I N V E R N E S S-S HIRE. 



187 





Soil and 

 matte*. 



of each other, denoting several degrees of difference of 

 temperature, is not uncommon. The eastern part of 

 the county, like the rest of the coast of Scotland, on the 

 same side of the island, is subject to cutting east winds, 

 often accompanied by dense and chilling fogs. But 

 the prevailing breeze, as indicated by the general in- 

 clination of single trees in exposed situations, i* un- 

 questi-Tialily that blowing from the south-east. It is 

 owing to the prevalence of this, that there is such a 

 rn.irkr<l difference l>etwcen the climate of the east, and 

 (' the \vet coast, in respect to moisture, the for- 

 mer being comparatively dry, whilst the latter is ex- 

 posed to constant and heavy rains. The watery vapour 

 swept up by the wind, in its progress over the vast 

 expanse of the Atlantic, i* attracted by the summits of 

 the great mountain chain, running along the western 

 side of the inland. It is there condensed, and thrown 

 down on the narrow stripe of country at their base, in 

 heavy rains, continuing with a duration, corresponding 

 to that of the current supplying them. But it is only 

 when this wind blows with long and uninterrupted 

 violence, that any great proportion of the aqueous ac- 

 cumulation thus formed is wafted over to the eastern 

 side ; and when this does happen, the extent of coun- 

 try between the hills and the sea, being infinitely 

 greater there, the rains are more diffused, leas violent, 

 and less continued. Rut as the rain falling on the east 

 coast, comes more frequently from the sea in its own 

 immediate vicinity, it i< generally remarked, that when 

 it occurs, it almost always furnishes a security of the 

 weather being fine on the west coait. Upon the whole, 

 snow lies fur a shorter period on land of the same 

 height, on the western, than on the eastern coast. 

 These observations are to be understood as being 

 ly general ; particular places being subjected to parti- 

 cular modifying crrcumtUnces, rendering them excep- 

 tions to these laws. 



The soil ami nurfsrc of Tnvernes-hiiT, is very va- 

 riant. It has been calculated, that only about one for- 

 tieth jvirt of the county ii aralilr land ; and thnt pr... 

 bably twenty-sis of the remaining ptrts are hill* in a 

 great measure covered with lir.tth. Deducting 

 hi!!' and moors then, the rr t consists c 



' land, loam, gravelly or unity foil, A 

 these different descriptions of soil, the three first are 

 the most rare, and the two last the roost frrqticnt. 

 According to the map accompanying the .1 

 survey of Inverness-ihire, clay only appears extending 

 in a very narrow stripe along the shorn of the Beauty 

 and Moray firths. Haugh or holm is found on the 

 hanks of the river Nesa, in Glen I'rquhart, at Invermor- 

 riston, at Fort .Augustas, Loch Oich, on the river Lochy, 

 and in Glenspean ; on the west coast at Moidart and 

 Glenelg, and some few intervening spots ; along the 

 river Spry in Badenoch, where it i most extensive ; 

 and on the river Findhorn, near Freeburn, and about 

 the Loch of Moy, tributary to it The loam is found 

 at Inverness, stretching to the east of the town, and 

 from the Caledonian Canal, running westward to Beau- 

 ty, along the edge of the clay There is a 



mall patch of it tretching northwirds from BoUskinr ; 

 Glen ROT is all loam, and part of the banks of the ri- 

 ver and lake of Treig, the north shore of Loch Mourn, 

 and the coast towards ( the banks of the river 



Nairn above and below C-mtra), and the north bank 

 of the Spey from Kothiemurchus to below Grantown, 

 are all of, this description of soil. To enumerate the 

 gravelly, sandy, or tilly localities, would lead us be- 

 yond 'the bounds prescribed for this article. 



The mineralogy of Inverness-shire is as yet but very Inverness, 

 imperfectly known, and much interesting matter for shire. 

 the geologist, doubtless remains to be investigated. 

