218 



FA1RH0LME ON GEOLOGY. 



phenomena it presents to our inspection, are the objects of Mr. Fair- 

 holme, who seems to have a very extensive practical knowledge of 

 geological facts, and exhibits a very amiable spirit in bringing these 

 to bear against the theories of the mineral geologists. It will not 

 suit the nature of this notice to go regularly over the same wide field 

 of research which the estimable author has done ; but this will be the 

 less necessary, as most readers who feel interested in the subject will, 

 we hope, procure the work itself, and those who wish to see an outline 

 of the leading principles which he adopts, may find them in " Con- 

 versations on Geology," pp. 293 — 315, by the Editor of this Magazine. 

 We shall, therefore, content ourselves with such extracts as will prove 

 Mr. Fairholme to be a practical geologist, because those who pique 

 themselves upon what they boastingly term science, which very usually 

 at present in reality means absurd theory, are in the regular habit of 

 taunting writers who take common sense and sound principle for their 

 guides, with ignorance of facts and blind bigotry in religion. We give 

 the following from Mr. Fairholme's personal observation. 



" As one instance of the power with which rivers act, in filling up inland lakes, 

 and in adding to the accumulations in the bed of the sea, the following example 

 may serve to give an idea. 



" The river Kander, a mountain torrent of no great size, rushes down the valley 

 of Kanderthal, in the Canton of Berne, in Switzerland, and enters the lake of 

 Thun, about four miles from the town so called. About a hundred years ago 

 this stream did not flow into the lake, from which its course was cut off by a ridge 

 of diluvial hills of several hundred feet in height, stretching along the south side 

 of the lake, in a north-westerly direction. This diluvial ridge, extending more 

 than ten miles in length, is entirely composed of rounded gravel, or pudding-stone. 



" In consequence of the mischief done by the overflowing of the Kander* to a 

 great extent of valuable meadow land, in its course to join the Aar, ten miles below 

 Thun, which was its natural course, a spirited plan was proposed and adopted, for 

 cutting a subterraneous passage for the river, through the above mentioned ridge, 

 at a place where it approached the lake within about a mile, and thus admitting it 

 into its bed. This passage was cut in the beginning of the last century, (about 

 1715). The descent was rapid, from the lake being considerably lower than the 

 old course of the river. At this period, the depth of the lake was in proportion to 

 the steep hills forming its shore. The Kander had not long followed its new subter- 

 raneous course, when it greatly enlarged the artificial tunnel, and hurried great 

 quantities of gravel into the lake. The rapidity of the torrent in a few years enlarged 

 its course, till at length the whole superstructure gave way, and fell in ; so that 

 there is now a most romantic wild glen, where, a century ago, there was smooth 

 pasture and woodlands. The effects of the torrent soon became apparent in the 

 lake, an immense quantity of gravel, and every species of rock, was carried in by 

 the current, and lodged in its bed. In 1829, when I lived in that neighbourhood, the 



