98 



THE TRIAS OR NEW RED SANDSTONE. 



fishing communities in tlie province. Briar Island is the extreme 

 western end of the trappean ridge, which is, however, prolonged 

 beyond the land in a submarine ledge. It consists entirely of basaltic 

 trap, very regularly divided into columns, which may be seen both 

 as a pavement on many parts of the beach, and in lofty precipices 

 which rise to their greatest height on the south-west side of the island, 

 where they form a perpendicular wall several hundred feet in height, 

 and adorned with buttresses, outlying towers, and pinnacles, such as 

 basaltic cliflfs alone can produce in their full perfection. I was so 

 fortunate as to be detained several days at Briar Island by a south- 

 west gale, and had the pleasure of seeing the Atlantic swell bursting 

 in all its grandeur on these iron-bound shores (Fig. 27). 



Fig. 27. — Basaltic Cliffs^ West End cf Briar Island. 



The red sandstone is seen to underlie the trap of Digby Neck for 

 several miles below the head of St Mary's Bay, but beyond this I 

 did not again observe it. Gesner states, however, that a small patch 

 of it can be observed at low tide beneath the trap of Briar Island. 

 This interesting fact I had no opportunity of verifying, owing to the 

 stormy state of the weather during my visit. 



