178 JOURNEY TO HARPSDALE. CHAT. xm. 



I went to the lowest part of the section, and digging 

 *teps for my feet, I clambered up until I reached the 

 green turf; and laying hold of it with my hands I pulled 

 myself up with all my strength. . . . And then I went 

 homewards, full of delight at my morning's work." 



Dick was not yet satisfied. He must investigate the 

 whole subject thoroughly. He was no featherbed 

 philosopher. He was up in the morning early ; did his 

 work, kneaded, worked the dough into loaves, put 

 the whole into the oven, waited until it was baked, drew 

 it out, and then was away on some fresh expedition. 



At the beginning of November he went to Harps- 

 dale, about eleven miles from Thurso. The weather 

 was now cold and wet. It rained heavily during the 

 whole day. He found in the black band, above described 

 a belt of fine sea sand, white and pure, dipping east. It 

 contained sea shells and shell crumbs ; clays of various 

 colours, black, blue, green, and grey ; boulders of red 

 granite; small red granite pebbles; pieces of quartz, 

 gneiss, greenstone, and grauwacke ; chalk and chalk 

 flints ; Portskerra conglomerate ; Caithness flagstones, 

 some of them well rubbed, grooved by ice, all in the 

 boulder clay ! 



He was not yet satisfied with his first visit to Freswick. 

 He determined to make another, though it was so late 

 in the year. He was for some time deterred by the 

 stormy weather. It was blowing from the north, with 

 rain, sleet, and snow alternately. But no sooner did a 

 pause occur than, equipped with stern resolution, he 

 took the road. To show his determination, we quote hia 



