Note 24 — Chapter II · ON THE ELEVATION OF THE WESTERN COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA.
Reading edition
“Voyage, Part Géolog.,” p. 94. M. d’Orbigny (p. 98), in summing up, says: “S’il est certain (as he believes) que tous les terrains en pente, compris entre la mer et les montagnes sont l’ancien rivage de la mer, on doit supposer, pour l’ensemble, un exhaussement que ce ne serait pas moindre de deux cent mètres; il faudrait supposer encore que ce soulèvement n’a point été graduel; . . . mais qu’il résulterait d’une seule et même cause fortuite,” etc. Now, on this view, when the sea was forming the beach at the foot of the mountains, many shells of Concholepas, Chiton, Calyptræa, Fissurella, and Patella (which are known to live close to the beach), were attached to rocks at a depth of 300 feet, and at a depth of 600 feet several of these same shells were accumulating in great numbers in horizontal beds. From what I have myself seen in dredging, I believe this to be improbable in the highest degree, if not impossible; and I think everyone who has read Professor E. Forbes’s excellent researches on the subject, will without hesitation agree in this conclusion.