CAVERNS. 



241 



three times the height of Chimbora^o. It is the primitive limestone that supplies the most 

 numerous examples of caves and grottos in the primary rocks ; and if these yield in point 

 of size to the later limestone formations, this arises from the inferior extent of the 

 primitive limestone, rather than from its incapacity to form caves. In the transition 

 mountains, and those of stratified structure, it is still the limestone in which the more 

 extensive caves are found, of which those of the Hartz, the splendid caverns of 

 Derbyshire, and those of the Carpathians, are well known. Caverns most frequently 

 occur in the mountains of stratified limestone ; and among these, one of the most modern 

 formations, the Jura limestone, is particularly distinguished, and was therefore termed 

 the cavern-limestone by the early geologists. The celebrated caves of Franconia, the 

 grotto of Notre Dame between Grenoble and Lyons, the caves of Westphalia, and that of 

 Kirkdale in Yorkshire, occur in this formation. Next to the limestone in the stratified 

 formations, the so-called older gypsum which contains salt is the most abundant in 

 caverns. They are of rare occurrence in the sandstone, have generally broad -openings but 

 of no great extent. Such are the Cow-stall in Saxony, and a few caves in Bohemia. 



In the volcanic rocks, cavern formations are very common, and one of the most splendid 

 examples in the world occurs in the basalt, a rock of comparatively modern igneous 

 origin. This is the well-known cave of Fingal, in the island of Staffa, a small island on 

 the western coast of Scotland, composed entirely of amorphous and pillared basalt. The 

 name of the island is derived from its singular structure, Staffa signifying, in the 

 Norwegian language, a people who were early on this coast, a staff, and, figuratively, a 

 column. The basaltic columns have in various places yielded to the action of the waves, 

 which have scooped out caves of the most picturesque description, the chief of which are 

 the Boat cave, the Cormorant cave, so called from the number of these birds visiting the 

 spot, and the great cave of Fingal. It is remarkable that this grand natural object 

 should have remained comparatively unknown, until Sir Joseph Banks had his attention 

 accidentally directed to it, and may be said to have discovered it to the inhabitants of 

 South Britain. This great cavern consists of a lava-like mass at the base, and of two ranges 

 of basaltic columns resting upon it, which present to the eye an appearance of regularity 

 almost architectural, and supporting an irregular ceiling of rock. According to the mea- 

 surements of Sir Joseph Banks, the cave from the rock without is 371 feet 6 inches ; the 

 breadth at the rnouth, 53 feet 7 inches ; the height of arch at the mouth, 1 17 feet 6 inches; 

 depth of water at the mouth, 18 feet ; and at the bottom of the cave, 9 feet. 

 The echo of the waves which wash into the cavern has originated its 

 Gaelic name, Llaimh-binn, the Cave of Music. Macculloch re- 

 marks : " If too much admiration has been lavished on it by 

 some, and if, in consequence, more recent visitors have left it 

 with disappointment, it must be recollected, that all descriptions 

 are but pictures of the feelings of the narrator ; it is, more- 

 over, as unreasonable to expect that the same objects should 

 produce corresponding effects on all minds, on the enlightened 

 and on the vulgar, as that every individual should alike be 

 sensible of the merits of Phidias and Raphael, of Sophocles 

 of Shakespeare. But if this cave were even destitute of 

 that order and symmetry, that richness arising 

 from multiplicity of parts combined with great- 

 ness of dimension and simplicity of style, 

 which it possesses; still the prolonged 

 length, the twilight gloom half concealing 

 the playful and varying effects of reflected 



Cave of Fingal. J J 



