NATURAL HISTORY. 



591 



lest it should facilitate the opera- 

 tions of the smuggler. 



It would not be difficult to con- 

 nect Cardoiia, by means of a 

 canal, with the ocean ; and thus 

 the valuable produce of its salt 

 mines might increase the reve- 

 nues of the crown, and the trade 

 of Barcelona. The channels of 

 the Cardonero and Lobregat al- 

 ways contain a large body of 

 water, and might easily be ren- 

 dered subservient to the purposes 

 of inland navigation. Besides 

 augmenting the value of the 

 mines of Cardona, such a ])lan by 

 facilitating the intercourse witli 

 the interior of this tine province, 

 would stimulate the ex.ertions of 

 a people who only recpiire an 

 equitable government to become 

 highly industrious. 



It yet remains that I offer a 

 few remarks on the nature of the 

 country around Cardona, as ma- 

 terials for its geology. 



Its general appearance is moun- 

 tainous. The mountains aie ab- 

 vvxpt, but generally wooded. The 

 vallies are narrow, and, where 

 the declivities will permit culti- 

 vation, they produce abundance 

 of good grapes and some corn. 

 In coming from Barcelona, the 

 traveller leaves, at a small dis • 

 tance on the left, the majestic 

 JMoutseriat ; and gradually aj)- 

 proaches a uioxmtain chain pi'o- 

 cceding from its northern extre- 

 mity, which declines as it stretches 

 towards Manresa. Tliis chain 

 consists of similar materials to 

 Montserrat ; viz. of vast beds of 

 farcilite, com])ose(l of I'ounded 

 masses of ([uartz, with angular 

 pieces of siliceous slate, and frag- 

 ments of clayslate united by a 



basis containing calcareous earth. 

 The fragments of this farcilite 

 become smaller as we go north- 

 ward, and at last beai- a striking 

 resendDlance to coarse greywacke ; 

 to which formation I am inclined 

 to assign the puddingstone of 

 IMontserrat, and the chain of 

 which it forms a part.* 



On descending the rugged 

 mountains of puddingstone into 

 tlie valley of the Lobiegat, before 

 coming to Manresa, we observe 

 strata of a bluish grey rock with 

 interposed layers of a softer ma- 

 terial of the same colour, which 

 crumbles into sandy clay by ex- 

 ])osure to the weather. These 

 strata have some resemblance to 

 sandstone-flag; but an attentive 

 consideration convinced me that 

 they ought to be considered as 

 stratified greywacke apjjroaching 

 to greywacke slate. Abo\e these 

 we again find the farcilite, wliich 

 is the prevaihng rock about Man- 

 resa. All the rocks hitherto men- 

 tioned effervesce slightly with 

 acids ; a circumstance which con- 

 nects tiiem in some measure with 

 the extensive limestone country to 

 the south-west of Montserrat ; 

 and they all shew a tendency to 

 split vertically into columnar 



• It ntay not be improper here to re- 

 mark, tliat the toiiimoii descriptions of 

 Montserrat, are in several respects erro- 

 neous. It is tint an insulated mountain, as 

 generally represented ; but is the highest 

 point of a considerable chain. Its insular 

 appearance, as seen from the high road 

 between Igualada and Marlorel, has de- 

 ceived those who have never examined its 

 north-eastern side. The toitchstone men- 

 lioiitd by Bowles and others, as entering 

 into the composition of its puddingstone, 

 appears by its fracture to be only a dark 

 coloured common siliceous slate. 



masses. 



