1882-83.] EdinlnirgJi Naturalists' Field Club. 105 



during every season to attract as many visitors as can be accom- 

 modated. In company with some lady friends, I visited this place 

 for the first time last autumn ; and from my experience of its 

 influence upon health, I was not surprised to learn that many per- 

 sons are not content with a yearly visit, but go whenever they feel 

 the need of rest and recruiting. Of these visitors, the late Mr 

 George Moore of London was one of the most frequent and appre- 

 ciative. 



Whatever attractions this district may have for the invalid or the 

 jaded, it has equal attractions for the naturalist. There, if any- 

 where, he may find the opportunity of profitable and exciting toil. 

 Probably the geological features of the district will first of all arrest 

 his attention. These, speaking generally, consist of a wide stretch 

 of limestone on the high grounds to the north-east ; of a large 

 granite hill to the west ; of old red sandstone cropping up in the 

 river-beds and in the bank at the back of the hotel ; and of green 

 slates and porphyries (common in the Lake district) spreading 

 over the entire valley. The outcrop of granite in Wansdale Crag 

 is worthy of special note. It forms one of the most conspicuous 

 hills in the district, and from its summit an extensive view can be 

 obtained. The granite of this hill is distinct from most of the 

 other granitic formations in the island, and is known by the desig- 

 nation of " Shap granite." It is easily recognised by the large 

 size of its crystals, and has acquired fame for its peculiar hardness 

 and durability, as well as for its attractive appearance. This hill 

 is now being energetically quarried by the Scottish Granite Com- 

 pany ; and the quarries are connected by a branch railway line with 

 extensive polishing works at the foot of the hill, about two miles 

 distant. These polishing works are said to be the most perfect of 

 their kind in the kingdom, and reveal to the visitor some of the 

 wonders which can be wrought by first-class machinery and skilled 

 labour. The power to turn waste substances to useful and profit- 

 able account has long been recognised as a means of advancing 

 national progress and personal fame. This power is most advan- 

 tageously exercised in these polishing works. All the waste chip- 

 pings at the quarry are crushed by powerful machinery, and these 

 are despatched to the works, where they are formed into granolithic 

 slabs, to any measurement and to any shape. In connection with 

 the outcrop of granite, I must not omit to mention the existence of 

 an immense number of granite boulders, not only in the river-bed, 

 but for miles across the moor. In one place, near the ridge of a 

 hill, five or six miles distant, there is a large circle of these boul- 

 ders, supposed to have been gathered and utilised by the Druids. 

 These boulders all bear distinct marks of their origin, and undoubt- 

 edly once formed a part of the granitic mass called Wasdale Crag. 

 Professor Sedgwick states that boulders of the same material may 



