320 ON LANDSLIPS. 



depth formed of strong beds of old red sandstone, has ridden 

 down upon these slips, and forms peculiar and sometimes 

 picturesque knolls of rocky material, with a narrow gorge 

 of more or less depth between it and the rocky face from 

 which it broke away ; but the most remarkable slip is a 

 great one at the north end of the western slope. This slip 

 parted from a little below the summit on that side, leaving 

 a vertical cliff, and the part that broke off has moved dowm, 

 leaving a deep gorge about 500 feet wide, with a high cliff 

 at the top on the other side, the summit of which is about 

 200 feet lower than the cliff from which it broke away. 

 There it has stood no doubt for a long time ; but the move- 

 ments of this slip must have been smooth and equable, in 

 order to have left the lower cliff so little disturbed. 



From the direction of Hereford, nearly due north, this 

 landslip has given a peculiar appearance to the mountain, 

 making it look as if it had been cleft in two ; and, from this 

 appearance, some superstitious people have named it '' The 

 Holy Mountain," professing to believe that it was one of 

 those that were rent at the time of the Crucifixion. The 

 old red marl is, however, a most unsuitable material for 

 keeping up the continuous movement of a landslip ; such 

 slips usually, therefore, come to rest again quickly. Hence 

 result those peculiar knolls and rugged forms. 



Slip of the Rossberg. — In travelling on the Continent, 

 I have observed some natural landslips on a much larger 

 scale. The most remarkable among those that I visited was 

 a comparatively recent one of the Rossberg mountain at 

 Groldau, near the lake of Zug. This slip took place in 1806, 

 and buried the greater part of two villages, with their 120 

 inhabitants, during the dinner hour. 



The Rossberg is a mountain of nearly 5,000 feet elevation, 

 and taking that of the valley at 1,800 feet, this leaves the 



