the rapidity of the stream, becoming more considera- for itself with considerable noise, and soon issues as ble according to the ascent, and on the upper parts of the mountain are rocks of an enormous size, rolled and rounded by the currents, which have detached and removed them from their places; while in all these narrow defiles there is a perfect correspondence between the substances which form the two banks; the same strata, the same symmetry, and the same inclination being everywhere perceivable.

Where the defile widens by the separation of two great mountains, others appear placed upon their flanks; and these are of one form and of the smoothest surface, but on penetrating to a certain depth, the solid rock is again seen, passing under the torrent, traversing the valley, and uniting itself to the opposite mountain. These secondary hills seem of posteriour formation to the others, and are evidently composed of the wrecks of the primary.

a torrent of liquid mud, which rolls gently along, sweeping with it detached rocks, and all the other substances that it meets in its way. Hence, when we consider the rapid course of the Pyrenean torrents, which often gain upon three feet of descent a foot of perpendicular fall, and sometimes much more, the quantity of earth and stones of every kind carried away by them, a part of which is deposited in the plains, while the lighter matters are transported to the sea, must be enormous.

To the causes which have been enumerated as materially contributing to the degradation and decay of the Pyrenean mountains, may be added another not less frequent or effective in its operations. It is the Lavange, or impetuous descent of vast masses of snow, the avalanche of Switzerland. When the snow has fallen in abundance, and before it has had The snow, which covers the most elevated part of time to freeze, a blast of wind detaching it from the the Pyrenees all the year, and the lower elevations summits, precipitates it into the ravine below, and for a great portion of it, never melts in such abun-increasing in its course from that which it passes dance as during the rains of spring and summer, over, it sweeps along immense masses of earth and when south and southwest winds prevail, and a storm rock, making sometimes bridges over the torrents, drives them toward the mountains, for the sun has and filling up the valleys. This avalanche has the comparatively but a trifling influence. At this period extraordinary quality of being attended with a loud disorder and confusion every where prevail, and it is hissing noise, which commences with a strong wind. difficult to picture the gloomy and terrible silence Nothing can then resist the impetuosity of its course, which precedes this scene of horrour, or the universal and the explosion is such that every obstacle is innoise which follows. The shock of thick conflict- stantly overturned; sometimes even whole villages. ing clouds, the roaring of the winds, which are pre- As few ranges are so subject, as well from comcipitated in furious blasts from the upper regions, or position as situation, to the action of those causes which sweep along the deep valleys; the long con- which contribute to the progressive lowering of tinued noise of the groaning thunder, and the flashes mountains, it would be important to ascertain the of lightning which dart through the air; the impetu- consequent diminution of height in the Pyrenees. ous descent of vast masses of snow, called Lavanges, M. Gensonne, from observations which he thought and those great bodies of water which increase like sufficient to ground an opinion, concludes that they a torrent and rush down on all sides, accompanied are reduced about ten inches in height every cenwith the stunning noise and cracking of the rocks, dis-tary; but vague as such an estimate must necessaplay the stupendous operations of nature in all their rily be, it is impossible not to admit that a considerterrours; and hence these mountains present appear- able diminution must have taken place, for not only ances of decrepitude and decay not to be equalled in the vast plain of Landes, extending from Armagnac any other chain. It cannot, indeed, be difficult to between the rivers Adour and Garonne to the sea, conceive the ravages these frequent and sudden del- but High and Low Chalosse, Béarn, and Navarre, uges must produce, which, taking their course from are covered with immense quantities of rolled stones, an elevation of between nine and ten thousand feet all bearing equivocal characters of the wrecks of above the sea, fall often over an almost perpendicu- mountains; and the lofty elevation upon which the lar declivity, sweep away every loose substance they town of St. Sever is built, is also formed, from its meet with, and insinuate between the crevices of the summit to a great depth, of these transported fragrocks themselves, which afford a passage as the ments. Thus the ruins of the Pyrenees are carried strata are more or less vertical. As they are fre- a very considerable distance to the north and west quently of different natures, some of them, like the in France, while on the south they are scattered as schists and coarse granites, permit an easy penetra- far as Spain; and hence, however remote the period, tion, and quickly divide. Sometimes, also, an infe-time alone is wanting to verify the memorable exriour stratum, being of a softer substance than the pression of Louis XIV. to his grandson,—“ Posterupper, is by degrees washed away, and the whole ity will one day be able to say, The Pyrenees are mass being undermined, falls in with a tremendous no more."" crash; while at others, in these sudden deluges, the water forcing itself into caverns, fills them all at once; and as there frequently is no outlet, or if there be, one perhaps too small for the discharge of such a body, the compression is so great that the sides break open and burst, and hence follow all the disorder consequent upon such an explosion.

