That  there  is  a  real  place  for  such  a  cultural  study  of  geology
within  the  University  is  believed  to  be  shown  by  the  increasing
number  of  students  who  have  elected  the  work.  Even  more  than
in  former  years  the  American  travels  afar  by  car  or  steamship,  and
the  earth's  surface  features  in  all  their  manifold  diversity  are  thus
one  after  the  other  unrolled  before  him.  The  thousands  who  each
year  cross  the  Atlantic  to  roam  over  European  countries  may  by
historical,  literary,  or  artistic  studies  prepare  themselves  to  derive
an  exquisite  pleasure  as  they  visit  places  identified  with  past
achievement  of  one  form  or  another.  Yet  the  Channel  coast,  the
gorge  of  the  Rhine,  the  glaciers  of  Switzerland,  and  the  wild  scenery
of  Norway  or  Scotland  have  each  their  fascinating  story  to  tell
of  a  history  far  more  remote  and  varied.  To  read  this  history,  the
runic  characters  in  which  it  is  written  must  first  of  all  be  mastered ;
for  in  every  landscape  there  are  strong  individual  lines  of  char-
acter such  as  the  pen  artist  would  skillfully  extract  for  an  outline
sketch.  Such  character  profiles  are  often  many  times  repeated  in
each  landscape,  and  in  them  we  have  a  key  to  the  historical  record.
