The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-01-08

to determine the minimum sizes of tie bergs
when brought them, we are forced to the con-
clusion that the prairies were covered by deep
waters At the time OF their transportation. We
may safely assume that ancient bergs resembled
those now seen floating from the frIsid zones in
to lower ATTITUDES, where they sften ground and
are melted away, depo,iting whatever heavy ma
terial they have brought with them frem their
starting point, which We are told by arctic navi-
gators Is always at or the shore II this be
So we know they must have required great
depth of water TO float them Bergs are now
frequently met with projecting hundreds OF
feet above the water; and, au they float with AZ
least fye-sixths of the mass under the water,
may form Al approximate idea of the depth ut
the water here when these boutders were depo'-
tied. At least, may assume that 1t was very
considerable Had there been any considerable
deposit after these boulders we're dropped where
we now see them, while they were being elevated
above the waters, they must have been deeply
buried beneath this deposit, aud we should not
have IT,. clear evidence a; le.-., al the Ipcmer
submergence aud Of the very iu-i yaiigant depo-
siton during the process Of elevation beneath
the waters.
| claim no originality in these suggestions. |
have only stated wA4- / believe TO 10 the accept.
ed theo,~. by the NEST Observing and rejecting
mon in Accounting for the presence Of the prai.
RE houiaerS; but what | claim is, thai the pat
ent facts stated are inconsistent with the theory
that tue great BODY Of our p-airies have been
built up by accumuIltious and deposits in shall
low water Till they were raised above IT, aud then
finally til they 3 ave alta ned their present ati-
tudes. Isav the bJG.ders alone absolutely ior-
bid tins, unless tnay, too, We're a. posted in very
shallow water or in most ca-c- long after the
en- rleane. Es' t0w facts have ever been stab
listed uy Cir.um-vnt.ai e'IteHce more conciu-
siye than ,-.s.
bal even admitting tLe shallow pond theory as
fully established, ana c.easly showing how all the
soil OF tho prairies has been formed and il bv
no means affords satisfactory % solution OF the
problem presented by the absence OF trees upon
the pFlIrles as | have attempted to show in 4.
previous portion Of ta.s paper.
Indeed. We venture upon very much whenever
We assume 70 explain all TIE laws by which IA.
ture works out her great results. 10 state all
the ctu-cs when may have t,ndet TO produce
thls one result, One cause gr -ct vi causes il [
nay Use the expression, may have produced it
il orc place, and aaa'Le- may have produced il
in another place. " hile we may have clear
proof, oi the existence and operation OF some Of
these causes, We may IT,. deny .ha, others, ana
many OF them. have been operating for ages on
ages since the praIrie~ became dry land tir-t 70
promote the growth az one kind of vegetation
which by other cluse, has been DESTROYED aud re-
placed by another, and, iyr auGht We know, this
process may have been many times repeated. In
contemplating cheese works - nature we are TOO
apt 10 comilne uur reflections 70 yesterday. When
We pause, and ies the mind run back through
the vista ~ time I'LL u becomes bewIlderod and
lost in the contemplation Of distance withou.
end, we are taen prepared, when we return to
con-elou ness, TO appreciate that the growth OF
the oldest tree OF the forest, when considered in
relation t. past time. ha, been rapid that
Of the eastern maElC.tl,. HhD plants the seed Of
the orange befor" YOUR eyes, and while YOU vet
look tho tender plant springs from the ground
and grows up 10 4 iUti SIZED tree. bears blossoms.
which fade and fall, and tine reru fruit appear.
III their places. whlc" Immediately grows - It's
fuii size, natures and rlpeu-. aud you are luyit-
ed TO pluck and eat, and YOU find your hand.
veritable orange, rich, Juicy and nouri.hng !
say thi, i out the history Of our olGe.; forest
trees, wnen Co Itempisted with reference 10 the
ages that must have elapsed since th, land
emerged from the bosom OF the waters During
al these rolling year. surely there ha- been time
enough for the prirt-s ia have been clothed
with forests, aud again denuted Of their trees.
ana Tor the process - nave been many times re-
peatod by agencies not beyond our comprehen.
sion natures laws. But because thi. NAV
have been, have no warrant for saving tina. i,
has been, Tor the want OF tangible proof OF the
fact. l may assert its probability, or nv
belief that II has been 50, but at last it is but
conjecture and as such alone may be suggested.
Still We cannot shut eyes to the fact that the
study oi tue geology OF TINS country in some OF
its departments ~ least, is yet n its earliest in-
fancy. Nay We not reasonably hope that it. ma
turty will di.pel the obscurity which now wells
many subjects OF most interesting inquiry and
enable Us to read the past in clear and con vino
ing light: For instance, the praires abound in
beds Of peat, OF greater or less extent, some of
vast Proportions. As vet these are comparative
ly sealed volume. of history, which, when thew
.psll be opened and read, as they have been in
what call the older countries Of the world
will reveal the record of bygone ages What
treasures of truths have been revealed BY the
examinations of the peat-beds of Denmark to
which reference may be made as quite appropri-
ate to the present inquiry These are OF depths
varying only from ten to thirty feet, formed like
ours, in basins If the drift. They tell US, plain
iy as II written in great book of the different
successive forests which there have lived and
hour'hed, and finally disappeared, and been
succeeded by others. The oldest which they re.
we'd Is the Scotch Fir .oinUS Sgirrsyis,) which ia
nor now found in Denmark and cannot even be
dome,ticated there. Then succeed several vari
cite, ot the oak, after the other and So ou
untll finally at the last the beech is found which
is still the common forest tree of Denmark and
so 1t was two thousand years ago. AS Wa learn
from written history. How admirably do we
here find united into II long chain of history the
various links which we see deposited in these
beds OF peat, the last OF which, beng united
with anG inerpretod by written history, enable
Us to read all the rest, with almost AS much
confidence as if the written history extended
back To the time when the first layer of peat was
deposited How shat We restrain our Impotence
till the seal shall lie broken to similar volumes
Al