[Note 29:  M. de Saussure endeavours to explain those appearances of transported blocks of granite by another cause; this is a certain debacle of the waters of the earth, which I do not understand.  M. de Luc again attempts to explain it by violent explosions; I suppose he means those of a volcano.  But he has not given us the evidence upon which such an opinion may be founded, farther than by saying that those blocks could not have come there by the natural operations of the surface.  By this must be meant, that, from the nearest summit of granite, there is not, at present, any natural means by which these blocks might be transported to that place.  But it is not with the present state of things that we are concerned, in explaining the operations of a distant period.  If the natural operations of the surface change the shape of things, as is clearly proved by every natural appearance, Why form an argument against a former transaction, upon the circumstances of the present state of things?  Our author does not seem to perceive, that, from this mode of reasoning, there is is an insuperable objection to his violent explosions having been employed in producing those effects.  For, had there been such a cause, the evidence of this must have remained; if the surface of the earth does not undergo great changes:  If, again, this surface be in time much changed, How can we judge from the present shape, what might have been the former posture of things?

This author, indeed, does not allow much time for the natural operations of the globe to change its surface; but, if things be not greatly removed from the state in which the violent operations of the globe had placed them, Why does he not point out to us the source of this great disorder which he there perceives?  From what explosion will be explained the blocks of granite which are found upon the Jura, and which must have come from the mass of Mont Blanc?  If these dispersed blocks of stone are to be explained by explosion, there must:  have been similar explosions in other countries where there is not the smallest appearance of volcanic eruptions; for, around all our granite mountains, and I believe all others, there are found many blocks of granite, traveled at a great distance, and in all directions.]

“Oberbruck, ou nous avions ete la precedente fois, se trouva sur notre route, et nous y passames aussi la nuit, dans l’esperance de pouvoir monter le lendemain sur le Brocken; mais il fut encore enveloppe de nuages; ainsi nous continuames a marcher vers Clausthal, passant de nouveau par le Bruchberg, ou le sable et ses gres recouvrent le schiste; puis arrivant a une autre sommite, nous y trouvames la meme pierre sableuse par couches, melee de parcelles de schiste, que nous avions vue sur les montagnes calcaires d’Elbingerode.  Il est donc toujours plus certain que le sol primordial de toutes ces montagnes existoit sous les eaux de