THE GEOLOGICAL TOURIST IN EUROPE. 221 



Along here Baedeker lias an unusual amount of geologic 

 notes, and so we pass rapidly on, noting casually the imprints of 

 leaves in the trass of the Brohlthal, and the Laacher See, latest 

 worked upon by an American, L. L. Hubbard. At last we reach 

 Coblentz, from which one division of the Devonian, through 

 which we are passing across the strike, takes its name. Here the 

 valley of the Moselle invites us to take a detour into the district 

 of little extinct volcanoes called the Eifel. This is one of the 

 standard geological excursions (16), and in the Whitsuntide 

 vacation of 1886 there met in Gerolstein no less than thirty -five 

 geologists, representing five different German universities, and I 

 dare not guess how many nationalities. 



The little inns that are sprinkled through the district are 

 generally good, and well up on the customary mineral localities. 

 This is one of the great regions for volcanic minerals, augite, 

 hornblende, sanidin, olivin, apatite, sodalite, etc. In the neigh- 

 borhood of Gerolstein abundant Devonian fossils are collected, 

 calceola, gomphoceras, trilobites, and corals. At Gerolstein itself 

 is a dealer in such things at reasonable prices (except for the 

 trilobites). This village is prettily situated, and rejoices in an 

 open fountain of soda-water. These are, in fact, common in the 

 Eifel, the Apollinaris being the most famous, but many others, 

 as Birresborn, are as good. Over against Gerolstein lies a bluff 

 crowned with a massive limestone, once the bottom of a syncli- 

 nal fold, which reminds one of the text of Isaiah, " Every valley 

 shall be exalted." On our excursion we spent the first night in 

 Wittlich ; the village is not near the station, for Continental sta- 

 tions have a way of splitting the difference between two towns 

 which must be well borne in mind by the walker. The next 

 morning we rode on to the Mosenberg, an extinct volcano that 

 has three crater rings very distinct. Coming down, after a de- 

 tour to the Meerfelder Maar that I do not recommend (the meat 

 at the inn was little, but lively), we went on to Manderscheid. 

 Here we had a good dinner at the Hotel Zeus. No doubt our 

 whetted ai)petites added sauce, but those trout were certainly 

 good. 



I know of no spot on earth so romantic as the situation of the 

 twin-castles of Manderscheid. A stream flows in a huge S about 

 two ridges of rock, on which the castles are built, so narrow 

 in places that one could hold a thousand in check. Out along 

 one of these rocks, then steeply down and up — a rough scramble 

 not suited for skirts — we went to Gillenfeld, passing a couple 

 more crater-lakes on the way. Here we stopped the second 

 night. The inn was full, so that I went out to the " pastor's " to 

 sleep. The next morning, in spite of lowering and later pouring 

 weather, we took a detour to the Pulver Maar, another lake with- 



