Mineralogy and Geclogy of Nova Scotia. 259 
shore ; but here the deficiency is fully supplied by the beautiful 
and conspicuous manner in which the shattered ridges and irreg- 
ular cclonnades of columnar trap are seen to rise from the water’s 
edge, in shafts from fifty to an hundred feet high, and divided hor- 
izontally into blocks of variable height and proportions. These 
blocks are never more, and usually much less, than a foot 
in diameter. Their length is generally about three times 
their diameter, but they rest upon each other with perfectly flat 
surfaces. Some of them are curved or bent over in groups that 
strike the eye with singular interest; appearing to have been 
pressed over into this posture, by some power that had acted 
upon them before they had completely consolidated, or while 
their particles were yet in a state of mobility. And it appeared 
to us, on viewing them, as if this happened while the mass of 
trap was passing into its solid form. Appearances analogous to 
them, we are aware, have been observed, doubtless in a more 
remarkable manner, if we are to judge from pictured representa- 
tions of them, in other trappean districts; but, even here, they 
form an interesting scene, and one, which, if taken in connexion 
with other facts, affords us some clue, at least, into their origin, 
and the nature of the agent by which it was attended. We are 
aware that a distinguished writer, Dr. M’Culloch, in some one of 
his papers, has said that it is useless to attempt the explanation 
of such columns, until we have something more rational to offer 
in regard to straight ones ; an observation certainly not to be over- 
looked, but one, perhaps, which could be made with much greater 
confidence ten years ago,than at the present time; for it can 
hardly be supposed that the able investigations of Mr. Scrape, 
Professor Daubeny, and other writers on the continent, have not 
since thrown some new light on the origin of trap rocks, and the 
