, yet, considering how rarely such evidence
is afforded in any quarter of the world, it cannot be doubted that one
of the most important problems in Geology--namely, the exact manner in
which the crust of the earth rises in mass--would be much elucidated,
and a great service done to geological science.

LETTER 519. R. CHAMBERS TO D. MILNE-HOME. St. Andrews, September 7th,
1847.

I have had a letter to-day from Mr. Charles Darwin, beseeching me to
obtain for him a copy of your paper on Glen Roy. (519/1. No doubt Mr.
Milne's paper "On the Parallel Roads of Lochaber," "Trans. R. Soc.
Edinb." Volume XVI., page 395, 1849. [Read March 1st and April 5th,
1847.]) I am sure you will have pleasure in sending him one; his
address is "Down, Farnborough, Kent." I have again read over your paper
carefully, and feel assured that the careful collection and statement of
facts which are found in it must redound to your credit with all candid
persons. The suspicions, however, which I obtained some time ago as to
land-straits and heights of country being connected with sea-margins and
their ordinary memorials still possesses me, and I am looking forward to
some means of further testing the Glen Roy mystery. If my suspicion turn
out true, I shall at once be regretful on your account, and shall feel
it as a great check and admonition to myself not to be too confident
about anything in science till it has been proved over and over again.
The ground hereabouts is now getting clear of the crops; perhaps when I
am in town a few days hence we may be able to make some appointment for
an examination of the beaches of the district, my list of which has been
greatly enlarged during the last two months.

LETTER 520. TO R. CHAMBERS. September 11th, 1847.

I hope you will read the first part of my paper before you go [to Glen
Roy], and attend to the manner in which the lines end in Glen Collarig.
I wish Mr. Milne had read it more carefully. He misunderstands me in
several respects, but [I] suppose it is my own fault, for my paper is
most tediously written. Mr. Milne fights me very pleasantly, and I plead
guilty to his rebuke about "demonstration." (520/1. See Letter 521,
note.) I do not know what you think; but Mr. Milne will think me as
obstinate as a pig when I say that I think any barriers of detritus at
the mouth of Glen Roy, Collarig and Glaster more utterly impossible
than words can express. I abide by all that I have written on that head.