118 Notes of a Mineralogical Excursion (Fes. 
Articue VII. 
Notes of a Mineralogical Excursion to the Giant’s Causeway. 
By the Rev. Dr. Grierson. 
(Read before the Wernerian Society, March 30, 1816.) 
Arrer having in the month of September last made the few ob- 
servations on the Loch Doon granite, of which I had the honour 
to communicate some account to the Society a few weeks ago, I set 
out on a short excursion to the North of Ireland. Having little 
fmore than a fortnight to spare for the accomplishment of this 
journey, the observations I had it in my power to make could 
be neither numerous nor very important; yet I did observe some 
things which I hope may not prove altogether uninteresting, and 
shall, therefore, beg leave to state them as shortly as] can. On 
the 11th of the month I left the neighbourhood of Balmachellan 
Kirk, about two miles to the N.E. of New Galloway, and pro- 
ceeded along the eastern bank of the Lake of Ken to the point 
where that lake is joined by the River Dee (six miles); no rock but 
greywacke and its slate hitherto appearing, though the Dee district 
of granite skirts the lake for about a mile on the opposite bank. I 
crossed this lake at the Rhone Ferry, and landed on the south side 
of the Dee. ‘The picturesque variety and richness of the scenery at 
the junction of the river and lake, where stands the beautiful seat 
of Airds of Kells, are greatly admired by strangers. In my opinion 
they are not easily paralleled ; but here I may be justly suspected of 
partiality, it being my native place. From hence I proceeded 
southward, ten miles, to Galehouse of Fleet, and saw no other 
rock but the transition one, of which indeed almost the whole of the 
two counties of Kirkcudbright and Wigton are composed, except 
the three well-known districts of granite. When I had passed the 
Lake of Lochenbrech, near which is the celebrated chalybeate 
spring, and was now approaching the granite mountain of Cairns- 
muir, I began to perceive, to the east of it, and at the distance of 
at least three miles from the hill, vast numbers of rolled pieces of 
granite, some of them of great size, scattered over the transition 
country. The country about Gatehouse is all of this sort (transition), 
and there is no other rock to be seen the whole way from thence to 
the harbour of Portpatrick (49 miles), where the cliffs of grey- 
wacke appear in great magnificence. The greywacke and slaty 
strata of this track are all in the usual direction, and in general 
highly inclined. The view around Galehouse, situated at the mouth 
of the river Fleet, and beside the magnificent mansion of Cally, is 
uncommonly fine; and the drive from thence along the high and 
wooded shore of the Bay of Wigton, in sight of Sanbees Head and 
