I have never, I think, in my life been so deeply interested by any
geological discussion. I now first begin to see what a million means, and
I feel quite ashamed of myself at the silly way in which I have spoken of
millions of years. I was formerly a great believer in the power of the sea
in denudation, and this was perhaps natural, as most of my geological work
was done near sea-coasts and on islands. But it is a consolation to me to
reflect that as soon as I read Mr. Whitaker's paper (544/2. "On Subaerial
Denudation," and "On Cliffs and Escarpments of the Chalk and Lower Tertiary
Beds," "Geol. Mag." Volume IV., page 447, 1867.) on the escarpments of
England, and Ramsay (544/3. "Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc." Volume XVIII., page
185, 1862. "On the Glacial Origin of certain Lakes in Switzerland, the
Black Forest, Great Britain, Sweden, North America, and elsewhere.') and
Jukes' papers (544/4. "Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc." Volume XVIII., page 378,
1862. "On the Mode of Formation of some River-Valleys in the South of
Ireland."), I gave up in my own mind the case; but I never fully realised
the truth until reading your papers just received. How often I have
speculated in vain on the origin of the valleys in the chalk platform round
this place, but now all is clear. I thank you cordially for having cleared
so much mist from before my eyes.


LETTER 545. TO T. MELLARD READE.
Down, February 9th, 1877.

I am much obliged for your kind note, and the present of your essay. I
have read it with great interest, and the results are certainly most
surprising. (545/1. Presidential Address delivered by T. Mellard Reade
before the Liverpool Geological Society ("Proc. Liverpool Geol. Soc."
Volume III., pt. iii., page 211, 1877). See also "Examination of a
Calculation of the Age of the Earth, based upon the hypothesis of the