10 T. Mellard Reade—The Eskdale Drift— 
thence along the coast as far as Nevin, in Carnarvonshire, a more or 
less careful search will yield to the experienced observer some 
fragments of this rock either as minute pebbles or good sized 
boulders. It is usually readily distinguished from the Scotch 
granites by the characteristic prevalence of a light pink felspar and 
often by a much coarser grain. There is, however, a second variety 
of granite having its birth in Eskdale which is of a blue-grey colour 
but still recognizably different to the grey granites of Dalbeattie 
and Cairnsmore of Fleet. 
Pebbles and boulders of Eskdale granite, usually considerably 
water worn, and bearing none of the characteristic marks of glaciation, 
are found in the Drift at all levels from 1400 feet above O. D. at 
Moel Tryfaen to below the sea level in estuaries where engineering 
works have made us acquainted with the subaqueous glacial drift. 
Therefore it is remarkable not only for its horizontal, but also for 
vertical range. 
The Parent Rock. 
The area and distribution of the Parent rock is shown upon Sheets 
98 N.W. and 99 N.E. of the Geological Survey, and are given in 
outline on Fig. 1, p.17. It commences at Muncaster Castle in Eskdale, 
and e xtends up the vale as far as Eskdale Fell. Miterdale, parallel 
to and to the North of Eskdale, is also excavated in this granite, and 
it extends over to the foot of Wast Water. 
Roughly it may be considered a tract 8 miles long in a south- 
westerly direction by an average width of 4 miles, and an area of 
about 32 miles. Its highest part is just south of Wast Water, about 
1400 feet above O. D., and it is found at nearly sea-level in the 
lower parts of Eskdale and Miterdale. In all this area there is only 
one Granite quarry, and, curiously enough, it is in the bluish-grey 
variety, which, though an excellent granite, is not at all the 
distinguishing rock of the Vale. It is at Broad Oak, Waberthwaite, 
and is worked for monuments, kerbs, setts, etc. 
Glacial Drift of Eskdale. 
Basal Granitic Drift.—The basal drift lying upon the Granite in 
Eskdale is composed of angular and subangular fragments and 
blocks of granite mixed with a smaller number of boulders from the 
Volcanic series through which the granite was extruded and which 
surrounds it on all except the seaward side. An angular unstratified 
granitic sand fills up the interspaces between the stones, the whole 
having a decidedly reddish hue. JI have searched for marks of 
glaciation on the granite blocks and fragments but very rarely 
found any. In those few cases where glacial markings were per- 
ceptible they took the form of rubbed slightly channelled surfaces 
without striz. On the fine-grained volcanics which, as a rule, are 
more worn and rounded than the granite, fine striations were often 
seen, but not so often as in the Low-level Marine Drift of the 
Lancashire plains. Up Eskdale and Miterdale as the Volcanic series 
are approached boulders of these rocks begin to preponderate. 
