48 Dr MacCulloch on a Detached Block of Stone 



face of rock ; a circumstance which adds much to the appear- 

 ance of artifice. 



It is now necessary to remark, that this rock, as well as 

 the supporters, consists of the same material as the hill, which 

 is micaceous schist. It is indeed from this circumstance alone, 

 that is derived the proof of its not lying in its native place ; 

 but of its having, on the contrary, been moved to its present 

 position, together with the stones by which it is supported. 

 On examining the direction of the lamina?, in all these pieces, 

 it is easy to see that they all lie in different ways, and all dif- 

 ferent from that of the laminar structure of the solid rock on 

 which they repose. Hence, it is evident, that the large block 

 has been placed on the three loose stones which lie on the 

 solid rock ; exhibiting an appearance, it is true, of artifice, as 

 perfect as if it had been the result of the hand of man, and not 

 an accidental operation of nature. 



In accounting for it, however, by natural causes, there seems 

 no reason to doubt, that the whole is the result of the acci- 

 dental fall, or transportation of the larger mass, combined 

 with some posterior circumstances of waste. Originally it 

 has probably been deposited on a bed of loose materials, the 

 smaller of which have disappeared, leaving those three only 

 which were essential to its support and have been retained by 

 its pressure. 



The circumstance, in a geological view, most remarkable is, 

 that it now lies on a point, which, if it is not absolutely the 

 highest eminence of the surrounding hill, is yet so nearly at 

 the same elevation with the other summits that it could not 

 have travelled from any of them to its present place ; sup- 

 posing the surrounding parts to have always been in the state 

 in which they now are. The nearest summit is too little ele- 

 vated to have permitted a stone of so irregular a form to have 

 moved over the intermediate surface ; and that which is higher, 

 is now separated by a hollow or depression which would 

 equally have prevented its transportation from that point, un- 

 less the intermediate ground were restored to an uniform de- 

 clivity. The integrity of the mass is indeed sufficient to 

 prove that it has not been carried far ; and it affords, in fact, 

 a singular example, rather of the results which follow from 



