Sculpturing of the Mountains. 317 
inspire one with feelings of silent awe and wonder, 
and impress the minds of some persons with the notion 
we hear so frequently expressed, that such enormous 
ravines in the mountains must have required violent 
convulsions in the earth’s crust for their formation. 
But if we examine the rocks on all sides of the valley, 
we see no breaks nor signs of violent disturbance 
as suggested. The various beds of rock in horizontal 
strata may be seen to continue uninterruptedly around 
the sides of the valley, and the succeeding layers of 
rock, as we descend one side of the ravine, 
gradually approach the corresponding layers on the 
other side, until at the bottom, in the bed of the 
watercourse, we find that they actually join, which 
they would not do if the sides of the ravine had been 
violently torn asunder. We perceive, therefore, that 
the various out-cropping strata must once have been 
continuous right across the valley or ravine, and that 
they have been removed by some agency without 
disturbance of the underlying beds. What, then, is 
this agency ? Not volcanic fire , but running water. 
Look at the sloping surface of any earth-cuttings or 
embankments that have been exposed to rain action ; 
see the miniature ranges and intervening valleys that 
the water draining off it has furrowed out. Notice 
the miniature precipices left where the harder earth 
material has resisted the action of the running water; 
also at the bottom of the embankment, where the 
incline ceases and the water flows gently, how it 
deposits in miniature alluvial flats the earth it has 
