MINERALOGY. 357 



beach composed of rounded nodules of granite, horn- Mineralogy of 

 blende, and hornstone porphyry. Toward the south Shetland, 

 end of the island, the rocks are red granite. The end 

 next to the Jsle of Mickle Rhoe is partly micaceou* 

 schistus, hOrnstonc-porphyry, and hornblende rock. 



Pass over to Mickle Rhoe^ and observe the hornstone- ' 



porphyry on the end next to Venientry. A little way 

 from the beach, find a cliff of compact felspar. 



The island rises toward the west into vast precipices of , 



red granite, much eroded by the fury of the waves, form- 

 ing stupendous arches^ that mock the feeble efforts of hu- 

 man ingenuity. We observed enormous masses, detached 

 from the island, forming gigantic isolated columns of 

 wonderful magnificence. In a valley that crosses neap 

 the middle of the island, find in two or three places 

 black hornblende rock? andhornstone-porphyry, the fel- 

 spar of which presents regular oval plates, in a dark 

 grey ground, rising through the heath, which was often 

 mixed with uva ursi*^ used by the natives .for tanning. 

 On either hand, the hills rise abruptly, and vast preci- 

 pices of red granite, entirely destitute of even moss or 

 heath, overhang the valley. In some places, one granite 

 rock was piled on another in horrible confusion, pro- 

 ducing, as far as the eye can reach, an indescribably 

 sterile appearance. Barren as this island is, its inhabit- 

 ants are happy, compared to what they are in some other 

 parts of Shetland. They are emancipated by the pro- 

 prietor, Mr. Uunter of Lunna +, from the slavey of 



fishin^y 



* Arbutus uva-ursi. Bear-berry bush. 



f Note hy P. N. — I am sorry that the following extract from a 

 pamphlet, published in defence of the Shetland landholders, should • 

 seem to derogate from the praise which Dr. Traill so candidly be-^ 

 stows on this gentleman. 



In an " Answer to Vindicator," bearing to be printed at Lon- 

 don in 1804, it is stated (p. 45), " Mr. Hunter has found it necesn . 

 " sary and convenient to permit his tenants to return to bondage^ as 

 " Vindicator is pleased to denominate it, under a tacksman ; and it 

 " is effected without a murmur /—I have the best evidence for aver- 

 *« ring, that when Mr. Hunter first proposed this change to his 

 " tenants, out of more than 130 householders, only eight accepted 

 ** \}a.t\r freedom^ and heivas obliged to summon all tht rest to. remo've, be- 



Vqj-. XV.—SyppLEWENT. Ccc " fgrc 



