76 A DESCRIPTION OF THE [Ch. V. 



very frequent in the north, as a bed, in gneiss, before it pre- 

 ponderates over this rock ; and in the same manner gneiss 

 forms extensive beds in mica-slate, before the former becomes 

 predominant." * 



The gneiss in the hills of Cassness abounds in garnets : 

 granular grey felspar and quartz lie between the mica, the 

 scales of which are not continuous, but so close together that 

 they form uninterrupted planes. Small granite-veins here 

 frequently traverse the gneiss : the granite is composed of 

 white coarse granular felspar, grey quartz, and a little mica. 

 It is worthy of remark, that whenever "granite occurs, the 

 felspar immediately increases, and the mica diminishes or 

 disappears. This gneiss is in immediate contact with mica- 

 slate, which contains white crystalline marble, f 



In the waterfall of Muonioniska the gneiss is in situ, and 

 the stratification distinctly marked : it is not rich in mica, 

 and the felspar is small, granular, and white. Following the 

 course of the river, however, it becomes more micaceous, and 

 contains granular limestone of a dark bluish grey colour. 

 Near Kangis the white gneiss disappears, and is changed into 

 red granite, the Rapakivi of the Finlanders : it is a coarse 

 granular rock ; its felspar is red, and in great abundance ; its 

 quartz bluish grey, in small quantity, and not always to be 

 easily distinguished ; its mica is black, in small single folia, 

 and is exceeded in quantity by black hornblende. J On the 

 declivity of Pullingi, this granite gives place to white gneiss ; 

 but near its summit, the red granite again appears. This 

 alternation continues over a large tract of country to Torneo, 

 as is indeed also the case from this place to Christiana ; but 

 the granite is generally white, and the gneiss abounds in crys- 

 talline limestone. " It is singular," remarks Von Buch, " to 

 observe the frequent changes of gneiss into granite. For 

 several miles the granite appears to be predominant ; then the 

 gneiss as a bed occurs in the granite, and this happens more 



* Travels through Norway and Lapland, p. 76. 

 f Idem, p. 2OO. J Idem, p. 360. 



