290 SKY. ALLUVIA. 



be seen. It is said that vitrified fragments have also 

 been found in the same place : I had not the good fortune 

 to discover any, though I searched with great care. 5 * 



CONSIDERING the magnitude of Sky and the variety 

 of surface which it presents, its alluvial deposits are 

 trifling, and, except in one instance, possessed of no 

 interest. It will be easily collected from the map that 

 the indentations which form the sea lochs are in some 

 cases determined, as on the continental land, by the 

 valleys that are interposed between the ridges of hills, 

 and in this case they are also the aestuaries of the rivers. 

 But many of them are merely sinuosities of the general 

 boundary, receiving no streams of note. To the former 

 belong the narrow Lochs Slapin, Scavig, Brittle, Harpart, 

 Eynort, Eishort, Sligachan, and Portree ; Lochs Bracadale, 

 Follart, and Snizort, belong to the latter. 



Although the elevation of the country is considerable, 

 and the climate among the most rainy of this kingdom, 

 Sky affords no rivers of any magnitude, their course 

 being too short to admit of the accumulation of much 

 water. The river which runs into Loch Sligachan carries 

 more water to the sea than any other, and after it follow 

 in order those which run into the Lochs Harpart, Slapin, 

 Eishort, Bracadale, Portree, Snizort, and Broadford. The 

 other streams are rivulets scarcely worthy of enumeration. 

 The drainage of the whole country is determined by 



* I may here remark, that I have examined many vitrified forts 

 since the period at which a paper on that subject was published 

 in the Geological Transactions. The general conclusion that they 

 were strong holds and vitrified by design, has been confirmed by 

 these examinations. It may also be remarked, that where no trap 

 rocks are found, the verifiable ingredient has proved to be hornblende 

 schist or gneiss containing hornblende. The wooded state of the 

 country in ancient times removes any difficulty supposed to arise 

 from the want of fuel. 



