68 HISrORT of the SOCIEtT. 



One of the places where he knew that a jun<fHon of the kind 

 he wifhed to examine mufl be found, was the Hne where the 

 great body of granite which runs from Aberdeen weflward, 

 forming the central chain of the Grampians, comes in contadl 

 with the fchiftus which compofes the inferior ridges of the fame 

 mountains toward the fouth. The nearefl: and mofl acceffible 

 point of this line feemed likely to be fituated not far to the eaft- 

 ward of Blair in Athol, and could hardly fail to be vifible 

 in the beds of fome of the mofl northern flreams which run 

 into the Tay. Dr Hutton having mentioned thefe circum- 

 ftances to the Duke of Athol, was invited by that nobleman to 

 accompany him in the fhooting feafon into Glentilt, which he 

 did accordingly, together with his friend Mr Clekk of Elden, in 

 fummcr 1785. 



The Tilt is, according to the feafons, a fmall river, or an im- 

 petuous torrent, which runs through a glen of the fame name, 

 nearly fouth-weft, and deeply interfedts the fouthern ridges of 

 the Grampian Mountains. The rock through which its bed is 

 cut is in general a hard micaceous fchiftus ; and the glen pre- 

 fents a fcene of great boldnefs and afperity, often embellifhed, 

 however, with the accompaniments of a fofter landfcape. 



When they had reached the Foreft Lodge, about feven miles 

 \ip the valley, Dr Hutton already found himfelf in the midft 

 of the objeds which he wifhed to examine. In the bed of the 

 river, many veins of red granite, (no lefs, indeed, than fix large 

 veins in the courfe of a mile), were leen traverfing the black 

 micaceous fchiftus, and producing, by the contraft of colour, an 

 efFedl that might be ftriking even to an unfkilful obferver. The 

 fight ot objedls which verified at once fo many important con- 

 clufions in his fyftem, filled him with delight; and as his feelings, 

 on fuch occafions, were always ftrongly exprefTed, the guides 

 who accompanied him were convinced that it muft be nothing 



lefs 



