121 



theatre reaching from the mountains of Donegal and Londonderry, 

 on the S.W., to Ben-Lomond and Benledi on the N.E. ; from Ben- 

 Cruachan and the mountains of Mull, on the N. and N.W., to the 

 ranges of the South Highlands and the Mull of Galloway in the 

 opposite direction.* 



As the day verges into evening the Western Isles stand grandly 

 up in a sea of molten gold, which, rising far out westwards, blends 

 with masses of gorgeous clouds, " set on fire with redness." Later 



still, 



" the sun descending 



Leaves upon the level water 



One long track and trail of splendour." 



There is not much of mere geological interest on the summit of 

 Goatfell. A claystone vein occupies a fissure to the N.W. of the 

 cairn, and there are traces of a greenstone dike. Many veins of 

 fine granite, which we regard as cotemporaneous, and not injected, 

 intersect the coarse-grained variety of which the whole mountain 

 consists. Dr. MacCulloch long ago pointed out a magnetic property 

 in the granite here, which he afterwards confirmed by observations 

 made on other mountains in Scotland. (West. Isles, ii., 451, and 

 Geol. Trans., 1st Series, vol. ii., p. 430, and vol. iv., p. 124.) 



82. There are various routes by which we may descend. Those into 

 Glen Kosa and by the Rosa col must be carefully selected, as they 

 are very dangerous in some places. There are two more instructive 

 than the rest for the geologist. One is by the plateau S.W. of the 

 mill-dam, along the boundary of the granite and slate, where some 

 fine junctions, granite veins and contorted schist, may be studied. 

 A good example of a " roche moutonnee" may be seen on the edge 

 of the plateau a quarter of a mile S.W.. of the mill-dam. The 

 exposed horizontal surface is fourteen or fifteen yards in extent, 

 rounded nicely off diagonally to the laminae; the N.W. front or 

 vertical face is also ground off, but the opposite face, turned 

 towards the S.E., retains its original form. This indicates the 

 direction of the abrading force. The other route is eastwards, 

 by Maoldon and the White Water. Crossing to Maoldon from the 

 eastern ridge of Goatfell, we pass the slate and old red sandstone 

 bands, and come upon the carboniferous sandstone ; but no junctions 

 are visible on this line. The top of Maoldon, about 1,000 feet 

 high, is composed of soft red sandstone, dipping 25 E. of S., at 



* We have never decidedly identified Ben-Nevis, but believe that it may be seen 

 from Goatfell. The mountains in the Isle of Man are probably visible in very 

 favourable weather ; in that direction Ailsa Craig is a fine object. 