Nor are the inferiour mountains of secondary formation exempted from the effects produced by the sudden melting of the snow, for the water filtrating through the loose soil, introduces itself into the sand, 'mosens and raises it up. It then forces a passage

In the revolutionary division of France, those parts of the Pyrenean chain which extended into the ancient provinces of Gascony, Béarn, and Roussillon, have been divided into three departments :-1, that of the eastern Pyrenees, extending from the coast of the Mediterranean to the lofty summit of Canigon and the banks of the Garonne; 2, that of the High Pyrenees, forming the centre; and 3, that of the Low or Western Pyrenees, stretching from the Gave d'Oleron to the coast of the Atlantic.

The Eastern Pyrenees are of no very important elevation where the road passes over them from Per

pignan to Gerona, but the views in every part of the ascent are extremely beautiful, vines and olives flour ishing to a considerable height, and, where no longer accessible to the efforts of industry, the mountains are covered with groves of oak and cork trees, most of them of great size and age. The trunks of the latter, when recently stripped of their bark, are of a dusky red colour, but the operation of peeling cannot be repeated above once in seven or eight years, while in the southern parts of Spain it is performed every fifth autumn. Toward Bagnéres, on the west, the oaks and the cork tree are succeeded by gloomy forests of pine.

Indeed, this great mountain chain furnishes some of the most beautiful and picturesque scenes that are exhibited in any part either of Spain or France. The abrupt and precipitous mountains, with their summits enveloped in the clouds, usually ascend from valleys of the most enchantingly luxurious character; and the cork-trees furnish a sufficient shade even in the hottest seasons of the year. The castles of the ancient feudal chiefs are also seen frowning defiance against all the missile weapons common to their times, and the venerable ecclesiastical edifices speak as much for the taste of their architects, as for the enthusiastick devotion of their founders.

Almost all the high summits of these mountains In the lower parts of this chain, the Spanish are extremely narrow, the granite there appearing chestnut is found in great abundance, but cherry, quite exposed, and forming a pile of shattered rocks walnut, with other fruit-trees, and even vines also resembling a dismantled fortress, while the fragments abound: and in the centre are woods of beech overof the separated rock preserve their angles and sharp topped by lofty forests of silver fir, while above all, sides, according to the manner in which they have black spires of rock shoot up to an amazing height, been shivered. Such is the general state of all the here and there varied with a wreath of snow which high summits throughout the chain particularly in their shade has preserved unmelted through the heats proceeding toward the west, where the lofty peak of of summer. The effect of the temperature of the Canigou bounds the department of the Eastern air upon vegetation is here particularly observable, Pyrenees. This mountain once claimed the honour for the slope of the mountains that faces the noonof being the highest elevation in the chain, but re-tide sun is richly clothed with wood, while the opcent admeasurements have deprived it of that dis-posite side not only produces fewer trees, but those tinction. are of a dwarfish and diminished size, useful however

The Eastern Pyrenees and the mountains of for the supply of fuel, and for the purpose of husCatalonia, present, in many respects, a similar com-bandry. position. In the former is found black argillaceous quartz and the ordinary white quartz, in considerable beds, alternating with primary schistose slate, and the latter contain many veins of amygdaloid in the midst of ancient conchiferous calcareous beds.

