278 GIGHA AND CARA. EN^RAT, DESCRIPTION'. 



GIGHA AND CARA.* 



THE small island of Gigha, with its appendage, Cara, 

 is situated between Isla and the west coast of Argyllshire ; 

 to the latter of which it lies in a parallel position, forming- 

 safe and convenient harbours for vessels navigating this 

 sea. The length of Gigha is upwards of seven miles, 

 and its breadth about two and a half; a dimension how- 

 ever which it attains but in one or two places : Cara is of a 

 roundish irregular shape, and scarcely half a mile in breadth. 

 These islands, in a general view, are low, but inter- 

 spersed with rocky eminences ; some of which acquire the 

 importance of hills, rising to the height of three or four 

 hundred feet. The shores are every where surrounded 

 by low rocks, reefs of which, extending round the coast, 

 and into the channel that separates them from the main- 

 land, render the navigation intricate. The soil is generally 

 dry, while, being free from peat and little encumbered by 

 heath, it is well adapted for culture, and is at present in a 

 considerable progress towards improvement, 



Gigha and Cara are formed of the same series of asso- 

 ciated rocks already described in a general manner under 

 the two preceding heads, but presenting a much greater 

 variety of substances than any of those formerly enume- 

 rated. Hence they form a very important part of the 

 series ; while these islands become further valuable in the 

 geologist's estimation, by extending the relations between 

 the Argyllshire coast and the great insular tract of Jura 

 and Isla. 



The very even disposition of the rocks of Gigha, renders 

 the determination of their sequence as easy and satis- 

 factory, as the exposure of the edges of the strata over 

 the whole surface of the island, facilitates the examination 



* See the Map. 



