APPENDIX. 



that extent I observed strata of talcaceous, micaceous, and 

 hornblende schistus, alternating with each other. We now 

 walked to the town, which we found to be irregular and 

 dirty. 



" As the rocks upon the sea-shore near to this town are 

 very interesting, we agreed to stay a day or two, and examine 

 them particularly. I was the more anxious to do this, as 

 they have long attracted the attention of mineralogists j but 

 their particular geognostic characters have never been de- 

 tailed in any publication. After having examined these rocks, 

 the following is the result of the observations which I made. 



" About a quarter of a mile from Portsoy, at the place to 

 which I had traced the strata in coming into the town, the 

 talcaceous schistus appeared in vertical strata ; and nearly at 

 the same place I observed a stratum of white marble, which 

 is marked E, in the plan at the end of this volume. It is 

 about twelve feet wide, and runs south-west and north-east, 

 which is in the same direction with the bounding strata*. 

 It appears to have been worked for ornamental purposes, as 

 I observed several blocks upon the beach which seem to have 

 been sawed. To this stratum succeeds a vertical stratum of 

 micaceous schistus f, marked F, which is compact, and of a 

 blackish colour where in contact with the marble, but of a 

 green colour where it is in contact with the next stratum, 

 which is serpentine j. The stratum of serpentine, marked Q, 

 which succeeds to the talcaceous schistus, is of great width, 

 and, like the other strata, is nearly vertical, and runs in a 



" * This marble is white, or clouded with steel grey; but it is much mixed 

 with scales of talc." 



" -f* The talcaceous schistus, which alternates with these strata, has some- 

 times so much the appearance of compact micaceous schistus, that it cannot be 

 distinguished from it: and as it approaches the marble, it is to be observed 

 mixed with it, and passing into it." 



" J This serpentine is of various shades of olive and blackish green. Its 

 fracture, which is either uneven, coarse splintery, or even fine splinter}', presents 

 canary-green scales. It is intermixed with various fossils, as asbestus, indurated 

 steatites, talcite of Wallerius, calcareous *par, and iron pyrites." 



VOL. TT. 2 R 



609 



