140 Correspondence. 



government of the Roman Empire, there came into Britain a famous 

 priest and abbot, a monk by habit and life, whose name was 

 Columba, to preach the word of God to the provinces of the northern 

 Picts, who are separated from the southern parts by steep and 

 rugged mountains." Now, the history of St. Columba, who made 

 lona famous, and who preached, among other places, in Cantyre, is 

 tolerably authentic. But St. Kiaran, who is said to have been 

 baptised by St. Patrick, and to have commenced his preaching in 

 Cantyre in the year 536, is comparatively a mythical personage. I 

 cannot meet with any information respecting St. Kiaran that will 

 bear the sceptical examination of geologists ; otherwise the cave of 

 the Saint would conclusively prove that the high- water mark was 

 not at a greater elevation 1300 years ago than it is at the present 

 time. 



This will be a most important fact if the premisses can be proved 

 by our historical friends ; and should it turn out that the thirty feet 

 elevation of the land has taken place since the building of the 

 Roman wall of Antoninus, the space of time during which it could 

 only have occurred, would thus become narrowed to the interval 

 between A.D. 140 and 536. 



It is evident, as Hugh Miller remarks, looking at the greater 

 number, and far greater dimensions of the caves, that are situated on 

 the so-called " thirtj'^ feet shore line," as compared with those 

 existing between the present high and low-water marks, that the 

 time during which the waves washed the higher line was immensely 

 greater than that in which they have been operating upon the present 

 coast line. 



The Cave of St. Kiaran has evidently originated, as Mr. Hull says, 

 in a line of fault in the Old Eed Conglomerate ; and there is in 

 course of formation, in front of the cave, a very large mound of 

 fragments that have fallen from the face of the cliff, owing to the 

 action of frost and sun upon the lofty face of rock in which the 

 cavern is situated. This growing heap is in itself a proof of the 

 great antiquity of the elevation of the coast line, for, so long as the 

 waves reached the place upon which the fragments had fallen, they 

 must periodically have washed away all the talus deposits. 



In proof that the beach is in course of being eaten away by the 

 wearing action of the waves, I may mention that the shingle bar, 

 of about three-quarters of a mile in length, which connects the Isle 

 of Davar with the mainland, and which is covered by the sea at half 

 tide, partially occupies ground which, in the memory of the last 

 generation, regularly bore crops of corn. Should this bar be 

 ultimately entirely carried away, the noble harbour of Campbelton 

 will have seen its most prosperous days. 



In reference to the porphyries of Davar, M'Culloch says, — " The 

 rock produces some beautiful varieties of green as well as of brown 

 porphyry, easily wrought, to be obtained of any size, and extremely 

 ornamental when polished, but as yet neglected. Sweden, with far 

 less capital and far less industry (or of reputation for that at least) 

 than ourselves, contrives to fill all Europe with the elegant produce 



