338 RAMBLES OF A GEOLOGIST. 



wood above, over a steep bank covered with tangled under- 

 wood, and a slim succulent herbage, that sickened for want of 

 the sun. The yellow light was streaming through many a 

 shaggy vista, as, threading my way along the narrow ravine 

 as near the steep edge as the brokenness of the ground per- 

 mitted, I reached a huge mass of travelled rock, that had 

 been dropped in the old boulder period within a yard's length 

 of the brink. It is composed of a characteristic granitic 

 gneiss of a pale flesh-colour, streaked with black, that, in the 

 hand-specimen, can scarce be distinguished from a true gra- 

 nite, but which, viewed in the mass, presents, in the arrange- 

 ment of its intensely dark mica, evident marks of stratifica- 

 tion, and which is remarkable, among other things, for fur- 

 nishing almost all the very large boulders of this part of the 

 country. Unlike many of the granitic gneisses, it is a fine 

 solid stone, and would cut well. When I had last the plea- 

 sure of spending a few hours with the late Mr William Laid- 

 law, the trusted friend of Sir Walter Scott, he intimated to me 

 his intention, pointing to a boulder of this species of gneiss, 

 of having it cut into two oblong pedestals, with which he 

 purposed flanking the entrance to the mansion-house of the 

 chief of the Rosses, the gentleman whose property he at 

 that time superintended. It was, he said, both in appear- 

 ance and history, the most remarkable stone on the lands of 

 Balnagown ; and so he was desirous that it should be exhi- 

 bited at Balnagown Castle to the best advantage. But as he 

 fell shortly after into infirm health, and resigned his situation, 

 I know not that he ever carried his purpose into effect. The 

 boulder here, beside the chasm, measures about twelve feet 

 in length and breadth, by from five to six in height, and con- 

 tains from eight to nine hundred cubic feet of stone. On 

 its upper table-like surface I found a few patches of moss and 

 lichen, and a slim reddening tuft of the Vaccinium myrtillus, 

 still bearing, late as was the season, its half-dozen blaeberries. 



