4. The Phenomena of Boulder Drift

Attention first called to the phenomena of the boulder drift—The iceberg theory preferred up to the year 1860—Objection to the opinions that the drift owes its origin to Noah’s flood—Hugh Miller’s views of the drift in his work on popular geology – Nature of the scratched rocks—Their abundance in Maine—the locality of some scratches irreconcilable with the theory of iceberg action—Decision that the drift phenomena were wholly due to glacial action—Original communications to the “Rockland Gazette” on the “Ancient Great Glacier of Penobscot Bay”—Original paper for the Second Scientific Report of Maine—Geological explorations in the interior of the state—Boulder phenomena as exhibited on Vinalhaven—Fascinating interest which they inspired. The history of the past not voluminously written, but rather fragmentary and in a strange stenography—“Sermons in Stones” - Reflections on this stone writing - Impressions made upon the minds of children often indelible, and sometimes matures into great practical results.