Leaving the confines of Catalonia, and crossing the banks of the Garonne, the department of the High Pyrenees commences; and here the mountains rise to a majestick height, unknown to the eastern division of the chain. Near Bagnéres de Luchon the prospect is extremely circumscribed, and the pass into Spain is a gloomy narrow defile, forming a natural barrier between the two kingdoms, which even the most intrepid traveller could hardly either discover or penetrate, were it not distinguished by a ruinous tower perched on a precipitous rock, which formerly served as a guard-house, and now points out this almost invisible break in the mountain line. of the surrounding summits are covered with perpetual snow, and the whole range that bounds Luchon on the north is bare of wood, yet the Pyrenees seem even here to be wonderfully peopled, and a large village stands three parts up the steep of the mountain. Few chains afford greater facility than the Pyrenees for observing the most singular transitions and the superposition of rocks very different from each other; for instance, in the valley of Bagnères de Luchon, the passage of the primitive foliated slate into the veined granite may be distinctly traced.

Many

From Sarancolin the northern calcareous ridge on the side of France pursues its course through the district of Quatre Vallées to the banks of the Adour, on the western side of which stands the town of Bagnères de Bigorre, and here the exteriour chain of the Pyrenees appears to the greatest advantage. The hills are not rugged and precipitous, but gently sloped, and covered with verdant pasture; while the timber, that darkens the middle regions with its umbrageous foliage, is of the noblest size.

This part of the Pyrenean chain has long been celebrated for a great number of boiling, lukewarm, and cold springs, which issue from the sides of the mountains that impend over the town of Bagnéres, and all supposed to possess very strong healing qualities.

To the southwest of Bagnères de Bigorre, the Pic de Montaigu rises to the height of seven thousand three hundred and eight feet above the level of the sea, closing in on the west the valley of Campan, equally celebrated with that of Sarancolin for its marble quarries and calcareous stalactites; while to the south the view is terminated by the lofty Pic du Midi de Bigorre, the other high summits of the chain seeming to crowd around it, and shut up all further access.

FASHION.

FASHION Constantly begins and ends in the two things it abhors most, singularity and vulgarity. It is the perpetual setting up and then disowning a certain standard of taste, elegance, and refinement, which has no other foundation or authority than that it is the prevailing distraction of the moment, which was yesterday ridiculous from its being new, and tomorrow will be odious from its being common. It is one of the most slight and insignificant of all things. It cannot be lasting, for it depends on the constant change and shifting of its own Harlequin disguises; it cannot be sterling, for, if it were, it could not depend on the breath of caprice; it must be superficial, to produce its immediate effect on the gasping crowd; and frivolous, to admit of its being assumed at pleasure by the numbers of those who affect, by being in the fashion, to be distinguished from the rest of the world.

For the Family Magazine.
GEOLOGY.-NO. II.

or miniature representation-the surface is driven forward to a greater or less depth, according to the

Disintegration of primitive rocks and formation force of the wind, while the main body of water, ne

of secondary.

ver at any great depth below, takes a course in the opposite direction, which, among seamen, is called the undertow. The banks of Newfoundland, at the north-eastern extremity of the Gulf-stream, are deposits of sand and mud, brought thither by that current; and are believed to have been much shallower within the knowledge of navigators. Let these observations on the slope of the shores be carefully borne in mind, as they lead to the explanation of important phenomena yet to be considered.

