196 THE CRUISE OF THE BETSEY ; OR, 



gether the lime diffused throughout the mass. It still re- 

 mains for the geologic chemist to discover on what principle 

 masses of animal matter should form the attracting nuclei of 

 limestone nodules. 



The declining sun warned me that I had lingered rather 

 longer than was prudent among the ichthyolites of Clune ; 

 and so, striking in an eastern direction across a flat moor, 

 through which I found the schistose gneiss of the district 

 protruding in masses resembling half-buried boulders, I en- 

 tered the forest of Darnaway. There was no path, and much 

 underwood ; and I enjoyed the luxury of steering my course, 

 out of sight of road and landmark, by the sun, and of being 

 not sure at times whether I had skill enough to play the part 

 of the bush-ranger under his guidance. A sultry day had 

 clarified and cooled down into a clear balmy evening ; the 

 slant beam was falling red on a thousand tall trunks, here 

 gleaming along some bosky vista, to which the white silky 

 woodmoths fluttering by scores, and the midge and the mos- 

 quito dancing by myriads, imparted a motty gold-dust atmo- 

 sphere ; there penetrating in straggling rays far into some 

 gloomy recess, and resting in patches of flame, amid the dark- 

 ness, on gnarled stem, or moss-cushioned stump, or gray beard- 

 like lichen. I dislodged, in passing through the underwood, 

 many a tiny tenant of the forest, that had a better right to 

 harbour among its wild raspberries and junipers than I had 

 to disturb them, : velvety night-moths, that had sat with 

 folded wings under the leaves, awaiting the twilight, and that 

 now took short blind flights of some two or three yards, to 

 get out of my way, and robust, well-conditioned spiders, 

 whose elastic well-tightened lines snapped sharp before me as 

 I pressed through, and then curled up on the scarce percep- 

 tible breeze, like broken strands of wool. But every man, 

 however Whiggish in his inclinations, entertains a secret 

 respect for the powerful ; and though I passed within a few 



