Dip, Direction, and Thickness of the Strata. 219 



proved beyond all reasonable doubt, that the various mountain chains 

 on the globe were elevated from the bottom of the ocean at various 

 epochs, in the earlier times of our planet. And generally these ele- 

 vations took place suddenly. Now the inevitable effect of such a pro- 

 trusion of a huge mountain ridge, would be to produce a wave in the 

 ocean, which would overwhelm the globe. This wave, flowing in 

 every direction from the center of disturbance, would attain its great- 

 est elevation in the antipodes of that center : and then there would 

 succeed a reflux wave. Nor would the waters settle into repose, un- 

 til several mighty flood and ebb tides had succeeded. Now a mo- 

 ment's reflection will convince any one, that while this wave was ris- 

 ing and falling, it would rush over any particular region in strong 

 currents ; but when at its maximum and minimum elevation, the wa- 

 ter, for a considerable time, would be nearly calm. Consequently, 

 during the former periods we should expect the materials of the rocks 

 depositsd would be coarse ; and fine during the latter period. And 

 as mountains were raised in different parts of the globe, the currents 

 would proceed from various centers, and thus sweep into the same 

 basin the fragments of different rocks. Such powerful convulsions 

 could not have taken place on the globe since man was placed upon 

 it ; and it is probable that the new red sandstone was deposited prior 

 to his creation, while the earth was yet " without form and void," that 

 is, a desert and unfurnished waste. 



Dip, Direction, and Thickness of the Strata. 



Although subject to local variation from local causes, yet the general 

 dip and direction of the strata of this formation are quite obvious. 

 The direction is not far from north and south, and the dip easterly at 

 an angle from 10° to 20°. Fifteen degrees is probably about the me- 

 dium dip : and I suspect the prevailing direction to be a few degrees 

 east of north. In particular places, however, the dip is found at all 

 angles, from 0° to 80°. This is remarkably the case in the vicinity 

 of Turner's Falls; as may be seen on the section of that place to be 

 given farther on. This extraordinary dip, however, appears to be 

 easily explicable from the proximity of greenstone and granite ; as I 

 shall attempt to show when I come to treat of those rocks. Near 

 the eastern extremity of Mount Holyoke, also, these rocks mount up 

 on the ridge of greenstone at an angle of 55° or 60°, Here too the 

 direction of the basset edges is about northeast and southwest. The 

 presence of greenstone in this case, also, as I shall attempt to show, 



