﻿OF 
  THE 
  VALLEY 
  OF 
  THE 
  RHINE. 
  

  

  89 
  

  

  being 
  found 
  at 
  many 
  different 
  levels 
  on 
  the 
  slopes 
  that 
  flank 
  the 
  

   Rhine 
  valley, 
  far 
  better 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  hypothetical 
  partial 
  submer- 
  

   gence 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  which 
  converted 
  a 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  into 
  

   a 
  kind 
  of 
  freshwater 
  estuary. 
  Thus 
  the 
  Jurassic 
  hills 
  between 
  Her- 
  

   holz 
  and 
  Ettenheim 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  bank 
  are 
  partly 
  covered 
  by 
  these 
  

   old 
  river-deposits 
  to 
  heights 
  of 
  about 
  200 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  river, 
  while 
  

   lower 
  down, 
  as 
  at 
  "Worms, 
  the 
  Loess 
  rests 
  on 
  river-gravel 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  

   great 
  plain 
  ; 
  and 
  at 
  Eltville 
  the 
  Loess 
  covered 
  with 
  vineyards 
  descends 
  

   to 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  Rhine. 
  As 
  the 
  river 
  by 
  degrees 
  lowered 
  the 
  level 
  

   of 
  the 
  plain, 
  it 
  left 
  its 
  finer 
  detritus 
  at 
  these 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  levels. 
  

  

  While 
  this 
  plain 
  still 
  retained 
  its 
  original 
  high 
  level, 
  and 
  the 
  

   Rhine, 
  as 
  already 
  stated, 
  flowed 
  through 
  the 
  upland 
  slopes 
  formed 
  

   of 
  Devonian 
  rocks 
  now 
  lying 
  between 
  Bingen 
  and 
  Konigswinter, 
  

   it 
  first 
  began 
  to 
  form 
  the 
  gorge 
  ; 
  and 
  as 
  this 
  work 
  of 
  watery 
  

   erosion 
  went 
  on, 
  the 
  water, 
  constantly 
  deepening 
  its 
  channel, 
  at 
  

   length 
  scooped 
  it 
  to 
  its 
  present 
  depth. 
  

  

  The 
  traces 
  of 
  its 
  temporary 
  levels 
  as 
  the 
  river 
  cut 
  its 
  way 
  down, 
  

   may 
  still 
  be 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  cliffs 
  high 
  above 
  the 
  present 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  

   water. 
  Thus 
  on 
  the 
  hill 
  behind 
  Bingen, 
  called 
  the 
  Rochusberg, 
  

   on 
  the 
  spur 
  of 
  Devonian 
  quartz 
  rock 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  Hotel 
  Hartmann 
  

   stands, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  chapel, 
  called 
  St. 
  Roche, 
  standing 
  on 
  the 
  relics 
  of 
  a 
  

   plain 
  341 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  river, 
  and 
  which 
  a 
  little 
  further 
  west 
  rises 
  

   to 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  nearly 
  400 
  feet. 
  This 
  plateau, 
  also 
  in 
  a 
  fragmentary 
  

   shape, 
  is 
  continued 
  further 
  down 
  the 
  Rhine. 
  Where 
  the 
  gorge 
  

   begins, 
  going 
  down 
  the 
  river, 
  it 
  presents 
  the 
  outline 
  shown 
  in 
  fig. 
  4. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  4. 
  — 
  Section 
  across 
  the 
  Rhine 
  Valley, 
  showing 
  the 
  present 
  and 
  old 
  

  

  Levels. 
  

  

  1. 
  The 
  present 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  Ehine. 
  2. 
  Part 
  of 
  an 
  old 
  level 
  of 
  tbe 
  river. 
  

   3. 
  Part 
  of 
  the 
  hilly 
  ground 
  beyond, 
  that 
  formed 
  the 
  original 
  river-bank. 
  

  

  Lower 
  down 
  the 
  river, 
  below 
  Mederheimbach, 
  the 
  left 
  bank, 
  looked 
  

   at 
  in 
  front, 
  presents 
  the 
  aspect 
  shown 
  in 
  fig. 
  5. 
  

  

  The 
  plain, 
  3, 
  slopes 
  gently 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  ; 
  and 
  numerous 
  gullies 
  or 
  

   minor 
  valleys, 
  which 
  open 
  out 
  just 
  above 
  the 
  present 
  bank 
  of 
  the 
  

   Rhine 
  and 
  end 
  in 
  the 
  plain 
  above, 
  have 
  been 
  produced 
  by 
  atmospheric 
  

   decomposition 
  and 
  rain 
  and 
  snow 
  during 
  the 
  time 
  that 
  the 
  river 
  

   has 
  been 
  cutting 
  its 
  way 
  from 
  3, 
  its 
  higher, 
  to 
  1, 
  its 
  present 
  level. 
  

  

  At 
  Wellmich, 
  looking 
  down 
  the 
  river, 
  the 
  general 
  appearance 
  of 
  

   the 
  high 
  banks 
  is 
  given 
  in 
  fig. 
  6, 
  which 
  shows 
  the 
  terraced 
  plain 
  on 
  

   the 
  left 
  bank 
  receding 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  in 
  a 
  gradual 
  perspective, 
  the 
  

   more 
  hilly 
  ground 
  to 
  the 
  right 
  and 
  left 
  that 
  bounds 
  these 
  terraced 
  

   plains 
  not 
  being 
  visible 
  from 
  this 
  point 
  of 
  view. 
  

  

  