Natural History of the Island of Rathlin. 41 
But the most remarkable disposition of columns, I believe, at present known, occurs 
at Doon Point, on the south-eastern side of the island. In Dr. Hamilton’s words, 
“the base of this little promontory isa natural pier or mole ; above this is a collection 
of columns, many of which are curved, apparently assumed in conformity with the 
surface on which they rest, and inducing a belief that they were so moulded when in 
a state of softness ; and above this arrangement there is a variety of differently dis- 
posed columns, partaking of every position and form in which basalt has yet been dis- 
covered.” 
I took the sketch of Doon Point, from which I made the drawing, from a headland, 
a short distance to the south ; and on examining the seat which I occupied, I found it 
to be a basaltic column, one of a series which projected quite horizontally through 
the face of the headland, thus exhibiting their ends to the view of any one looking 
from below. ‘The arrangement of the basalt on this spot was so varied that it would 
haye required hours to note the different positions of the columns. 
Caves are very numerous in Raghery, particularly on the northern shore of the 
island, where the heavy sea which almost constantly beats against its base, has formed 
many excavations in both the limestone and basalt. In sailing round the shore, these 
caves can, for the most part, in calm weather, be entered by a boat; they vary much 
both in extent and form, some retiring only a few feet from the edge of the cliff, and 
others extending as far as the eye can reach. 
The finest of the caves which I had an opportunity of seeing, is Bruce’s Cave, si- 
tuated a short distance north-west of the castle. It rises at its entrance, as well as I 
could conjecture, sixty or seventy feet, and appeared from forty to fifty in depth, 
formed of noble arches of dark basalt, resting in layers behind one another. Bruce’s 
Cave faces the Northern Ocean ; and, as I have remarked, the sea which sets in on this 
part of the coast is tremendous. Although the day I obtained a view of it was 
almost perfectly calm, yet the swell was too great to permit us to approach its en- 
trance, and I was reluctantly compelled to pass it after a very imperfect inspection. 
The other caves on this part of the island were all smaller than that just mentioned. 
Some of these we entered, but others were so situated as to prevent the boat ap- 
proaching them. ‘The echoes excited by the firing of our guns in some of these were 
awfully grand, and the rocks rung for many seconds. We never failed to disturb 
the corvorant from his apparently dismal seat in the most retired part of the cave, and 
his hard croak sounded in unison with the appearance of his habitation. 
The scenery on this shore far exceeded in grandeur any I had before witnessed. 
The rocks are not only of very considerable height, but from their rising abruptly 
from the surface of the water, appear much more so than they really are. The line 
of the coast is not straight, but intersected into different amphitheatres, the bases of 
which are composed of huge masses of limestone, converted by the incessant rolling 
of the waves into the most fantastical shapes. Aboye the limestone, the grass and 
