Some facts about boulders in Chiloe will, I think, in a very small
degree elucidate some parts of Jura case. What a grand new feature all
this ice work is in Geology! How old Hutton would have stared! (499/4.
Sir Charles Lyell speaks of the Huttonian theory as being characterised
by "the exclusion of all causes not supposed to belong to the present
order of Nature" (Lyell's "Principles," Edition XII., volume I., page
76, 1875). Sir Archibald Geikie has recently edited the third volume of
Hutton's "Theory of the Earth," printed by the Geological Society, 1899.
See also "The Founders of Geology," by Sir Archibald Geikie; London,
1897.)
I ought to be ashamed of myself for scribbling on so. Talking of shame,
I have sent a copy of my "Journal" (499/5. "Journal and Remarks,"
1832-36. See note 2, page 148.) with very humble note to Agassiz, as an
apology for the tone I used, though I say, I daresay he has never seen
my appendix, or would care at all about it.
I did not suppose my note about Glen Roy could have been of any use to
you--I merely scribbled what came uppermost. I made one great oversight,
as you would perceive. I forgot the Glacier theory: if a glacier most
gradually disappeared from mouth of Spean Valley [this] would account
for buttresses of shingle below lowest shelf. The difficulty I put about
the ice-barrier of the middle Glen Roy shelf keeping so long at exactly
same level does certainly appear to me insuperable. (499/5. For a
description of the shelves or parallel roads in Glen Roy see Darwin's
"Observations on the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy, etc." "Phil. Trans. R.
Soc." 1839, page 39; also Letter 517 et seq.)
What a wonderful fact this breakdown of old Niagara is. How it disturbs
the calculations about lengths of time before the river would have
reached the lakes.
I hope Mrs. Lyell will read this to you, then I shall trust for
forgiveness for having scribbled so much. I should have sent back
Agassiz sooner, but my servant has been very unwell. Emma is going on
pretty well.
My paper on South American boulders and "till," which latter deposit
is perfectly characterised in Tierra del Fuego, is progressing rapidly.
(499/6. "On the Distribution of the Erratic Boulders and on the
Contemporaneous Unstratified Deposits of South America," "Trans. Geol.
Soc." Volume VI., page 415, 1842.)
I much like the term post-Pliocene, and will use it in my present paper
several times.
P.S.--I should have thought that the most obvious objection to the
marine-beach theory for Glen Roy would be the limited extension of the
shelves. Though certainly this is not a valid one, after an intermediate
one, only half a mile in length, and nowhere else appearing, even in the
valley of Glen Roy itself, has been shown to exist.
LETTER 500. TO C. LYELL. 1842.
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