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to discuss it, but in order to comfort some of us respecting the changes 
which take place in the opinions of scientific men. I hope that in future, 
instead of these epochs of immense duration being assigned in our geological 
text-books for the duration of man, we shall be able to show that the 
Scriptural period is far more consistent with the facts of geology. 
Rev. J. James. — Of the geological theories which have arisen from time 
time, two only have been brought before us to-night, namely, the glacial and 
the pluvial, both of which are indisputably true causes of many of the 
changes which have taken place. But there is another theory which in my 
early days, forty years ago, was dwelt upon a good deal — a theory showing 
that manifold changes have been, and are still being, from time to time 
introduced by catastrophic action, especially of water. I will mention an 
instance, of which I have taken particular cognizance, owing to a passage in 
Sir Charles Lyell’s book — easily referred to — in which he mentions certain 
phenomena connected with the Tiniere, a little torrent which flows into the 
Lake of Geneva, between the castle of Chillon and Villeneuve. Sir Charles 
Lyell mentions that the railway line from Lausanne to Villeneuve had to be 
cut through an elevated cone formed by the action of the Tiniere, and that 
this deep cutting had disclosed three or four strata of gravel from five to 
eight feet thick, with thin strata of soil, from four to six inches thick, 
interlaid between them. He is, of course, compelled to assume that, 
during the periods necessary for the formation of the several intermediate 
layers of soil, there would be a cessation of the gravel-deposit, but that 
then it would begin again (why or wherefore he does not explain) at 
the same rate of gradual formation as obtains, according to his view, at 
present, viz., at the mean rate of six or nine inches in a hundred years. 
And measuring all these strata of gravel by that rule, he brings out a great 
number of ages as the result. Now it struck me, as I read the book, that 
it would have been far more natural to suppose that the beds of gravel were 
formed, from time to time, by some sudden action, such as on a small 
scale I witnessed recently at Weesen, on Lake Wallenstadt ; and that the 
length of time taken up by the formation of the entire cone was rather to 
be gathered from what might be thought requisite for the accretion of 
the several interlying thin strata of soil. On visiting the spot, I found 
the idea of catastrophic action, as accounting for the several strata of 
gravel, entirely confirmed. Looking up the mountain-side, down which 
the torrent flowed, I found that at a great height, right over the lino 
of the little torrent Tiniere, there were two converging mountain-tops with 
a narrow chasm or ravine between them — a chasm or gorge just fitted to 
enclose a lake or tarn, or, at least, such a reservoir of water as may be seen 
in many a narrow valley among tho hills of our manufacturing counties in 
the North of England, and such as we all have known occasionally to burst 
with devastating effect upon the regions below them. In short nothing 
seemed to me more natural than to suppose that such a reservoir, or tarn, or 
lake should have been from time to time formed of the waters flowing from 
