42 J. D. Marsuaut on the Statistics and 
earth appear, and still higher the basalt, arranged in many places in regular and beau- 
tiful columns, similar to those at Fairhead, or the Causeway, and exhibiting, on one 
of the cliffs, the singular appearance of which I have already spoken. 
On the southern side of Church-bay, on the headland called Cloch-a-doos, there 
are four caves situated a short distance from the water’s edge, but considerably above 
that elevation. In one of those which I entered, the mouth of the cave was at least 
thirty or forty feet above the level of the sea; but the floor of the cave gradually 
descended towards its extremity, which was too retired for inspection except by torch- 
light. Doctor Berger notices an interesting geological fact about some of these cayes : 
** Although excavated in the basaltic rock, and at a point remote from any calcareous 
formation, they are nevertheless invested with calcareous stalactites depending from 
their roofs, and by their droppings on the floor, depositing a crust of about an inch 
in thickness.” Doctor Berger thinks this circumstance worthy of attention, since 
‘calcareous matter seems evidently, from the situation of the caverns, to have been 
derived from that which enters as a chemical ingredient into the composition of the 
basaltic rock, separated from the mass, and deposited in its present situation by the 
percolation of water, which the rains or springs must have furnished.” 
In those which I visited, I did not observe any calcareous depositions ; but I ob- 
tained from Mr. M‘Donnell a stalactite of very considerable size, which he had pro- 
cured from one of these caves some time before the period of my visit. I may add, 
that these are the caves in which the bones of different animals were found by Doctor 
Andrews during the past summer, a notice of which was laid before the Meeting of 
the British Association in Edinburgh ; and from the deposition of marine exuviz, it 
was conjectured that the respective levels of the sea and land had there undergone 
some material change. 
Rathlin is, generally speaking, fertile, and in those parts where the land is well 
cultivated, good crops are produced. It has been already mentioned that a bed of 
limestone traverses the island from east to west, and lime is in consequence abun- 
dantly procured for manure. 
The crops usually grown, are barley, potatoes, and oats, with occasionally some 
wheat and flax. The wheat would grow well in many parts of the island, were the 
attempt made to procure its introduction. At present it grows only on the farms 
belonging to Mr Gage and Mr. M‘Donnell ; but on these, the crop was fully equal 
to what I had seen on the mainland ; and the opinion universally expressed was, that 
wheat might be grown as abundantly as any of the other grains. 
Of barley, besides the quantity necessary for home consumption, the inhabitants 
are enabled annually to export upwards of 90 tons to Scotland. 
The oats, wheat, and flax which are grown, are also made use of on the island ; and 
potatoes are exported to Ballycastle and other places, whence formerly they were im- 
ported into Rathlin. 
