A D D E N D A .
fesso r H itc h c o c k (R e p o r t on the Geolog. o f Massachusetts, p . 1 0 7 ) d e s
c rib e s a t r a c t a b o u t tw o h u n d r e d m ile s in w id th , o v e r w h ic h n e a rly a ll
th e h a r e ro c k o n th e h ills, e v e n to th e h e ig h t o f th r e e th o u s a n d f e e t, is
s co red b y p a ra lle l lin e s . I n som e p a r ts b o u ld e r s , w e ig h in g from fifty to
o n e h u n d r e d to n s , a r e y e t ly in g o n th e su rfa c e s, w h ic h b e a r th e m a rk s o f
th e i r pa ssag e . T h e fu rrow s a r e g e n e ra lly d ire c te d a l it tl e w e s t o f n o r th ,
b u t in th e w e s te rn p a r t o f M a s s a c h u s e tts , a n d in th e e a s te rn o f N ew Y o rk ,
th e y e x te n d in a n o r th -w e s t a n d s o u th - e a s t lin e , a n d in o n e p a r t e v e n to
W . 2 0 ° N . M . S e fstrom a n d P ro fe s so r H itc h c o c k e x p la in th e s e a p p e a r a
n c e s in th e i r re sp e c tiv e c o u n tr ie s b y th e s am e a g en cy , as S ir J am e s H a ll
d o e s in S c o tla n d .
T h e th e o ry o f a g r e a t d e b a c le is in th e s e cases b a s e d o n th e u n ite d
p re s e n c e o f e r r a tic b o u ld e r s , rid g e s o f w a te rw o rn m a te ria ls , fo rm in g ta ils
to s c a rp e d h ills , a n d p a ra lle l fu rrow s a n d s c ra tch e s o n th e su rfa c e o f th e
ro ck s . 1st. W ith r e s p e c t to th e b o u ld e rs , i t w o u ld b e s u p e rflu o u s to
r e p e a t th e a rg um e n ts in fa v o u r o f th e id e a o f th e i r t r a n s p o r ta tio n b y ic e i
a n d in th e c a se o f Sw ed e n , i t w o u ld b e p r e - em in e n tly su p e rflu o u s , a s we
k n ow (see L y e ll on the Rising o f the L a n d in Sweden, Phil. Transact., 18 3 5 )
th a t b lo ck s a r e th e r e t r a n s p o r te d y e a rly b y th is m e a n s . 2 d . E v e ry o n e
w h o h a s e x am in e d a g re a t e s tu a ry , o r a c h a n n e l w h e r e th e tid e s r u n
s tro n g ly , is aw a re t h a t lin e a r b a n k s a r e fo rm e d b e h in d a n y o b s ta c le .
T h e r e fo r e th e s e ta ils o f d ilu v ium m ig h t h a v e b e e n fo rm e d , a s fa r a s reg a rd s
th e i r e x te r n a l fo rm , b y o rd in a ry m e a n s ; a n d w ith re s p e c t to th e i r in te rn a l
s tr u c tm e, w h ic h a p p e a r s e x tr em e ly irr e g u la r , a n d w i th o u t a n y s tra tific a tio n ,
i t m u s t b e d ifficu lt fo r a n y o n e to sp e a k w ith c e rta in ty , u n t il th e j o in t
e ffec ts o f ice tr a n s p o r tin g c o a rs e fra gm e n ts a n d g e n tle c u r r e n ts o f w a te r,
fin e m u d , a re b e tt e r k n ow n . M r. L y e ll, in d e e d {Phil. Transact., 1835,
p. 15) h a s a d v a n c e d s tro n g re a so n s , sh ow in g from th e s tr u c tu r e a n d com p
o s itio n o f th e o asars t h a t th e y c o u ld n o t h a v e b e e n fo rm e d b y a n y su d d
e n d e b a c le . W h il s t su c h lin e a r b a n k s w e re d e p o s itin g o n o n e s id e o f t h e
h ills , th e o th e r , o r e x p o s e d f r o n t , w o u ld a lm o s t n e c e s s a rily b e c om e sc a rp e d .
3 d . W e h a v e th e adm is s io n o f S ir J am e s H a l l, t h a t th e sco o p in g s a n d
» ro o v es re s em b le th o s e p ro d u c e d b y th e s low a c tio n o f ru n n in g w a t e r ;
th e r e fo r e th e sc ra tch e s a p p e a r to b e th e o n ly p a r t o f th e p h e n om e n o n
w h ic h rem a in s u n e x p la in e d .
