402 MR MILNE ON THE GEOLOGY OF ROXBURGHSHIRE. 



Rounded blocks of grey granite occur in several parts of Liddesdale, as in the 

 fields and moors near Castleton Manse, where I saw several from three to four 

 feet in diameter. On the east bank of the Esk, about two miles below Langholm, 

 granite boulders, of the red as well as grey variety,* some of them very large, 

 are to be seen. A number also occur in the Gill Burn, which flows into the 

 Liddell above its junction with the Esk. These granite blocks are lying on the 

 greywacke-formation, as well as on the coal-measures. Now, the nearest known 

 hill of granite is Criffel, which consists almost entirely of a grey granite, pre- 

 cisely similar to that composing the boulders in question. Criffel hill is situated 

 about twenty miles to the west of these boulders. The next nearest place where 

 granite occurs in situ, is in Kirkcudbrightshire, at Loch Doun, which is at least 

 sixty miles distant. 



A pretty large boulder of grey wacke was noticed by me, about 200 feet below 

 the summit of Ruberslaw. It rests on the red sandstone strata, and very near 

 their highest level. No greywacke rocks occur in situ nearer than three miles 

 to the westward, between which place and Ruberslaw there is low ground, at 

 least 800 feet beneath the level of this greywacke boulder. Moreover, the grey- 

 wacke rocks, at the place above alluded to, where they occur in situ, do not rise 

 to so high a level as that of the boulder in question. 



To the north-eastward of Ancrum House about one mile, there is an immense 

 accumulation of trap-boulders. They appeared to me to be composed of the ba- 

 saltic porphyry, which exists at Kirklands and Castle Hill, situated about two 

 miles to the west-south-west. 



To the east of Cowdenknowes Hill, many large blocks of felspar porphyry, 

 consisting of the same kind of porphyry which forms the top of that hill, are 

 strewed over the muirs, resting on the old red sandstone strata. 



In the burn on the north side of Toft's House, about f mile east of Edgerstone, I 

 found several irregular blocks of greywacke, resting on a reddish-purple porphyry 

 rock. The nearest point where greywacke exists in situ, is about half a mile to 

 the west, between which, however, and these blocks, there is a porphyry hill several 

 hundred feet high. There is no greywacke to the south or east, which are the 

 only quarters from which any glacier could have descended, according to the ex- 

 isting levels of the country. 



Near the sides of the old road which runs from Jedburgh to Crailing, a great 

 abundance of basaltic boulders may still be seen. There is no hill, situated to the 

 east or south, which could have produced them. The basaltic hills to the west and 

 north-west, are those from which they must have been, in all probability, derived. 



Nothing is so remarkable in this county, as the uniform manner in which the 

 steep side of a hill faces to the nest, and the accumulation of gravel and other 



* This fact is taken from FAREY'S Report before mentioned. 



