Transcriber's note: Minor spelling inconsistencies, mainly hyphenated words, have been harmonized. Italic text has been marked with _underscores_. Obvious typos have been corrected. Please see the end of this book for further notes. THE STORY OF THE HILLS. [Illustration] [Illustration: NORHAM CASTLE. AFTER TURNER.] THE STORY OF THE HILLS. A BOOK ABOUT MOUNTAINS FOR GENERAL READERS. BY REV. H. N. HUTCHINSON, B.A., F.G.S. AUTHOR OF "THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE EARTH." With Sixteen Full-page Illustrations. They are as a great and noble architecture, first giving shelter, comfort, and rest; and covered also with mighty sculpture and painted legend.--RUSKIN. New York: MACMILLAN AND CO. AND LONDON. 1892. _Copyright, 1891_, BY MACMILLAN AND CO. University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. TO ALL WHO LOVE MOUNTAINS AND HILLS This little Book is Dedicated, IN THE HOPE THAT EVEN A SLIGHT KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR PLACE IN NATURE, AND PREVIOUS HISTORY, MAY ADD TO THE WONDER AND DELIGHT WITH WHICH WE LOOK UPON THESE NOBLE FEATURES OF THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH. PREFACE. Now that travelling is no longer a luxury for the rich, and thousands of people go every summer to spend their holidays among the mountains of Europe, and ladies climb Mont Blanc or ramble among the Carpathians, there must be many who would like to know something of the secret of the hills, their origin, their architecture, and the forces that made them what they are. For such this book is chiefly written. Those will best understand it who take it with them on their travels, and endeavour by its use to interpret what they see among the mountains; and they will find that a little observation goes a long way to help them to read mountain history. It is hoped, however, that all, both young and old, who take an intelligent interest in the world around, though they may never have seen a mountain, may find these pages worth reading. If readers do not find here answers to all their questions, they may be reminded that it is not possible within the present limits to give more than a brief sketch of the subject, leaving the gaps to be filled in by a study of the larger and more important works on geology. The author, assuming that the reader knows nothing of this fascinating science, has endeavoured to interpret into ordinary language the story of the hills as it is written in the rocks of which they are made.