14 STAFFA. GENERAL DESCRIPTION* 



part of the front is more beautiful. It consists of a range 

 of columns, hollowed into a concave recess above the 

 opening; while the upper part of this colonnade, over- 

 hanging the concavity, presents to the eye a sort of 

 geometric ceiling ; the inferior part being thus thrown into 

 a secondary mass of shadow which conduces much to 

 the general effect of the whole. 



The next cave is situated more to the eastward and 

 is known by the name of the Boat cave, apparently 

 because it is accessible only by sea. However insigni- 

 ficant in dimensions, it is far from being so in picturesque 

 effect, since the symmetry of the columnar range in that 

 part of the face under which it lies is even greater than 

 near the cave of Fingal. Its height is from fourteen 

 to sixteen feet above the high water, the undulation of 

 the sea preventing greater precision in the measurement, 

 and its breadth is twelve feet. The roof and sides are 

 smooth, and the whole interior presents a long parallel 

 opening like the gallery of a mine, without interest or 

 beauty. By some accident the measure of its length was 

 lost, but from a general recollection of the progress of 

 the boat to the inner end, that cannot be less than 150 

 feet. It is situated near the central part of the range, 

 which here retires with a gentle concave sweep ; thus 

 producing, either with a morning or evening sun, a noble 

 and tranquil breadth of shade, finely softening into the 

 full light by a succession of smaller shadows resulting 

 from the irregular grouping of the columns. A concave 

 recess of the columns immediately above it, catching a 

 broad and secondary mass of deeper shade, adds much 

 to the grand style of the composition, as well as to the 

 playful variety of the surface ; while the eye of the picture 

 is found in the intense darkness of the aperture, which 

 gives the tone to the whole. The effect of such obscure 

 parts in giving value to surfaces highly divided and orna- 

 mented, is well known to architects ; and striking exam- 

 ples of it may be found in many of the Gothic buildings 



