an autobiography-第57章

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it。　　There　we　were　treated　to　a　short　lecture　by　Professor　Owen　on　the　Solan　Goose；　which　was　illustrated　by　the　clouds　of　geese　flying　over　us。　They　freely　exhibited　their　habits　on　land　as　well　as　in　mid…air；　and　skimmed　the　dizzy　crags　with　graceful　and　apparently　effortless　motions。　The　vast　variety　of　seafowl　screamed　their　utmost；　and　gave　a　wonderfully　illustrative　chorus　to　the　lecture。　It　was　a　most　impressive　scene。　　We　were　high　above　the　deep　blue　sea　of　the　German　Ocean；　the　waves　of　which　leapt　up　as　if　they　would　sweep　us　away　into　the　depths　below。

Another　of　our　delightful　excursions　was　made　under　the　guidance　of　my　old　and　dear　friend　Robert　Chambers。*　　＇footnote。。。　I　cannot　pass　over　the　mention　of　Robert　Chambers's　name　without　adding　that　I　was　on　terms　of　the　most　friendly　intimacy　with　him　from　a　very　early　period　of　his　life　to　its　termination　in　1871。　I　remember　when　he　made　his　first　venture　in　business　in　Leith　Walk。　By　virtue　of　his　industry；　ability；　and　energy；　he　became　a　prosperous　man。　　I　had　the　happiness　of　enjoying　his　delightful　and　instructive　society　on　many　occasions。　We　had　rare　cracks　on　all　subjects；　but　especially　respecting　old　places　and　old　characters　whom　we　had　known　at　Edinburgh。　　His　natural　aptitude　to　catch　up　the　salient　and　most　humorous　points　of　character；　with　the　quaint　manner　in　which　he　could　describe　them；　gave　a　vast　charm　to　his　company　and　conversation。　Added　to　which；　the　wide　range　and　accuracy　of　his　information；　acquired　by　his　own　industry　and　quick…witted　penetration；　caused　the　hours　spent　in　his　society　to　remain　among　the　brightest　points　in　my　memory。　　。。。＇

The　object　of　this　excursion　was　to　visit　the　remarkable　series　of　grooved　and　scratched　rocks　which　had　been　discovered*　　＇footnote。。。　They　had　been　first　seen；　some　twenty　years　before；　by　Sir　James　Hall；　one　of　the　geologic　lights　of　Edinburgh。　　。。。＇　on　the　western　edge　of　the　cliff…like　boundary　of　Corstorphine　Hill。　The　glacial　origin　of　these　groovings　on　the　rocks　was　then　occupying　the　attention　of　geologists。　　It　was　a　subject　that　Robert　Chambers　had　carefully　studied；　in　the　Lowlands；　in　the　Highlands；　in　Rhine…land；　in　Switzerland；　and　in　Norway。　　He　had　also　published　his　Ancient　Sea　Margins　and　his　Tracings　of　the　North　of　Europe　in　illustration　of　his　views。　　　He　was　now　enabled　to　show　us　these　groovings　and　scratchings　on　the　rocks　near　Edinburgh。　　In　order　to　render　the　records　more　accessible；　he　had　the　heather　and　mossy　turf　carefully　removed　especially　from　some　of　the　most　distinct　evidences　of　glacial　rock…grooving。　　Thus　no　time　was　lost；　and　we　immediately　saw　the　unquestionable　markings。　　Such　visits　as　these　are　a　thousand　times　more　instructive　and　interesting　than　long　papers　read　at　scientific　meetings。　　They　afford　the　best　opportunity　for　interchange　of　ideas；　and　directly　produce　an　emphatic　result；　for　one　cannot　cavil　about　what　he　has　seen　with　his　eyes　and　felt　with　his　hands。

We　returned　to　the　city　in　time　to　be　present　at　a　most　interesting　lecture　by　Hugh　Miller　on　the　Boulder　Clay。　He　illustrated　it　by　some　scratched　boulders　which　he　had　collected　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Edinburgh。　　He　brought　the　subject　before　his　audience　in　his　own　clear　and　admirable　viva　voce　style。　The　Duke　of　Argyll　was　in　the　chair；　and　a　very　animated　discussion　took　place　on　this　novel　and　difficult　subject。　It　was　humorously　brought　to　a　conclusion　by　the　Rev。　Dr。　Fleming；　a　shrewd　and　learned　geologist。　　Like　many　others；　he　had　encountered　great　difficulties　in　arriving　at　definite　conclusions　on　this　mysterious　subject。　　He　concluded　his　remarks　upon　it　by　describing　the　influence　it　had　in　preventing　his　sleeping　at　night。　He　was　so　restless　on　one　occasion　that　his　wife　became　seriously　alarmed。　〃What's　the　matter　wi'　ye；　John？　are　ye　ill？〃　〃On　no；〃　replied　the　doctor；　〃it's　only　that　confounded　Bounder　Clay！〃　　This　domestic　anecdote　brought　down　the　house；　and　the　meeting　terminated　in　a　loud　and　hearty　laugh。

