EXTRAORDINARY EVENT. 471 



sea-coast, being produced by the unequal 

 wasting away of different strata. The roofs of 

 these caverns are painted with various hues by 

 the water percolating the overlying strata, and 

 carrying with it a solution of the mineral in- 

 gredients encountered in its passage. Stream- 

 lets also run down the sides of the cliffs, 

 staining them in ochreous colours, proving that 

 the water contains iron, and probably other 

 salts in solution. These solutions are conveyed 

 into the sea, and there undergo various decom- 

 positions in contact with the saline matter of 

 sea-water. Some years since, part of these 

 cliffs assumed an appearance of a very extra- 

 ordinary character : the waves by continual 

 dashing had worn and undermined the cliff, 

 which giving way, fell with tremendous violence 

 into the sea ; the consequence was, that several 

 great strata of pyrites were exposed to the 

 chemical influence of the air and sea- water ; 

 rapid oxidation took place, eliminating such an 

 intense heat as very shortly to set the whole 

 cliff on fire. For days the great rocks con- 

 tinued burning with much fierceness, torrents 

 of steam and smoke rising up as the heavy 

 billows of the Atlantic leapt upon the glow- 

 ing masses, and at a distance presenting all 

 the appearance of some violent volcanic dis- 

 turbance. After the fresh substances, thus 



