LETTER XIV. 



153 



it had bridged it over. And if you examine the piece 

 more narrowly you will discover something more. 

 On one side, you will perceive that the bridging is 

 but partial : the woody matter has overlapped the 

 chain but not enclosed it. Now observe the direction 

 in which the overlapping occurs. It is not from 

 below, but from above — the direction in which, accord- 

 ing to the views of MM. Du Petit-Thouars and Gaudi- 

 chaud, it might have been expected to occur. Not 

 the slightest effort appears to have been made in the 

 contrary direction. Nor is this all : like the Box- 

 tree, figured in section 4, this Holly-tree had grown 

 vigorously on one side and only feebly on the other. 

 Its growth had been eccentric. And it had so chanced 

 that the chain was placed around it in such manner as 

 to embrace one half of each side. Now, on the well- 

 favoured side, the fibres, pushing down boldly and in 

 the strength of numbers, have gone right over and 

 buried the chain to some depth — while on the lean or 

 ill-favoured side, the resistance presented by the chain 

 has been too great for them to overcome, and, accord- 

 ingly, they have only partially succeeded in the effort 

 — the greater number of the fibres, indeed, like a 

 slowly -moving or feeble stream, having turned round 

 the obstacle instead of seeking to rise over it — a cir- 

 cumstance which is quite apparent on an inspection of 

 the piece. 



10. In bringing to a close this branch of our sub- 