I；　too；　contributed　my　little　quota　of　information　to　the　members　of　the　British　Association。　　I　had　brought　with　me　from　Lancashire　a　considerable　number　of　my　large　graphic　illustrations　of　the　details　of　the　Moon's　surface。　　I　gave　a　viva　voce　account　of　my　lunar　researches　at　a　crowded　meeting　of　the　Physical　Section　A。　　The　novel　and　interesting　subject　appeared　to　give　so　much　satisfaction　to　the　audience　that　the　Council　of　the　Association　requested　me　to　repeat　the　account　at　one　of　the　special　evenings；　when　the　members　of　all　the　various　sections　were　generally　present。　　It　was　quite　a　new　thing　for　me　to　appear　as　a　public　lecturer；　but　I　consented。　　The　large　hall　of　the　Assembly　Rooms　in　George　Street　was　crowded　with　an　attentive　audience。　　The　Duke　of　Argyll　was　in　the　chair。　　It　is　a　difficult　thing　to　give　a　public　lecture　especially　to　a　scientific　audience。　To　see　a　large　number　of　faces　turned　up；　waiting　for　the　words　of　the　lecturer；　is　a　somewhat　appalling　sight。　　But　the　novelty　of　the　subject　and　the　graphic　illustrations　helped　me　very　much。　　I　was　quite　full　of　the　Moon。　　The　words　came　almost　unsought；　and　I　believe　the　lecture　went　off　very　well；　and　terminated　with　〃great　applause。〃　And　thus　the　meeting　of　the　British　Association　at　Edinburgh　came　to　an　end。

This；　however；　was　not　the　end　of　our　visit　to　Scotland。　I　was　strongly　urged　by　the　Duke　of　Argyll　to　pay　him　a　visit　at　his　castle　at　Inverary。　　I　had　frequently　before　had　the　happiness　of　meeting　the　Duke　and　Duchess　at　the　Earl　of　Ellesmere's　mansion　at　Worsley　Hall　He　had　made　us　promise　that　if　we　ever　came　to　Scotland　we　were　not　to　fail　to　pay　him　a　visit。　　It　was　accordingly　arranged　at　Edinburgh　that　we　should　carry　out　our　promise；　and　spend　some　days　with　him　at　Inverary　before　our　return　home。　　We　were　most　cordially　welcomed　at　the　castle；　and　enjoyed　our　visit　exceedingly。　　We　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　the　splendid　scenery　of　the　Western　Highlands　the　mountains　round　the　head　of　Loch　Fyne；　Loch　Awe；　and　the　magnificent　hoary…headed　Ben　Cruachan；　requiring　a　base　of　more　than　twenty　miles　to　support　him；besides　the　beautiful　and　majestic　scenery　of　the　neighbourhood。

But　my　chief　interest　was　in　the　specimens　of　high　geological　interest　which　the　Duke　showed　me。　　He　had　discovered　them　in　the　Island　of　Mull；　in　a　bed　of　clay　shale；　under　a　volcanic　basaltic　cliff　over　eighty　feet　high；　facing　the　Atlantic　Ocean。　　He　found　in　this　bed　many　beautifully　perfect　impressions　of　forest　tree　leaves；　chiefly　of　the　plane…tree　class。　　They　appeared　to　have　been　enveloped　in　the　muddy　bottom　of　a　lake；　which　had　been　sealed　up　by　the　belching　forth　from　the　bowels　of　the　earth　of　molten　volcanic　basaltic　lava；　and　which　indeed　formed　the　chief　material　of　the　Island　of　Mull。　　This　basaltic　cliff　now　fronts　the　Atlantic；　and　resists　its　waves　like　a　rock　of　iron。　　To　see　all　the　delicate　veins　and　stalklets；　and　exact　forms　of　what　had　once　been　the　green　fresh　foliage　of　a　remotely　primeval　forest；　thus　brought　to　light　again；　as　preserved　in　their　clay　envelope；　after　they　had　lain　for　ages　and　ages　under　what　must　have　been　the　molten　outburst　of　some　tremendous　volcanic　discharge；　and　which　now　formed　the　rock…bound　coast　of　Mull；　filled　one's　mind　with　an　idea　of　the　inconceivable　length　of　time　that　must　have　passed　since　the　production　of　these　Wonderful　geological　phenomena。

