318 TYJfEDALE ESCAEPMEXTS ; 



simpler ones of the higher grounds. If the latter ponded streams, 

 the former must have ponded the river, and, the gorges being closed 

 up, you would have a string of lakes occupying, as is postulated, 

 scooped hollows or rock lasins. IS'ow it has been clearly brought 

 out of late years, that neither the sea, nor rivers, nor any erosive 

 agent but ice alone can possibly have the power of excavating 

 basins of rock. It is also quite certain that Tynedale existed 

 much as now before the glacial period. How can the basins have 

 been made? We are, in truth, at a complete dead-lock, unless, 

 indeed, recourse is had to former glacial periods, an evasion sim- 

 ply puerile, until it is granted that longitudinal and transverse 

 stream-flow, assisted by widening rain- wash, has dug out the 

 valley ; broadening or narrowing according as the strata from 

 one cause or another had more chance of survival. 



Such streamlets as extend crosswise to the ' ' rig-and-f ur" ge- 

 nerally reproduce in an interesting manner the circumstances and 

 features of a great longitudinal river in its early stages. Look- 

 ing, for instance, from the Whinsill slope towards Bardon Mill, 

 on the South Tyne, you see single escarpments passing in deep- 

 ening bars down towards the Chinely Burn. It is precisely 

 the same distribution that we have already noticed on a larger 

 and less obvious scale in jN'orth Tynedale itself; but here the 

 descending streams merely uncover more of the simple scarps 

 as they enlarge, — not gi^eat composite ridges. Comparing the 

 two it is possible to realize very vividly the scenes that marked 

 the youth of I^^orth Tynedale. Escarpments were then undeve- 

 loped on the watershed ; and instead of a wide-bosomed valley, 

 with soft slopes and large tributary vales, there was a narrow 

 continuous gorge, bordered by innumerable sharp rigs and dcej^ 

 gullies. But IN'ature's scenes are shifting scenes. And the 

 mind's eye may by slow continuous panoramic movement carry 

 out the changes that Time's lapses have brought, the furrows 

 lengthening and the ridges creeping out to the watershed, and 

 leaving the low grounds smoothly massed, fused, and terraced ; 

 with many abed, capable of standing out boldly, shrunk obscurely 

 into the bottom and sides of wide affluents. It needs, then, 

 only the smoothing hand of a glacial period, and the renewing 



