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some difficulty in keeping his footing。
And when you learn that this convulsion probably took plus at the
bottom of an ocean hundreds of thousands of years ago； you have at
least a few thoughts over which to ruminate； which will make you at
once too busy to grumble； and ashamed to grumble。
Yet； after all； I hardly think the lake was formed in this way； and
suspect that it may have been dry for ages after it emerged from the
primeval waves； and Snowdonia was a palm…fringed island in a tropic
sea。 Let us look the place over more fully。
You see the lake is nearly circular； on the side where we stand the
pebbly beach is not six feet above the water； and slopes away steeply
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into the valley behind us； while before us it shelves gradually into the
lake； forty yards out； as you know； there is not ten feet water； and then a
steep bank； the edge whereof we and the big trout know well； sinks
suddenly to unknown depths。 On the opposite side； that flat…topped
wall of rock towers up shoreless into the sky； seven hundred feet
perpendicular； the deepest water of all we know is at its very foot。
Right and left； two shoulders of down slope into the lake。 Now turn
round and look down the gorge。 Remark that this pebble bank on
which we stand reaches some fifty yards downward： you see the loose
stones peeping out everywhere。 We may fairly suppose that we stand
on a dam of loose stones； a hundred feet deep。
But why loose stones？ … and if so； what matter？ and what wonder？
There are rocks cropping out everywhere down the hill…side。
Because if you will take up one of these stones and crack it across；
you will see that it is not of the same stuff as those said rocks。 Step
into the next field and see。 That rock is the common Snowdon slate；
which we see everywhere。 The two shoulders of down； right and left；
are slate； too； you can see that at a glance。 But the stones of the pebble
bank are a close…grained； yellow…spotted rock。 They are Syenite； and
（you may believe me or not； as you will） they were once upon a time in
the condition of a hasty pudding heated to some 800 degrees of
Fahrenheit； and in that condition shoved their way up somewhere or
other through these slates。 But where？ whence on earth did these
Syenite pebbles come？ Let us walk round to the cliff on the opposite
side and see。 It is worth while； for even if my guess be wrong； there is
good spinning with a brass minnow round the angles of the rocks。
Now see。 Between the cliff…foot and the sloping down is a crack；
ending in a gully； the nearer side is of slate； and the further side； the cliff
itself； is … why； the whole cliff is composed of the very same stone as the
pebble ridge。
Now； my good friend； how did these pebbles get three hundred yards
across the lake？ Hundreds of tons； some of them three feet long： who
carried them across？ The old Cymry were not likely to amuse
themselves by making such a breakwater up here in No…man's…land； two
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thousand feet above the sea： but somebody or something must have
carried them； for stones do not fly； nor swim either。
Shot out of a volcano？ As you seem determined to have a prodigy；
it may as well be a sufficiently huge one。
Well … these stones lie altogether； and a volcano would have hardly
made so compact a shot； not being in the habit of using Eley's wire
cartridges。 Our next hope of a solution lies in John Jones； who carried
up the coracle。 Hail him； and ask him what is on the top of that cliff 。 。 。
So； 〃Plainshe and pogshe； and another Llyn。〃 Very good。 Now； does
it not strike you that this whole cliff has a remarkably smooth and
plastered look； like a hare's run up an earthbank？ And do you not see
that it is polished thus only over the lake？ that as soon as the cliff abuts
on the downs right and left； it forms pinnacles； caves； broken angular
boulders？ Syenite usually does so in our damp climate； from the
〃weathering〃 effect of frost and rain： why has it not done so over the
lake？ On that part something （giants perhaps） has been scrambling up
or down on a very large scale； and so rubbed off every corner which was
inclined to come away； till the solid core of the rock was bared。 And
may not those mysterious giants have had a hand in carrying the stones
across the lake？ 。 。 。 Really； I am not altogether jesting。 Think a while
what agent could possibly have produced either one or both of these
effects？
There is but one； and that； if you have been an Alpine traveller …
much more if you have been a Chamois hunter … you have seen many a
time （whether you knew it or not） at the very same work。
Ice？ Yes； ice； Hrymir the frost…giant； and no one else。 And if you
will look at the facts； you will see how ice may have done it。 Our friend
John Jones's report of plains and bogs and a lake above makes it quite
possible that in the 〃Ice age〃 （Glacial Epoch； as the big…word…mongers
call it） there was above that cliff a great neve； or snowfield； such as you
have seen often in the Alps at the head of each glacier。 Over the face of
this cliff a glacier has crawled down from that neve； polishing the face of
the rock in its descent： but the snow； having no large and deep outlet；
has not slid down in a sufficient stream to reach the vale below； and
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form a glacier of the first order； and has therefore stopped short on the
other side of the lake； as a glacier of the second order； which ends in an
ice…cliff hanging high up on the mountain side； and kept from further
progress by daily melting。 If you have ever gone up the Mer de Glace
to the Tacul； you saw a magnificent specimen of this sort on your right
hand； just opposite the Tacul； in the Glacier de Trelaporte； which comes
down from the Aiguille de Charmoz。
This explains our pebble…ridge。 The stones which the glacier
rubbed off the cliff beneath it it carried forward； slowly but surely； till
they saw the light again in the face of the ice…cliff； and dropped out of it
under the melting of the summer sun； to form a huge dam across the
ravine； till； the 〃Ice age〃 past； a more genial climate succeeded； and neve
and glacier melted away： but the 〃moraine〃 of stones did not； and
remains to this day； as the dam which keeps up the waters of the lake。
There is my explanation。 If you can find a better； do： but
remember always that it must include an answer to … 〃How did the
stones get across the lake？〃
Now； reader； we have had no abstruse science here； no long words；
not even a microscope or a book： and yet we； as two plain sportsmen；
have gone back； or been led back by fact and common sense； into the
most awful and sublime depths； into an epos of the destruction and re…
creation of a former world。
This is but a single instance；