“Sec. 1090.  La grande route de Bex a Villeneuve suit toujours le fond de la vallee du Rhone, en cotoyant les montagnes qui bordent la droite ou le cote oriental de cette vallee.  Ces montagnes sont en general de nature calcaire, mais on voit a leur pied, jusques aupres de la ville d’Aigle, situee a une lieue et demi de Bex, la continuation des collines de gypse qui renferment les sources salees.

“Sec. 1091.  A l’opposite de ces collines, au couchant de la grande route, on voit sortir du fond plat de la vallee deux collines allongees dans le sens de cette meme vallee.  Ces collines sont l’une et l’autre d’une pierre calcaire dure et escarpees presque de tous les cotes.  L’une la plus voisine de Bex, ou la plus meridionale, se nomme Charpigny, l’autre Saint Tryphon.

“Il paroit evident que ces rochers isoles au milieu de cette large vallee sont de noyaux plus dures et plus solides qui ont resiste aux causes destructrices par lesquelles cette vallee a ete creuse.  Ils ne sont cependant pas exactement de la meme nature, et surtout pas de la meme structure; car celui de Saint Tryphon est compose de couches regulieres, horizontales ou a-peu-pres telles, tandis que celui de Charpigny a les siennes tres-inclinees et souvent dans un grand desordre.”

In M. de Saussure’s Journey to the Alps, we have now seen a description of the shape that had been given to things, by those operations in which strata had been consolidated and elevated above the sea; nothing but disorder and confusion seems to have presided in those causes, by which this mass of continent had been exposed to the sight of men; and nature, it would appear, had nothing in view besides the induration, the consolidation, and the elevation of that mass into the snowy regions of the atmosphere.  From the descriptions now given, we see the operation of the waters upon the surface of the earth; we perceive a regular system of mountains and valleys, of rivulets and rivers, of fertile hills and plains, of all that is valuable to the life of man, and that which is still more valuable to man than life, viz. the knowledge of order in the works of nature, and the perception of beauty in the objects that surround him.

Let us now turn our view to distant regions, and see the effect of causes which, being general, must be every where perceived.

CHAP.  XII.

The Theory illustrated, by adducing examples from the different Quarters of the Globe

The system which we investigate is universal on this earth; it hangs upon, the growth of plants, and life of animals; it cannot have one rule in Europe, and another in India, although there may be animals and plants, the constitutions of which are properly adapted to certain climates, and not to others.  The operation of a central fire, in making solid land on which the breathing animals are placed, and the influences of the atmosphere, in making of that solid land loose soil for the service of the vegetable system, are parts in the economy of this world which must be every where distinguishable.  But this the reader is not to take upon my bare assertion; and I would wish to carry him, by the observations of other-men, to all the quarters of the globe.