Rev. E. Hill — Geological Visit to Brittany. 61 



On the following day the same steamer, again devoted to our 

 service, carried the party south across tlie Roads to a little pier at 

 Le Fret. Vehicles wei'e ready, but as soon as they had taken us 

 across the embankment to the S.E., we left them and walked along 

 the strand eastwards, to see the outcrops of the schists of Porsguen 

 and to collect Devonian fossils at a spot about 300 yards from the 

 road. Returning, we were driven through Crozon across the isthmus 

 to a very lovely bay, combining the broad beach of Sandown with 

 the tall cliffs of Ilfracombe, and possessing every qualification for 

 a watering place except accessibility. A good hotel is named from 

 the neighbouring village of Morgat ; and this name is the one used 

 by geologists in referring to the cliff- section, the most complete 

 which we saw in the excursion. We commenced by walking to the 

 south, to see in succession the Schists with Graptolites (fossiliferous) ; 

 the slates of Angers ; the Gres Armoricain or Gres a Scolithes 

 fossiliferous about 100 yards above the j^ierof the little fishing port; 

 and (if time had permitted) the Red schists of Caj) de la Chevre 

 which form the base of the Silurians here. The succession is clearer 

 on this side than on the north side of the bay. Returning and 

 passing along the upper edge of the cliffs, we traversed repetitions 

 by several folds of the complete Silurian system with part of the 

 Devonian, as high as the quartzites of Plougastel, which here form 

 some of the most striking cliffs. After walking three or four miles^ 

 and crossing by an embankment the estuary called Aber to Rosan, 

 we were shown at the neck of the peninsula that forms the Isle 

 d'Aber, a singular series of stratified diabase tuffs. They are placed 

 by Dr. Barrois between the uppermost Silurian and lowest Devonian 

 beds (Schistes a Nodules and Calcaire de Rozan). Proceeding along 

 the cliffs past Kerglintin and further east some two miles or more, 

 where the path passes along a cliff slope, we saw the Gres a Scolithes 

 succeeded by the Red schists, and these passing down into a 

 singular quartz conglomerate so veined with quartz that I was slow 

 in being convinced of its true nature. Then descending into the 

 little bay, we saw rocks of an entirely different aspect : the Phyllades 

 of Douarnenez belonging to the Cambrians ; and the few active 

 geologists, who, after so long and rapid a walk on a broiling day, were 

 'in at the death,' threw themselves down on the sand and commenced 

 a lively discussion on the evidences of the succession, which my 

 knowledge of French was insufficient to follow. The carriages were 

 waiting for us as Tal-ar-groes, about three miles to the N.W., and 

 took us to our steamer, which brought us back to Brest. 

 We arrived at so late an hour that, had the rules of entry into a 

 fortified town been strictly carried out, we should have had to 

 dispense with supper and bed. 



After a morning of rest, an afternoon of. railway back through 

 Chateaulin and Quimper took us to Quimperle. Next day we 

 started early for a very interesting excursion. Crossing at first 

 gneiss with an intrusion of ' granulite,' we drove west as far as 

 Pontaven. Here about one kilometre to the south, on the left bank 

 of the river, we examined in shallow quarries the granite of Pon- 