I n th e A lp s , w e a re to ld , t h a t s c ra tc h e s a r e fo rm e d o n ro ck s b y g lac ie rs
» r in d in g o v e r ’th em . A c c o rd in g to th e th e o ry o f flo a tin g ice, w e h av e
e v id e n c e in th e e r r a tic b lo ck s n e a r E d in b u rg h , t h a t ice was fo rm e rly in
a c tio n th e r e ; a n d , from th e a n a lo g ie s g iv en in th is v o lum e , i t m ig h t w e ll
h av e b e e n so, s in c e 'th e s c en e o f s u p p o s e d a c tio n lie s tw o d eg re e s n e a r e r
th e P o l e th a n G e o rg ia , in th e s o u th e rn o c e an , “ a lm o s t w h o lly co v e red
w ith e v e rla stin g sn ow .” W h a t th e n w o u ld b e th e effect o f th e tid e s a n d
g ale s o f w in d , d r iv in g p a c k ed iceb e rg s w ith irre s is tib le fo rc e , th ro u g h c h a n n
els, a n d o v e r ro ck y sh o a ls e a ch p a r t o f th e su rfa c e b e in g e x p o s e d for
c e n tu rie s , as th e c o u n try was e le v a te d , to th is a c tio n ? W o u ld n o t th e
fra gm en ts o f ro c k em b e d d e d in th e ice g r a te in a d ire c t p a th o v e r th e
su rfa c e , reg a rd le s s o f minor inequalities? a n d w o u ld n o t th e fra gm en ts
th em se lv e s b e g ro o v ed a n d s c o re d in o n e d ire c tio n ? C a n w e fo r o n e
m om e n t b e liev e i t p o s s ib le t h a t b o u ld e rs , e ith e r in w a te r o r in th e
th ic k e s t m u d , c o u ld b e d riv e n o v e r a n ig g e d su rfa c e , o r a lo n g a p e r p
e n d ic u la r face o f so lid ro ck , w ith su c h e n o rm o u s v e lo c ity as w ith th e ir
p o in ts to g ro o v e a n d s c ra tch it, a n d n e v e rth e le s s n o t to b e ro lle d o v e r a n d
o v er, lik e a s to n e d e s c e n d in g a m o u n ta in , b u t to b e m a rk e d w ith p a ra lle l
lin e s o f a b ra s io n , e q u a lly w ith th e fixed, u n d e rly in g mass ? I t a p p e a r s to
m e t h a t w e a s su re d ly c a n m a k e n o su c h a dm is s io n . T r a v e lle r s in th e
A r c tic reg io n s te ll u s t h a t th e d rift-ic e , w ith its irr e s is tib le p ow e r, c an
fo rc e u p th e g rav e l a n d s a n d in to m o u n d s ( s e e Geograph. Journal, v o l.
v iii., p . 2 2 1 ), a n d d riv e b e fo re i t g r e a t b o u ld e rs , a n d e v e n sh ip s , a n d
masses o f ic e , h ig h a n d d ry o n th e b e a ch . W h a t th e n w o u ld b e th e effect
o f a few p e b b le s , o r a s in g le fra gm e n t, b e tw e e n su c h masses o f ice a n d a
s te e p co a st-w a ll o f r o c k ? W o u ld n o t sc ra tch e s “ h o r iz o n ta l, o r n e a rly so”
b e fo rm ed , “ in d ic a tin g ( to u se S ir J am e s H a ll’s w o rd s ) t h a t g rin d e r s h a d
b e e n p re s s e d a g a in s t th e r o c k a s i f “ in d e p e n d e n tly o f th e i r g r a v ity ” ?
I n th is e x p la n a tio n o n ly ver<z causes a r e in tro d u c e d , a n d re a so n s
c a n b e a s sig n e d , fo r th e b e lie f th a t th e s e c au ses h a v e b e e n in a c tio n
in th e s e d is tr ic ts . O n th e th e o ry o f d e b a d e s , i t s till rem a in s to b e
p ro v e d t h a t ro ck s c a n b e th u s scooped a n d furrowed, o r h ills scarped;
a lth o u g h I am f a r from a ffirm in g th e y c a n n o t,— a n d sc ra tch e d , I p re sum e ,
th e y c e rta in ly w o u ld b e . W ith re s p e c t to Sw ed e n , w h e r e th e l a n d is
n ow ris in g , a n d w h e re ice ev en s till is a t r a n s p o r tin g a g e n t, i t is u n d o u b ted
ly th e p a r t o f th e g eo lo g ist, to e n d e a v o u r b y lo n g a n d la b o rio u s re s e a rch
to a c c o u n t fo r th e p h e n om e n a b y th e s e re a l a g en cie s . F o r to in tro d u c e ,
b e fo re i t is a b s o lu te ly fo rc e d o n u s, th e h y p o th e s is o f a d e lu g e o f m u d
a n d sto n e s , fifte en h u n d r e d fe e t d e e p in Sw ed e n , o r th r e e th o u s a n d in
N o r th A m e ric a , w h ich ru sh in g o v e r th e c o u n try , ro u n d e d th e n o r tlie rn
fro n ts o f th e h ills, a n d ro llin g b y t h e i r e a s te rn a n d w e s te rn flan k s, le f t th em
.marked w ith o b liq u e fu rrows, is to v io la te , as i t a p p e a r s to m e, e v e ry ru le
o f in d u c tiv e p iiilo so p h y .
P a g e 2 9 7 .
W ith re fe re n c e to th e em b e dm e n t o f th e S ib e ria n a n im a ls w ith th e i r
flesh, I h av e m e n tio n e d in a n o te , th e c ase o f ice d e sc rib ed a s ris in g from
th e b o ttom o f th e se a, o f f th e c o a st o f G r e e n la n d . M e ssrs. D e a s e a n d
Sim p so n , d u r in g th e i r la te m em o rab le jo u rn e y a lo n g th e sh o re s o f th e
A rc tic o c e an , s p e a k in g o f o n e p a r t {Gcograph. Journal, v o l. v iii., p . 218y
VOL. I I I . 2 Q**