I　felt　all　the　more　special　interest　in　these　specimens；　as　I　had　many　years　before；　on　my　return　visit　from　Londonderry；　availed　myself　of　the　nearness　of　the　Giant's　Causeway　to　make　a　careful　examination　of　the　marvellous　volcanic　columns　in　that　neighbourhood。　Having　scrambled　up　to　a　great　height；　I　found　a　thick　band　of　hematitic　clay　underneath　the　upper　bed　of　basalt；　which　was　about　sixty　feet　thick。　　In　this　clay　I　detected　a　rich　deposit　of　completely　charred　branches　of　what　had　once　been　a　forest　tree。　　The　bed　had　been　burst　through　by　the　outburst　of　molten　basalt；　and　converted　the　branches　into　charcoal。　I　dug　out　some　of　the　specimens；　and　afterwards　distributed　them　amongst　my　geological　friends。　　The　Duke　was　interested　by　my　account；　which　so　clearly　confirmed　his　own　discovery。　　On　a　subsequent　occasion　I　revisited　the　Giant's　Causeway　in　company　with　my　dear　wife。　I　again　scrambled　up　to　the　hematitic　bed　of　clay　under　the　basaltic　cliff；　and　dug　out　a　sufficient　quantity　of　the　charred　branches；　which　I　sent　to　the　Duke；　in　confirmation　of　his　theory　as　to　the　origin　of　the　leaf…beds　at　Mull。*　　＇footnote。。。

I　received　the　following　reply　from　the　Duke　of　Argyll　dated　〃Inverary；　Nov。　19；　1850〃：　

〃MY　DEAR　SIRAm　I　right　in　concluding；　from　the　description　which；　you　were　so　kind　as　to　send　to　me；　that　the　lignite　bed；　with　its　superincumbent　basalts；　lies　above　those　particular　columnar　basalts　which　form　the　far…famed　Giant's　Causeway？　　I　see　from　your　sketch　that　basalts　of　great　thickness；　and　in　some　views　beautifully　columnar；　do　underlie　the　lignite　bed；　but　I　am　not　quite　sure　that　these　columnar　basalts　are　those　precisely　which　are　called　the　Causeway。　I　had　never　heard　before　that　the　Giant's　Causeway　rested　on　chalk；　which　all　the　basalts　in　your　sketch　do。

＇Image＇　The　Astrologers　TowerA　Day　Dream。　　By　James　Nasmyth。　　　　　　　　　（Facsimile。）

〃I　have　been　showing　your　drawing　of　'Udolpho　Castle'　and　'The　Astrologer's　Tower'　to　the　Duchess　of　Sutherland；　who　is　enchanted　with　the　beauty　of　the　architectural　details；　and　wishes　she　had　seen　them　before　Dunrobin　was　finished；　for　hints　might　　have　been　taken　from　bits　of　your　work。　Very　truly　yours；

ARGYLL。〃　　。。。＇

In　the　year　following　the　meeting　of　the　British　Association　at　Edinburgh；　the　great　Exhibition　of　all　nations　at　London　took　place。　The　Commissioners　appointed　for　carrying　out　this　noble　enterprise　had　made　special　visits　to　Manchester　and　the　surrounding　manufacturing　districts　for　the　purpose　of　organising　local　committees；　so　that　the　machinery　and　productions　of　each　might　be　adequately　represented　in　the　World's　Great　Industrial　Exhibition。　　The　Commissioners　were　met　with　enthusiasm；　and　nearly　every　manufacturer　was　found　ready　to　display　the　results　of　his　industry。　　The　local　engineers　and　tool…makers　were　put　upon　their　mettle；　and　each　endeavoured　to　do　his　best。　　Like　others；　our　firm　contributed　specimens　of　our　special　machine　tools；　and　a　fair　average　specimen　of　the　steam　hammer；　with　a　30　cwt。　hammer…block。

I　also　sent　one　of　my　very　simple　and　compact　steam…engines；　in　the　design　of　which　I　had　embodied　the　form　of　my　steam　hammerplacing　the　crank　where　the　anvil　of　the　hammer　usually　stands。　　The　simplicity　and　grace　of　this　arrangement　of　the　steam…engine　were　much　admired。　Its　merits　were　acknowledged　in　a　way　most　gratifying　to　me；　by　its　rapid　adoption　by　engineers　of　every　class；　especially　by　marine　engineers。　　It　has　been　adopted　for　driving　the　shafts　of　screw…propelled　steamships　of　the　largest　kind。　　The　comparatively　small　space　it　occupies；　its　compactness；　its　get…at…ability　of　parts；　and　the　action　of　gravity　on　the　piston；　which；　working　vertically；　and　having　no　undue　action　in　causing　wearing　of　the　cylinder　on　one　side　（which　was　the　case　with　horizontal　e