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fertile soil。 Nay； so immensely strong； because immensely heavy； is the
share of this her great ice…plough； that some will tell you （and it is not for
me to say that they are wrong） that with it she has ploughed out all the
mountain lakes in Europe and in North America； that such lakes； for
instance； as Ullswater or Windermere have been scooped clean out of the
solid rock by ice which came down these glaciers in old times。 And be
sure of this； that next to Madam How's steam…pump and her rain…spade；
her great ice…plough has had； and has still； the most to do with making the
ground on which we live。
Do I mean that there were ever glaciers here？ No； I do not。 There
have been glaciers in Scotland in plenty。 And if any Scotch boy shall
read this book； it will tell him presently how to find the marks of them far
and wide over his native land。 But as you； my child； care most about this
country in which you live； I will show you in any gravel…pit； or hollow
lane upon the moor； the marks； not of a glacier； which is an ice…river； but
of a whole sea of ice。
Let us come up to the pit upon the top of the hill； and look carefully at
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what we see there。 The lower part of the pit of course is a solid rock of
sand。 On the top of that is a cap of gravel； five； six； ten feet thick。 Now
the sand was laid down there by water at the bottom of an old sea； and
therefore the top of it would naturally be flat and smooth； as the sands at
Hunstanton or at Bournemouth are； and the gravel； if it was laid down by
water； would naturally lie flat on it again： but it does not。 See how the
top of the sand is dug out into deep waves and pits； filled up with gravel。
And see； too； how over some of the gravel you get sand again； and then
gravel again； and then sand again； till you cannot tell where one fairly
begins and the other ends。 Why； here are little dots of gravel； six or eight
feet down； in what looks the solid sand rock； yet the sand must have been
opened somehow to put the gravel in。
You say you have seen that before。 You have seen the same curious
twisting of the gravel and sand into each other on the top of Farley Hill；
and in the new cutting on Minley Hill； and； best of all； in the railway
cutting between Ascot and Sunningdale； where upon the top the white
sand and gravel is arranged in red and brown waves； and festoons； and
curlicues； almost like Prince of Wales's feathers。 Yes； that last is a
beautiful section of ice… work； so beautiful； that I hope to have it
photographed some day。
Now； how did ice do this？
Well； I was many a year before I found out that； and I dare say I never
should have found it out for myself。 A gentleman named Trimmer； who；
alas！ is now dead； was； I believe； the first to find it out。 He knew that
along the coast of Labrador； and other cold parts of North America； and on
the shores； too； of the great river St。 Lawrence； the stranded icebergs； and
the ice…foot； as it is called； which is continually forming along the freezing
shores； grub and plough every tide into the mud and sand； and shove up
before them； like a ploughshare； heaps of dirt； and that； too； the ice itself is
full of dirt； of sand and stones； which it may have brought from hundreds
of miles away； and that； as this ploughshare of dirty ice grubs onward； the
nose of the plough is continually being broken off； and left underneath the
mud； and that； when summer comes； and the ice melts； the mud falls back
into the place where the ice had been； and covers up the gravel which was
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in the ice。 So； what between the grubbing of the ice…plough into the mud；
and the dirt which it leaves behind when it melts； the stones； and sand； and
mud upon the shore are jumbled up into curious curved and twisted layers；
exactly like those which Mr。 Trimmer saw in certain gravel…pits。 And
when I first read about that； I said； 〃And exactly like what I have been
seeing in every gravel…pit round here； and trying to guess how they could
have been made by currents of water； and yet never could make any guess
which would do。〃 But after that it was all explained to me； and I said；
〃Honour to the man who has let Madam How teach him what she had
been trying to teach me for fifteen years； while I was too stupid to learn it。
Now I am certain； as certain as I can be of any earthly thing； that the
whole of these Windsor Forest Flats were ages ago ploughed and
harrowed over and over again； by ice… floes and icebergs drifting and
stranding in a shallow sea。〃
And if you say； my dear child； as some people will say； that it is like
building a large house upon a single brick to be sure that there was an
iceberg sea here； just because I see a few curlicues in the gravel and sand
then I must tell you that there are sometimesnot often； but sometimes
pages in Madam How's book in which one single letter tells you as much
as a whole chapter； in which if you find one little fact； and know what it
really means； it makes you certain that a thousand other great facts have
happened。 You may be astonished： but you cannot deny your own eyes；
and your own common sense。 You feel like Robinson Crusoe when；
walking along the shore of his desert island； he saw for the first time the
print of a man's foot in the sand。 How it could have got there without a
miracle he could not dream。 But there it was。 One footprint was as
good as the footprints of a whole army would have been。 A man had
been there； and more men might come。 And in fear of the savagesand if
you have read Robinson Crusoe you know how just his fears werehe
went home trembling and loaded his muskets； and barricaded his cave； and
passed sleepless nights watching for the savages who might come； and
who came after all。
And so there are certain footprints in geology which there is no
mistaking； and the prints of the ice…plough are among them。