40 Travels in a Tree-top 



world's past history, the glacial epoch, or 

 great ice age. The gravel was no longer an 

 unsuggestive accumulation of pebbles, but 

 associated rolled and water-worn fragments 

 of a hundred different rocks that by the 

 mighty forces of ice and water had been 

 brought to their present position from re- 

 gions far away. 



The ravine ended at the meadows, through 

 which the waters passed with unobstrufted 

 flow " to join the brimming river." As we 

 stood upon the bank of the mighty stream I 

 remarked, " This is a stupid country, per- 

 haps, but it has some merits." I think the 

 boy thought so, too. 



The meadows are such a comprehensive 

 place that no one knows where to begin, if 

 the attempt is made to enumerate their feat- 

 ures. There is such a blending of dry land 

 and wet, open and thicket-grown, hedge and 

 brook and scattered trees, that it is bewilder- 

 ing if you do not choose some one point 

 for close inspeftion. From the tree-top I 

 overlook it all, and try in vain to determine 

 whether the azure strip of flowering iris or 

 the flaunting crimson of the Turk's cap lilies 



