1839-1845.] BUCKLAND AND STEPHENSON 
167 
It was, however, not so certain that the victory rested 
with the lawyer. Frank Buckland says :— 
“ Although unwilling to spoil a good story, I cannot resist 
calling Dr. Lyon Playfair into the witness-box to tell his 
story also. He was present at this very party, and tells me 
that, although Sir William Follett, armed with practised 
rhetoric, made a brilliant charge upon Dr. Buckland’s 
theory, yet that the Professor, relying on the stern, 
stubborn, undisputed facts of geology, and using the 
weapons of common sense, stood his ground well, honestly, 
and unshaken in this intellectual assault of arms.” 1 
Another story is told of Dr. Buckland and George Ste¬ 
phenson, when both were staying with Sir Robert Peel at 
Drayton. The party had just returned from church, and 
were standing together on the terrace near the hall, when 
they observed in the distance a railway-train flashing along, 
throwing behind it a long line of white steam. “ Now, 
Buckland,” said Mr. Stephenson, “ I have a poser for you : 
can you tell me what is the power that is driving that 
train ? ” 
“ Well,” said the doctor, “ I suppose it is one of your 
big engines ? ” 
“ But what drives the engine ? ” 
“ Oh, very likely a canny Newcastle driver.” 
“ What do you say to the light of the sun ? ” 
“ How can that be ? ” asked the doctor. 
“It is nothing else,” said the engineer: “ it is light 
bottled up in the earth for tens of thousands of years ; 
light absorbed by plants and vegetables being necessary 
1 Memoir, “ Bridgewater,” 3rd edition, pp. 64, 65. 
