7^2 Geology and Mineralogy^ 



the most delightful of our whole tour, from the opportunity it afforded of 

 seeing a genuine picture of the manners of the German peasants, and the 

 many amusing -little adventures which befel us. At Gerolstein, near to 

 which is a distinct crater, and many other interesting geological objects, be- 

 sides much picturesqe scenery. Our hostess, Fraulein Klein, an old maid, 

 was a perfect counterpart to Meg Dods, in St. Ronan^s Well ; and an imi- 

 tator of Sir Walter Scott might advantageously take up his abode with her 

 jfor a fortnight, to study the oddities of this original, as the sub-heroine ot 

 a novel to be called the Castle of Gerolstein, the ruins of which frown over 

 a perpendicular rock, towering close above the inn. Such travellers, how- 

 ever, as do not think the laughable eccentricities of an original character a 

 compensation for bad fare, I would advise to leave Spa in the afternoon, 

 and sleep the first night at Malmedy, and the second at Priiym, at both 

 which places are very tolerable inns ; and thus perform the whole journey 

 in two days and a half, dining the last day at Daun, a village between Gerol- 

 stein and Bertrich-Bad, where is an excellent inn, in the^ parlour of which 

 we found a piano-forte, with Mozart*s opera of Don Juan lying open, and 

 violins and flutes, &c., hanging on the walls ; and while my daughter played 

 on the piano, the host's son (in a blue smock frock) accompanied her on 

 the guitar, and, like the rest of this amiable family, was as intelligent a& 

 well bred. As there are no post stations, it is necessary to hire horses for 

 the whole journey ; and as no one at Spa could give any account of the 

 road, which few English have travelled, and the voiturier who conducted 

 us, and was previously equally ignorant of it, is the only one there who has 

 been the road, it may not be superfluous to mention that his name is Re- 

 made Deblon, and that we found him very civil and careful. 



Bertrich-Bad, besides being very romantic and delightful in itself, is a con- 

 venient station for examining the geology of this district at leisure, as there 

 is a large hotel, much frequented in the summer both by patients using the 

 warm baths^ and by lovers of the picturesque ; and very frequently by Ger- 

 man geologists from Bonn, &c., who, as well asHerr Bodife,the bath-inspector, 

 would afford every information as to the objects most worthy of attention. 

 The two near to Bertrich-Bad, are the Kase Grotte, a highly curious grotto, 

 formed in part of basaltic columns, intersected at regular distances by deep 

 transverse circular furrows, so as to resemble cheeses piled on each other, 

 whence the name ; and the crater of Falkenlei, an extinct volcano, which 

 alone is worth a long journey to see. The hill occupied by this crater, and 

 in fact formed by the volcano, has been split in two by some great con- 

 vulsion, and while one half has fallen into a deep adjoining valley, the other 

 half remains erect, and, being easily accessible by convenient walks, offers a 

 close and extremely interesting view of the interior of the crater, with the 

 lava just as fresh and full of air-bubbles as the slag of a blacksmith's forge, 

 and looking as if it had not been extinguished a twelvemonth. Of this and 

 the other interesting objects which the neighbourhood affords, full accounts 

 may be found in Dr. Harless's Das Bad zu JBertrich (Coblentz, 1827), and 

 in several other German publications quoted in this useful work. I regret that 

 both ill health, and my superficial acquaintance with geology, prevented me 

 from making those minute observations which alone could give any scien- 

 tific value to the present article, the only object of which is to show my 

 sense of the utility of your well-planned Magazine, and to induce competent 

 geologists to take the route which I and my family found so interesting. — 

 W. Spence. Brussels, Jan. 20. 1829. 



Evident traces of Manganese in Slate. — Slate inclining to pearly, from a 

 quarry about half a mile west of Ilfracombe, and a dark greenish slate from 

 Dennifole, in Cornwall, as also some of the dark- coloured micas, give very 

 evident traces of manganese, when treated with borax and soda in the 

 manner described in my former letter (Vol. L p. 384.). — W, H. M, 