In a former number of the Magazine (p. 246--7) it was shown that, by the Almighty's fiat, the laws of chemical affinity and cohesion were promulgated, and were the agents employed in causing, by means of crystalization, the dry land to appear. The great primitive ridges, then vastly higher than at any time since, gave abrupt bounds to the ocean-waves, while these seemed still to assert prerogative over the land, by indenting the shores with creeks and bays and Into the depressions or irregularities of the primiestuaries. There was, probably, but little arable soil, tive surface, the waters of the rains and the snows or even sand, as yet; little being then needed to sup- congregated; and undermining and rolling forward port animal life. It was then that the agents ordain- the blocks and small pieces of the primitive rocks, ed for the purpose, commenced their work of disin-producing pebbles and excavating channels for themtegrating and decomposing the primitive rocks. The selves, formed rivers. The short streams exhibit sun, with the aid of dews and rains, converted, as little, if any, rounded pebbles-often none. Let no they do still, the surfaces of the hardest rocks into one jump the argument and suppose, that these impalpable dust; the waters of subsequent rains dis- channels were formed by creation; for every stream solved some portion of this, and penetrated the more contains full evidence of its channel being produced porous parts of the rocks, there crystalized, and ta- by natural causes, which, by the Creator, were orking up more room than before, burst off some por-dained for the purpose. tions; and, if previously alkalized or holding an acid, The general course of the bottom was level, yet as carbonic, it would dissolve much more, not only many islands arose from it, and many hills, and even of earths, but metals, which, in mineralizing, also mountains of primitive rock arose to some height, take up more room. In this manner the hardest which did not reach the surface of the sea. All the boulders, on the summits of hills, are found scaled, space (islands excepted) between the Allegheny and and even burst through their centres; and every na- the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and from the Gulf tural precipice, of whatever kind of rock, has, at its of Mexico to far north of the great lakes, perhaps to foot, a buttress of broken rocks which have evidently the Arctic ocean, was a vast estuary or inland sea, tumbled from its side. The power of expansion, the bottom of which was the home of the testaceous from crystalization, is incalculable; even pure water animals, and the waters over them that of the cetapenetrating the pores of rocks, bursts them by freez- ceous and other swimming animals. The former ing, and has been known to burst iron and brass, propagate from specks of sperm deposited on the both malleable and cast. Other agents, of which bottom, often on rocks, from whence they multiply notice will be taken hereafter, had their share in this in thousands. Specks of the sperm, neighboring work of disintegration. The fragments, in scales and each other, form colonies, which extend until as blocks, of all dimensions, tumbled down into the sea, nearly in contact as the small portion of mud shoved where the agitation of the waves rounded off the up between them will permit; they increase more corners, and broke some of them still smaller, thus or less in thickness for a few years, and then they forming gravel, sand, coarse and fine, even to impal- die, from what cause it seems impossible to deterpable dust. The heavier blocks remained nearest mine; but certain it is, that in process of time they the shore outside the gravel, first coarse, then finer, become stones, (testaceous limestone) and, in this then coarse sand, then finer and finer to impalpable way, the bottom of this vast valley became filled, dust, which formed the mud in the bottom of the probably to the depth of 1,000 feet. On the upper deeper waters. By this operation the shores receiv-surface of nearly every one of these stones we may ed a general slope; but the recoil of the waves gave observe the corallines more or less plentifully distrito this slope an undulated surface which, in process buted, in form of branching twigs and stems. One of time, formed the shoals and banks and bars, so very remarkable form of the coralline is often seen dangerous, now-a-days, to navigators. These, in on the surfaces of some of the higher strata, resembmany places, arose above the ordinary surface of the ling the shagreen skins, some of which appear in waters, and gave those chains of low islands along a digitated form. But, before any of these became many coasts, called beaches, through which are many petrified, the waters, which, in summer, were capapassages, called inlets into the bays between them ble of suspending a portion of the finest debris, in and the main land. Those who have lived along the winter deposited a thin plate of impalpable earth, sea-coasts will readily understand this; but, let any which, at this day, is called soapstone, in common one observe, with care, the little waves of a pond or parlance, and, as improperly by the learned, argillaother water, of moderate depth and width, rolling fissilis. Its composition is more than half silex; the upon its smooth beach of gentle slope, and he will rest argil, lime and iron, giving it a bluish color. see that the wave grows smaller and smaller as it In the heat of a lime-kiln it runs into green glass; approaches the margin of the water. What becomes but, with a heat somewhat less, it assumes the apof the water of the wave? It runs backward or pearance of the best stone pottery.

downward along the slope, while the upper portion This process of winter deposit went on generally has a course forward, as impelled by the wind; thus for several years, and the number of winters between it is in the open sea, of which the pond is a minute the strata may readily be counted. That this is the

way in which the fissile interstrata were formed, we may learn from the fact, that ponds which are turbid in summer are clear in winter, and when drained, their bottoms are of laminated texture. The testaceous tribes, after some winters, (sometimes not more than one) again commenced propagating over the remains of their ancestors, and, continuing so to do for a time, again became extinct, and, like them, were again covered, first with corallines, and then with the winter deposits, as before. Thus, the filling up of this great estuary was continued for a space which may be estimated at not less than one thousand years, but may, at some day, be more accurately ascertained, by counting the winter deposits, in many places, measuring both them and the stones, and averaging the observations. But there seems to have been something that set bounds to their lateral extension, as well as perpendicular growth; for, if we trace a series of those colonies in a stratum of limestone, we will at length find it running off to a thin edge, and there terminating.

them, will be profitably employed in searching for them by the description, and partly, because the writer cannot, without referring to his books, recollect them.