 The rocks are primitive, and micaceous schistus appears 

 to be by far the most universal : the district of Locha- 

 ber is almost entirely composed of this rock, having 

 imperfect garnets disseminated through it. In Glen- 

 morriston, some beautiful specimens of gneiss, with 

 mica in hexagonal crystals, is to be procured. Gra- 

 nite, and gneiss, are abundant throughout the country; 

 and sienite, hornstonc, hornstone slate, claystone, com- 

 pact feldspar, nnd hornblende rock, are also to be met 

 with in different situations. The granite is chiefly of 

 a bright red colour, and is porphyritic in its structure. 

 In Badenoch and Strathspey, however, it is found with 

 black, and sometimes with greenish mica in it. Red 

 clay-tone porphyry is plentiful ; particularly on Ben 

 . where a whole precipice, or rather a side of the 

 mountain, is composed of it. 1'orphyries of beautiful 

 t>!ui.-h purple, ami of smoke-coloured grounds, are also 

 to be met with. Quart! rock is to be observed in many 

 places ; and near the ferry of Ballachulish, there is a 

 particularly fine section of it Primitive limestone is 

 common every where, and is quarried, and burned for 

 economical purposes. On Ben Nevis, and in other 

 places, there are some richly coloured marbles; but of 

 these, little u*e has as yet brt-n m.tde. Fine blue slate 

 is quarried near Ballachulish ; but the most extensive 

 manufacture of them 'is on the Argyleshire side of the 

 ferry. Lead ore has been found on Ben Nevis, at In- 

 verskaddel, and on the side of Loch Arkeg. Graphite, 

 or plumbago, appears in a vein, on the mountain di- 

 viding Loch Lochy from Glen Gluoy. Silver was dis- 

 covered in Badenoch, but the mine w*< not wrought 

 with any success : and iron ore has been noticed, in se- 

 veral parts of the county ; but not in sufficient quantity 

 to render it worth working. The topaz is found in the 

 mountains of the Caimgoruni group ; where rock cry- 

 stals, of all colour*, well I. i '.im- 

 gorums, are dug otit by Uir Irom the 

 dniy cavities of granite. Thr large iri-li w.iter inn < !r, 

 (mt/titui mnrgarilif'fr*,) containing pearls, ore fished 

 .om tome of the rivem. 



The flira of tlii- county i very ample, but we shall Botany. 

 only notice a few of the rarer plants contained in it. 

 On llrn Nevis are found 1'tri.nira til/iina, Jiincus Iri- 

 jW", Ajnca jyrnmuialii. ' .-iota, Saiit'rnga ri- 



vnlati< i crraiti<! crinitus, Dicranum 



JtngtUart, I >iuni ptlent, Dicra- 



*"m AyprrAorrm, ami Bryutu Vfrru/Virv. On the 

 Cairngonrms; Cnrnut necica, Azalea nrocmnbe nt, Silent 

 rtfoK/it, liitlna ckameemonu, PhlteumalpiHum. Akhnnilla 

 aljnna. littnla mana, .Sj/orAm tcnite, and Grimmia co- 

 mottoma. Ruppia maritima, and Pulmanarin maritima, 

 are met with in Glenelg ; and Juncnt tpicatus at Loch 

 Hourn. Sarifrana tririiiclylu, and Satyrium repent, 

 grow in the neighbourhood of Inverness. 



Wolves, and even bears, were once natives of this Zoology, 

 county ; but they, as well as the wild oxen, have long 

 erased to exist. Red deer, (Ceriw elaphut,) and roe, 

 (Cenmt capreolm,) are in abundance every where. 

 Foxes, ( Canu vulpet,) are very numerous ; and the na- 

 tives suppose there are three varieties of them. Fox- 

 hunters are constantly employed to destroy them, but 

 their numbers seem to be little reduced, and they con- 

 tinue to do a great deal of mischief. Wild cats, (Felts 

 catut Jertu), are numerous, large, and very fierce: 

 there are also badgers, ( Urn* melet,) and the different 

 varieties of the weasel tribe, ( Mvttctd) ; and the lakes 



