had a similar 
origin. It should be remarked, however, that this evidence can 
probably be depended upon only in the upper parts of the valleys, 
where denuding agencies must probably have acted for a much 
shorter period than at lower levels, where they may have formed 
valleys much more independently of previous dislocation. 
Theory of Elevation.—If we allow the conclusiveness of the above 
evidence of faults, we have here a system of which the law is 
obvious. Round the western extremity of the district they diverge 
from its highest point and extremity of its axis of elevation. On 
the north side they assume northerly, and then north-easterly, di- 
rections ; and on the southern side they take southerly directions. 
If we conceive a stratum of the mountain limestone, or the surface of 
junction above described to be continued over the central portion 
of the district, its dip along the faults would bate? nearly coincide 
with their directions. 
This is one of the laws connecting the directions of dip and of dis- 
location, resulting from the theory which the author has elsewhere 
developed, supposing thie faults to have been caused by the elevation 
which gave to the limestone beds their present position. This theory 
would therefore appear to assign these faults to the epoch of the 
disturbance of the carboniferous:system. There is also, however, 
another law pointed out by that theory, viz. that a system of dislo- 
cations may also exist having the same directions as the strike of 
the disturbed beds. Consequently those faults which are in the 
direction of the strike of the beds of the older formations, may, 
according to this theory, be assigned to the epoch of the elevation 
and dislocation of those beds. The great faults of the Dudden, 
Coniston Water and Troutbeck are of this class, since their direc- 
tions coincide very nearly with the mean strike of the older beds. 
Theory, therefore, leaves the epoch of these faults undetermined ; 
nor has the poimt been settled by observation, since there is no 
direct evidence to prove whether’ these faults have affected the 
mountain limestone or not. 
It may be thought that the mountain limestone must have been 
more decidedly disturbed by the great faults above mentioned had 
they been produced at the epoch of the disturbance of the carboni- — 
 ferous system. It must be remarked, however, that the direct evi- 
dence of these fauJts is found only at a considerable distance from the 
existing portions of mountain limestone, and that if they originated in 
that central and local elevation to which the actual configuration of 
this tract must be due (at whatever epoch it took place), the diver- 
ging faults, however great near the centre of the district, would dis- 
appear as they approached its boundary. The author, however, is 
disposed to refer the four great faults above mentioned to the 
disturbance of the older rocks. ‘They appear to have produced 
