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Jamieson； and the group of brave men who accompanied and followed
them； will be looked back to as moral benefactors of their race；
and almost as martyrs； also； when it is remembered how much
misunderstanding； obloquy； and plausible folly they had to endure
from well…meaning fanatics like Fairholme or Granville Penn； and
the respectable mob at their heels who tried （as is the fashion in
such cases） to make a hollow compromise between fact and the Bible；
by twisting facts just enough to make them fit the fancied meaning
of the Bible； and the Bible just enough to make it fit the fancied
meaning of the facts。 But there were a few who would have no
compromise； who laboured on with a noble recklessness； determined
to speak the thing which they had seen； and neither more nor less；
sure that God could take better care than they of His own
everlasting truth。 And now they have conquered： the facts which
were twenty years ago denounced as contrary to Revelation； are at
last accepted not merely as consonant with； but as corroborative
thereof； and sound practical geologists … like Hugh Miller； in his
〃Footprints of the Creator；〃 and Professor Sedgwick； in the
invaluable notes to his 〃Discourse on the Studies of Cambridge〃 …
have wielded in defence of Christianity the very science which was
faithlessly and cowardly expected to subvert it。
But if you seek； reader； rather for pleasure than for wisdom； you
can find it in such studies； pure and undefiled。
Happy； truly； is the naturalist。 He has no time for melancholy
dreams。 The earth becomes to him transparent； everywhere he sees
significancies； harmonies； laws； chains of cause and effect
endlessly interlinked； which draw him out of the narrow sphere of
self…interest and self…pleasing； into a pure and wholesome region
of solemn joy and wonder。 He goes up some Snowdon valley； to him
it is a solemn spot （though unnoticed by his companions）； where the
stag's…horn clubmoss ceases to straggle across the turf； and the
tufted alpine clubmoss takes its place： for he is now in a new
world； a region whose climate is eternally influenced by some fresh
law （after which he vainly guesses with a sigh at his own
ignorance）； which renders life impossible to one species； possible
to another。 And it is a still more solemn thought to him； that it
was not always so； that aeons and ages back； that rock which he
passed a thousand feet below was fringed； not as now with fern and
blue bugle； and white bramble…flowers； but perhaps with the alp…
rose and the 〃gemsen…kraut〃 of Mont Blanc； at least with Alpine
Saxifrages which have now retreated a thousand feet up the mountain
side； and with the blue Snow…Gentian； and the Canadian Sedum； which
have all but vanished out of the British Isles。 And what is it
which tells him that strange story？ Yon smooth and rounded surface
of rock； polished； remark； across the strata and against the grain；
and furrowed here and there； as if by iron talons； with long
parallel scratches。 It was the crawling of a glacier which
polished that rock…face； the stones fallen from Snowdon peak into
the half…liquid lake of ice above； which ploughed those furrows。
AEons and aeons ago； before the time when Adam first
〃Embraced his Eve in happy hour；
And every bird in Eden burst
In carol； every bud in flower；〃
those marks were there； the records of the 〃Age of ice；〃 slight；
truly； to be effaced by the next farmer who needs to build a wall；
but unmistakeable； boundless in significance； like Crusoe's one
savage footprint on the sea…shore； and the naturalist acknowledges
the finger…mark of God； and wonders； and worships。
Happy； especially； is the sportsman who is also a naturalist： for
as he roves in pursuit of his game； over hills or up the beds of
streams where no one but a sportsman ever thinks of going； he will
be certain to see things noteworthy； which the mere naturalist
would never find； simply because he could never guess that they
were there to be found。 I do not speak merely of the rare birds
which may be shot； the curious facts as to the habits of fish which
may be observed； great as these pleasures are。 I speak of the
scenery； the weather； the geological formation of the country； its
vegetation； and the living habits of its denizens。 A sportsman；
out in all weathers； and often dependent for success on his
knowledge of 〃what the sky is going to do；〃 has opportunities for
becoming a meteorologist which no one beside but a sailor
possesses； and one has often longed for a scientific gamekeeper or
huntsman； who； by discovering a law for the mysterious and
seemingly capricious phenomena of 〃scent；〃 might perhaps throw
light on a hundred dark passages of hygrometry。 The fisherman；
too； … what an inexhaustible treasury of wonder lies at his feet；
in the subaqueous world of the commonest mountain burn！ All the
laws which mould a world are there busy； if he but knew it；
fattening his trout for him； and making them rise to the fly； by
strange electric influences； at one hour rather than at another。
Many a good geognostic lesson； too； both as to the nature of a
country's rocks； and as to the laws by which strata are deposited；
may an observing man learn as he wades up the bed of a trout…
stream； not to mention the strange forms and habits of the tribes
of water…insects。 Moreover； no good fisherman but knows； to his
sorrow； that there are plenty of minutes； ay； hours； in each day's
fishing in which he would be right glad of any employment better
than trying to
〃Call spirits from the vasty deep；〃
who will not
〃Come when you do call for them。〃
What to do； then？ You are sitting； perhaps； in your coracle； upon
some mountain tarn； waiting for a wind； and waiting in vain。
〃Keine luft an keine seite；
Todes…stille f乺chterlich；〃
as G攖he has it …
〃Und der schiffer sieht bek乵mert
Glatte fl刢he rings umher。〃
You paddle to the shore on the side whence the wind ought to come；
if it had any spirit in it； tie the coracle to a stone； light your
cigar； lie down on your back upon the grass； grumble； and finally
fall asleep。 In the meanwhile； probably； the breeze has come on；
and there has been half…an…hour's lively fishing curl； and you wake
just in time to see the last ripple of it sneaking off at the other
side of the lake； leaving all as dead…calm as before。
Now how much better； instead of falling asleep； to have walked
quietly round the lake side； and asked of your own brains and of
Nature the question； 〃How did this lake come here？ What does it
mean？〃
It is a hole in the earth。 True； but how was the hole made？ There
must have been huge forces at work to form such a chasm。 Probably
the mountain was actually opened from within by an earthquake； and
when the strata fell together a