BARD WICKE 'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



179 



formation of " rock -basins," and the connections 

 between valleys, fissures, and breaks. Vast areas are 

 bare, or nearly bare, tracts of rock, in which the 

 solution of many of these different problems is mapped 

 out by Nature's hand. The relation between many 

 of the different kinds of rocks is also exemplified ; as 

 the gradations from the sedimentary rocks through 

 the metamorphic into the granites ; as also the 

 gradations from the latter rocks into the Plutonic. 

 These subjects, however, we hope to treat of in future 

 sketches, and in this will give an epitome of the 

 Physical features of the area. 



To the east of the district, margining lochs Corrib 

 and Mask, is low limestone ground, while in general 

 the rest of the area is composed of groups of hills inter- 

 sected and divided from one another by narrow low- 

 seated valleys ; to this, however, there is an exception, 

 namely, the champaign country between Roundstone 

 and Clifden. 



To the south-east of the area are the low irregular 

 Moycullen Hills, rising from the carboniferous lime- 

 stone flat, margining Loch Corrib ; while to the 

 north, and separated from them by the Oughterard 

 Valley, are other hills in the same barony ; and still 

 farther north, on the other side of Maum Bay, the 

 north-west arm of Loch Corrib, are the Joyce 

 country hills. The latter at one time formed one 

 extensive slightly undulating table-land. To the right 

 hand, but now isolated from the rest, is Benlevy or 

 Gable Mountain, so called from its likeness to the 

 gable of a cabin ; while in the background is the 

 massive table-land of Formnamore, the only true 

 highland in the country. This is separated from the 

 hills in the foreground by the deep valleys in which 

 are situated Derry and Kilbride bays, arms from Loch 

 Mask, and the valley of the picturesque Loch-na-fooey. 

 The massive form of Formnamore is seen from 

 Ailledubh, at the west end of Loch-na-fooey. The 

 Maum valley, extending northward from the end of 

 Maum Bay to Leenaun, on Killary Bay, is a narrow 

 deep low-seated valley, nowhere more than 130 feet 

 above the sea-level, and rising on each side abruptly 

 to form hills having peaks of considerable altitude. 

 Maum, a connecting gap between two valleys, is a 

 common term in this part of Ireland. Maaiii or 

 Mam (pronounced Alaivm) is the hollow formed by 

 the palm of the hand when the fingers are raised up. 

 This Maum is the gap, far excellence, having been 

 the great leading thoroughfare in ancient times from 

 the central plain of Ireland into the Mild country to 

 the west. There are also others, such as Maumturk, 

 the pass of the wild boar ; Maumbwe, the yclloiv pass ; 

 Maumean, the pass of the birds ; Maumeen, little 

 pass ; Maumnagee, zuindy pass ; and numerous 

 others. 



To the south of Maum is the isolated sugar-loaf hill 

 called Lackavrea. This, although low compared with 

 many other hills in the country, is considered by 

 many of the natives as the highest. This mistake. 



however, is allowable, if the hill is seen towering above 

 you while rowing uj) the narrow fiord-like — Maum 

 Bay. Tlie name of this hill, which means tangled 

 flags, is most expressive, the hill being composed 

 of quartzite, metamorphosed flagstones, that perfectly 

 deceive the observer, as, from appearance, the rocks 

 seem capable of being spit up, while in reality they are a 

 compact intractable mass. West of the Maum Valley 

 is the abrupt rugged Maumturk range, called after 

 the deep pass through it ; while to the north are 

 the Leenaun hills, separated from the range just 

 mentioned by the pass called Glenisky {the zvalery 

 glen) ; to the south it is separated from the Coreoge- 

 more hills by Maumean {the pass of the birds). 

 Through the latter all the woodcock and duck when 

 migrating are said to pass. This may have been the 

 case once, but nowadays they do not seem to frequent 

 it much. It is also remarkable for a Tober and 

 Labba, both called after St. Patrick, who is said, 

 ^\■hen, weary and tired in his peregrination through 

 Ireland, he at nightfall reached this place, to have 

 prayed for water and a resting-place, which were im- 

 mediately given him ; but in the morning, when he 

 saw the desolate country before him, he said, "I 

 bless you to the west, but never a foot I will put 

 among you," when, turning on his heel, he went back 

 again. We can scarcely credit that such a good man 

 would make such a rash speech ; we therefore hope 

 it has been put into his mouth by his enemies. 



Here it may be mentioned that all the quartzite 

 hills in the country, with only one or two exceptions, 

 have peaked summits, while in general none of the 

 other kind of rocks form peaks. Bounding Maum- 

 turk range on the west and south-west is the valley 

 of Lough Inagh. This to the south is split into two 

 by the isolated hill called Lissoughter {upper fort), 

 so called from an ancient encampment on its south- 

 west slope ; Caher-eighter (now called Caher), or the 

 loiverfort, being situated farther south in the valley. 

 To the west of the valley of Lough Inagh are the 

 well-known twelve pins or stacks, called in Irish 

 Ben-na-Beola. 



To the north of Ben-na-Beola is the picturesque 

 wooded valley and lake of Kylemore, much improved 

 and beautified by the owner ; while farther north are 

 the massive hills of the Benchoona group, bounded 

 on the north by Killary Bay. 



The hills that have been mentioned, excepting the 

 South Moycullen hills, all lie to the north of the 

 low wide valley that stretches from Oughterard, on 

 Loch Corrib, westward to Clifden, on the Atlantic ; 

 to the south of this line, and west of the South 

 Moycullen hills, the character of the country is 

 slightly undulating, dotted over with lakes and lakelets 

 (lochs and lochauns) ; but from it rise four isolated 

 hills. Towards the east is the massive hill called 

 Shannavarra ; to the south, margining Kilkievan Bay, 

 is the long smooth hill called Slieve Moirdaun ; while 

 farther S. E. are the hill-islands forming the Archipelago 



