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CHAPTER XXL 



ON THE DESTRUCTION OF MOUNTAINS, AND THE FORMATION OF 

 SOILS ; AND ON ALLUVIAL AND DILUVIAL DEPOSITIONS. 



Erroneous Opinions respecting the Growth of Stones, supported by the Authority 

 of John Locke. — On the Causes in present operation that wear down Rocks. — 

 Rapid Destruction of Mountains dependent on their Structure. — Fall of Mont 

 Grenier in Savoy. — Breaking down of the Barriers of Mountain Lakes. — Scat- 

 tered Masses of Rock. — Increase of Land by Alluvial Depositions in Lakes, and 

 the Deltas of large Rivers. — On the Formation of productive Soils. — Recent 

 Strata formed in Lakes. — Peat and Peat Moors. — Inundations of Sand. — Re- 

 mains of Elephants and other large Animals found in the Diluvial Beds in Eng- 

 land, and the Frozen Regions of Europe and Asia. 



Few persons can have travelled a hundred miles through any coun- 

 try without having seen beds of gravel, or of rounded stones, or frag- 

 ments of rock scattered in different directions, which were evidently 

 never brought into their present situation by the labour of man. In 

 some instances, these masses of loose stones, or large fragments of 

 rock, occur on the summits of hills, or on elevated ground, and the 

 stones are, altogether, unlike any rocks or strata in the adjacent dis- 

 tricts. Among the hundreds of travellers to whom such objects are 

 familiar, it is surprising how few have ever raised the enquiry — ^^How 

 did these masses of rock, or beds of loose stones, come here ?" One 

 great reason for this indifference arises from a cause that may sur- 

 prise geologists. Many well educated persons, who possess much 

 mformation on various subjects, still entertain the belief that stones 

 grow in the places where they are now found : this belief excludes 

 the necessity for further enquiry. They can also refer to the authori- 

 ty of the ablest philosopher this country ever possessed, for a con- 

 firmation of their opinion, should it be controverted. 



The celebrated John Locke states, in his " Elements of Natural 

 Philosophy,'* that stones, metals, and minerals, are real vegeta- 

 bles; that is, grow organically from proper seeds, as well as planis,^^ 



if, in the present age of general information, any one should think 

 it superfluous to notice this extraordinary passage, let him enquire 

 among his friends, whether stones grow'? and he will be somewhat 

 surprised by the answers he may receive. 



These scattered fragments of rock, or beds of loose stones, to- 

 gether with beds of sand and gravel, present objects of enquiry of 

 the most interesting kind. From what districts were they transport- 

 ed ? What were the causes by which they were removed ? What 

 was the epoch of their removal ? 



A farther enquiry also presents itself, as some of the beds of loose 

 stone are rounded, or water-worn, like the shingles on the sea beach, 

 but are now raised many hundred feet above the high-water mark. 



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