Emi)ieni Natui alists.- 49 



the Briti-h Islands, and at its bottom and along the shores of the 

 rising land, the sand and pebbles were rolled and ground and 

 thrown into the wavy forms which filled him with surprise on that 

 first day of work in the quarry. 



He repeoples these seas with the grotesque fish, whose fossil 

 remains he discovered, so abundantly. Still later, and gigantic 

 animals rule the land which is now the seat of civilization. The 

 clumsy rhinoceros forces his way through swampy thickets, 

 gigantic bears and hyenas prowl over the land ; masters of all, 

 troops of elephants wander over the island; yet all die, leaving 

 those traces which enablt; us to restore in imagination the scenes 

 of distant eras, where now populous cities are full of the hum of 

 industry. 



While writing " The Testimony of the Rocks," his mind be- 

 came unbalanced on account of excessive study, and in a fit ot 

 horrible delirium he took his own life, on the night of December 

 23, 1856, but a day or two after he had finished the last page. 

 His native country, the commonwealth of science, and the civilized 

 world generally, mourned his untimely death. But in his works, 

 particularly in his last, in which he calls the very stones to witness 

 to the truth of God's written revelation, he lives, and he will con- 

 tinue to live, until the rocks themselves shall melt with fervent 

 heat, according to that same word. 



The Testimony of the Rocks ! 



Into the high court of truth, at His call, we see these venerable 

 witnesses take up their march. Each, in turn, answers its call, 

 and presents to the human reason, which sits as judge, its 

 silent, deliberate, infallible testimony. Hoary with the lapse of 

 countless centuries, the first witness takes us far back towards 

 that mysterious beginning when " God created the heaven and 

 earth." It ceases ; and another shows the record of the voice of 

 God, bidding the waters bring forth life. Again and again He 

 speaks ; and the records of every new creation are written upon 

 tables of stone, and for what? Hugh Miller helped to answer 

 this great question, and does not his answer commend itself to 

 our reason? To reveal to man, his Maker. Josiah Keep. 



THE COAST FOX. 



Next to Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz is the largest of the group of 

 islands off the coast of California. It is situated about 300 miles 

 south of San Francisco, and lies nearly 25 miles oiT shore. The 

 island is about 23 miles in length, and in its widest part, perhaps 

 seven miles broad. Santa Cruz is owned by a stock company, 

 and is employed as a sheep ranch, about 25,000 head being kept 

 there. 



