OF THE DISTRICT. 
161 
ridge ; with some deviations it holds this course to the south, gradually 
bending toward the west as it approaches Lancaster. On the left bank 
it receives the united waters of Dentdale, Garsdale, and Rotherdale : 
the first excavated to an immense depth below the gritstone summits 
of Wharnside into the lower limestone, the second reaching only to 
the lower beds of the Yoredale series, the third principally fed by 
streams from the grauwacke district. 
Vale of Eden — The vale of the Eden is continuous with that 
of the Yore, and the head waters of these two rivers rise near to 
each other, and flow in parallel directions to the south-west, after 
which, without any remarkable intervening obstacle, the Eden turns 
to the north and the Yore to the south. The Eden flows for some 
miles in the deep glen of Mallerstang in rocks of the Yoredale series, 
then crosses dislocated strata of the Penine fault, passes through the 
breccia of Kirby Stephen, and turns to the north-west through the 
broad plain rather than vale of new red sandstone, between the Cross 
fell range and the limestone border of the Cumbrian slates. The 
lower part of its course lies in a great original hollow, the upper 
part is wholly a valley of denudation, nor am I aware of any peculiar 
dislocations likely to give origin to it. Considered in connexion 
with Garsdale and Wensleydale it seems to indicate the passage of 
great currents of water, raised by some convulsion of nature to more 
than their ordinary force and height, or else acting with greater ad- 
vantage on land just rising from the sea or imperfectly consolidated. 
Passage of Floods from the JVest . — It is impossible to close these 
brief notices of the drainage of the mountain limestone tract of York- 
shire without a few remarks on the presumed passage of floods of 
water in directions not related to the existing channels of drainage. 
No one accustomed to reason on the waste of the surface evidenced 
by the excavations of valleys, and to consider the present detached 
masses of strata as the remains of continuous deposits, the present 
hills and ridges as parts of a once unbroken surface, can be surprised at 
the notion that waters have formerly run and channels been scooped 
