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Appearance of the former towns. The sea black and boiling. Direction of the vibrations. Stones twisted round. Great wave. Permanent elevation of the land. Area of volcanic phenomena. The connection between the elevatory and eruptive forces. Cause of earthquakes. Slow elevation of mountain-chains.
It is therefore clear that the elevatory forces which gave rise to the mountains operated subsequently to the Cretaceous epoch; and that the mountains themselves are largely made up of the materials deposited in the sea which once occupied their place.
To this latter belief I am led, by finding that channels are almost universally present within the fringing-reefs of those islands which have undergone recent elevatory movements; and this could hardly have been the case, if the conversion of the very shallow channel into land had not been counteracted to a certain extent.
Occasionally some of the calamite brakes and forests of Sigillariae and Coniferae were exposed in the flood season, or sometimes, perhaps, by slight elevatory movements to the denuding action of the river or the sea.
Shells thus cast up by gales, would, during an elevatory period, never again be touched by the sea.
Not only has the above specified long range of coast been elevated within the recent period, but I think it may be safely inferred from the similarity in height of the gravel-capped plains at distant points, that there has been a remarkable degree of equability in the elevatory process.
Along lines of coast, even of great lengths, such as that of Patagonia, if they are nearly uniformly exposed, the corroding power of the waves will be checked and conquered by the elevatory movement, as often as it recommences, at about the same period; and hence the terraces, or accumulated beach-lines, will commence being formed at nearly the same levels: at each succeeding period of rest, they will, also, be eaten into at nearly the same rate, and consequently there will be a much closer coincidence in their levels and inclinations, than in the terraces and escarpments formed round bays with their different parts very differently exposed to the action of the sea.
In an admirable series of drawings by Captain Moresby, I could see how continuously the cliff-bounded low plains of this formation extended with a nearly equable height, both on the eastern and western shores. The southern coast of Arabia seems to have been subjected to the same elevatory movement, for Dr.
San Carlos, Chiloe Osorno in eruption, contemporaneously with Aconcagua and Coseguina Ride to Cucao Impenetrable Forests Valdivia Indians Earthquake Concepcion Great Earthquake Rocks fissured Appearance of the former Towns The Sea Black and Boiling Direction of the Vibrations Stones twisted round Great Wave Permanent Elevation of the Land Area of Volcanic Phenomena The connection between the Elevatory and Eruptive Forces Cause of Earthquakes Slow Elevation of Mountain-chains.
Hence one is led to attribute the same origin to both these sets of banks; namely, the accumulation of sediment, conjoined with an elevatory movement, and the growth of coral on their outward edges; those parts which appear fringed by living reefs are coloured red.
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