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Show 182. ORGANIC GEOLOGY When he began to classify glaciers and glacial valleys in Studies in the Sierra, he was still following the metaphor of Nature as Book. When he separated valleys into distinct genera and species, he seemed to be following Agassiz, for he was claiming distinct divisions - "the valleys naturally classify themselves" - where other observers might only have noted gradation. He would claim that the distinct divisions were the product of his more careful observation. On the other hand he recognized gradation within the species of Yosemite valleys, caused by environmental situation. Classification by comparison was part of his method. When he looked at Hetch Hetchy, he tried to see how it was similar to, rather than different from, Yosemite. This was in part a matter of developing appropriate language to convince the reader that the details of his geological analysis made up one system, God's system, which had a conceptual unity. When he turned to the method of classification in his second and third chapters, "Origin of Yosemite Valleys" and "Ancient Glaciers and their Pathways," Muir delighted to find five major glaciers which converged to make Yosemite Valley, in comparison to the three major glaciers which had converged on Hetch Hetchy, and the four tributaries which created the Kings River Yosemite. What he saw, then, was that Yosemite |