In their petrified state they are distinguished by the appellation terrebratula, and though we have no disposition to use a term which appears manifestly improper, yet we may occasionally be obliged to mention them by that name; we rather prefer the popular, because best understood. The writer has seen small portions of shells of the cockle brought from borings, said to be four hundred feet below the surface of the Ohio; and in the lowest strata he has examined the cockle predominates, though it seems that various other families of shells often congregated with them. These cockles are of several species or varieties: the double convex with a deep sulcus or hollow running from the joint forward; the planoconvex flat on one side and rounding on the other, with a similar sulcus; and the plano-convex without the sulcus. All these are striated, or with small furThere were also places where exhalations from rows and ridges running from the joint forward. In the earth were unfavorable to animal life; such are this character as well as in size they all agree; but still to be found quite numerous along the southern as we ascend we begin to find another kind, a planoand, perhaps, too, the northern shores of lakes Erie convex shell of the size and shape of the scallop, and Ontario-springs of inflammable gas and of car- excepting the transverse bar near the joint, (gebonic acid gas, as well as others, are still found along nus pectin;) but they are neither striated nor pectithose shores-and at least impeded if they did not nated like these, the shell is smooth, and near the wholly prevent the propagation of these shells. The surface, below the level of Franklin, Warren Co. O.. islands in these lakes, of similar formation, and the these predominate. These, as well as others, seem chain of rocks forming the cataract of Niagara, offer to verify the angler's rule, If you would catch cerno objection to the probability, that to such causes tain kinds of fish, let your hook nearly drag on the we are indebted for the cavities which are now filled bottom; if another, at a less depth, while others are by the great northern lakes. These were once only caught in shallow waters. Now let it be revastly deeper than at present: they have for thou-membered that these cockles and corallines were sands of years been filling up with debris, brought once on a bottom at least two thousand feet below into them by their tributary streams. Lake Erie the surface of the ocean, where, probably, they still has the greatest number and volume of these, and is propagate as they did thousands of years ago. the shallowest; lake Michigan the fewest and most Much has been said and written about the shells inconsiderable, and is the deepest, said to be nine and other remains of extinct animals; but who knows hundred feet; from which take the height of its sur- what animals of any description inhabit the deep at face above that of the sea, one thousand five hundred two thousand feet, or even half that depth? It was, and sixty-four feet, and it will be on a level with the perhaps, one hundred and fifty years ago, that some bottom at three hundred and thirty-six feet deep in Norwegian sailors reported that they had seen, at the ocean; to which add the height of the river at sea, a serpent of enormous dimensions, of a green Cincinnati, fourteen hundred and thirty feet, and we colour, as large as the largest mast, elevating its have seven hundred and sixty-six feet for the depth head higher than their mast; and, as they believed, from thence through limestone and its interstrata to one hundred and fifty feet in length. They were the primitive rock. But the testaceous limestone greatly terrified, but mustered up courage enough to and soapstone form the hills, quite to the sum-fire at it, when it suddenly disappeared, scattering mit, between us and lake Erie; we must, there- on the waters a great quantity of excrementitious fore, take into the account six hundred and sixty-one matter as black as tar, some of which was washed feet more for the elevation of that above the river at Cincinnati, and we have for the depth of the sea, before it receded, one thousand four hundred and twenty-seven feet; above which level many hundred feet, we find on the sides of the Allegheny ridge many marine productions, so that we may safely assume, that the ocean once rolled over this region at least two thousand feet deep.

on the deck, and excoriated their skins wherever it touched. This account was always received by the best informed as fabulous, though Pontopidan, Bishop of Bergen, in Norway, had given an account of several sea-serpents, which, he had been informed and believed, had been seen in those seas; and it was not until one of those animals had shown himself in the waters of Massachusetts, on our own coast, appearing and retiring for many years, that the accounts of the sailors and of the Bishop began to obtain credit. It is true, that Pontopidan's account of the krakan, of a mile and a half long, tended greatly to discredit his whole book. But, though, from the state of learning at that time among the Norwegians, much of fable easily crept into accounts of extraordinary phenomena, yet it would be hardly