22 SEASIDE DIVINITY. 



at intervals, as at Dunstansborough and Barn- 

 borough Castle, by masses of trap rocks. 



From the rapid view we have thus taken of the 

 geological features of the southern and eastern 

 coasts of England, it will be observed that it is 

 only toward the extremities of this long line of 

 coast that any instances of the plutonic rocks 

 occur, as in Cornwall, Devonshire, and Northum- 

 berland; and that with the few exceptions thus 

 presented by some of the more remarkable head- 

 lands on the southern and northern coasts, , the 

 entire shores are composed of strata belonging 

 either to the Palaeozoic epoch or to the Secondary 

 or Tertiary eras. 



Before supposing ourselves to cross the embou- 

 chure of the Tweed and continue our expedition, 

 one or two general remarks regarding the geology 

 of Scotland will not be out of place. Geologists, 

 by very distinct natural lines of demarcation, 

 have divided this portion of Britain into three 

 great geological provinces. The Southern province 

 lies between "the borders" and a line running 

 from near St. Abb's Head, in Berwickshire, in a 

 direction S.S.W., to near Grirvan, in Ayrshire; 

 the Middle province is comprehended between this 

 latter boundary and a line running also S.S.W., 

 from near Stonehaven, on the east coast, to the 

 middle of the Island of Bute and Cantire on 

 the west; and the Northern province includes 

 the whole region beyond this line. Each of these 

 districts is distinguished by certain general 

 characteristics. The first-mentioned region is 



