14 IONA. GEOLOGY. 



of which we have nevertheless sufficient historical record 

 in the narrative of Dean Monroe. It is not easy to 

 wander among these remains uninfluenced by the re- 

 collections they are calculated to excite. He who can 

 here abstract himself from the living objects round him, 

 and abandon his mind to the visions of the past, will 

 long after recur, with feelings of pleasing melancholy, to 

 the few hours which he has spent among the tombs of 

 lona. 



Among other superstitions which have lost their hold 

 on the minds of the people throughout this country, that 

 of the Clach brath has passed away ; yet the boys of 

 the village still supply a stone for every visitor to turn 

 round on its bed ; and thus, in the wearing of this typical 

 globe, to contribute his share to the final dissolution of 

 all things. 



Many votive chapels seem to have once existed in this 

 sacred ground ; but they have entirely disappeared, to- 

 gether with the greater number of the 360 crosses, which 

 it is said once to have possessed, and of which the 

 greatest portion was, probably, also of votive origin. One 

 of these is at present in Campbelltown, in good pre- 

 servation : it is covered with an ornamental pattern, to- 

 gether with a Latin inscription in the Saxon character. 

 Three only remain at lona; of which one, entire and 

 uninjured, is formed of a very long and thin slab of 

 mica slate, and covered with ornamental sculptures of 

 very perfect workmanship. The places of a few others 

 which have been removed are still known, but the greater 

 number is said to have been thrown into the sea by the 

 orders of the reforming Synod. 



But I must pass from these pursuits to objects of less 

 general interest. 



Although the rocks which compose this island appear, 

 on a superficial view, to be nearly identical throughout, 

 and to consist of different varieties of gneiss, they will 



