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356 MINERALOGY, 



Mineralogy of only primary rocks, chiefly granite and micaceoug 



Shetland. schistus. 



Sail for Foula. Pass grand precipices of red granite. 

 Near the only landing-place on this romantic isle, (the 

 Tfiule of the ancients,) the rocks arc all micaceous schis- 

 tus. North of the landing-place it is filled with garnets 

 well formed, but none of them large. This schistus is of 

 a silver colour for the most part, but I found it quite black 

 in several places. I found also here dark-green horn- 

 blende rock in considerable masses. The shores on either 

 iiand, as we recede from the landing-place, gradually be- 

 come bold, and the micaceous rocks give place to tremen- 

 dous precipices of red granite. The island contains three 

 hills; the highest is about 1100 feet high; precipitous 

 toward the north-west, but sloping toward the south-east. 

 Two of these hills seem as if, in some grand convulsion 

 of Nature, they had been rent from top to bottom, and 

 that one-half had been buried in the w aves. The cliffs 

 are very magnificent, and inhabited by innumerable sea- 

 fowl. Among the short heath on the highest hill, find 

 many nests of the skua-guU among the largest of the gull 

 tribe, and so bold as to dart at us, and even strike us 

 with its wings, when near its nest. Its colour is ash- 

 grey ; its body secins about the size of a small goose ; its 

 bill is more hooked than the common gull. The skua 

 does not inhabit any other island of this group; it is 

 found at the Ferroe Isles. Observe swallows in the val- 

 leys, the only ones we saw in Shetland. The natives 

 say, that their ponies are the best in Shetland. The peo- 

 ple seem intelligent and curious. They see the parson 

 only once a-year, when he stays with them some weeks, 

 officiates, baptizes children, and collects his dues. Ob- 

 serve many granite veins traversing the schistus, some of 

 them two feet thick ; all are very dense in their texture. 



Sail for the Mainland . Pass Papa Stour, The north- 

 west coast of this island is of a red colour, but I was 

 not near enough to ascertain the rock. It is hollowed 

 out into grand caverns, through which the waves rush 

 with inconceivable fury, forming a sublime spectacle* 

 Anchor in Hillswickvoe. Sail for Papa Stour in the 

 iong boat, but are forced into Vementrif. Land on a 



beach 



