494 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



Fig. 



by telescopes of great power, such as Lord Rosse's magnificent reflector, the moun- 

 tain ranges seem almost without exception to be of volcanic origin ; generally cir- 

 cular, with a central valley, having again 

 in its centre a small conical hill, they re- 

 semble most wonderfully our terrestrial 

 volcanos ; even the lava currents and vol- 

 canic stratification are in some clearly 

 traceable, while neither on their rugged 

 sides, nor on the enormous blocks which in 

 one or two instances are visibly strewed 

 over the flat bottoms of the central valleys, 

 does the abrading power of water appear 

 ever to have exerted its strength, even 

 although these central valleys are mostly 

 sunk below the level of the general sur- 

 face. At the same time it is but just to 

 state that large regions are also to be 

 found perfectly level, and seemingly pos- 

 sessing an alluvial character, and in one or 

 two cases mountain ranges which afford 

 no proof of volcanic structure have also 

 been observed. 



Another question naturally suggests it- 

 self. Allowing that at one time seas rolled 

 and rivers ran on the face of the moon 

 presented to our earth, and that by some 

 as yet unknown influence these waters had 

 been abstracted from their original abode 

 and drawn down through the opened win- 

 dows of heaven in such enormous quan- 

 tities that "all the high hills that were 

 under the whole heaven were covered." 

 What has now become of these waters ? 

 Why do they not yet prevail ? They do 

 not seem to have been returned to the 

 moon. 



Before concluding this short and imper- 

 fect notice, it may be right to state that 

 even our earth, having, as may be readily 

 seen by inspecting one of the common 

 terrestrial globes, one of its hemispheres 

 mostly covered with water, while on the 

 other, land is in large excess, would indi- 

 cate a slight difference between the true 

 place of its centre of gravity and centre of 

 symmetry. I may also state that in the 

 case of a globe of the size and constitution 

 of our moon (being rather more than 

 2100 miles in diameter), a distance of about 

 forty miles between these two points would 

 occasion the phenomena above referred 

 to. It might also be a subject of no 

 small interest to inquire into the appear- 

 ances which a world constituted as the 

 moon is thus supposed to be, would present to its inhabitants; but this, with 

 many other interesting, and therewith connected discussions, belonging more 

 properly to Astronomy, cannot be here entered into. 



I am, your obedient servant, 

 RcsicalUc, 15th Oct., 1861. James Poweie. 



