110 Dinbur Castle, its Gardens and Gardeners. 



Before proceeding to the transition series of rocks, he gave 

 the young men an opportunity for making any observation they 

 thought proper on the subject they had been hearing. 



Baukly Black was the first man that made any remarks. He 

 said that he had listened wi' a' the attention he was able to give, 

 and he thought he understood the subject as far as he had gane, 

 for he once had some dealings wi' stanes. When he was a laddie 

 on the farm o' Kashenbrae, mony a cart-load had he broken to 

 fill drains wi' ; but he never had heard so much said about rocks 

 and stones before, nor did he ken that they had sae mony braw 

 names before. " What ye ca' granite, we used to ca' it a ringer ; 

 and mica was sheep's siller ; and quartz was liverwhin, and 

 chucky stanes. But, Watty, is that no the diamond that is found 

 in slates which you name pyrites ? When I was herding, often 

 hae I broken the slates for them ; and large anes were sometimes 

 found in a kind of slaty whinstone." Walter told him that the 

 true diamond was quite a different substance altogether ; that it 

 was found in Bengal and the Island of Borneo, and also in Brazil 

 and other places ; and that it was found to be crystalline char- 

 coal, while those yelloAv bodies that were obtained from roofing 

 slate were composed chiefly of iron and sulphur. But it would 

 appear that every country must have its diamonds, and almost 

 every formation is sought for them ; the Scotch seek for them 

 in the primary formation, and the English in the gravelly hills 

 of Bagshot Heath. 



" But what kind of a stane is that," said Bauldy, " that ye 

 have amang your specimens of primary rocks ? I think I hae 

 seen something like it sometimes turned up by the plough, and a 

 hard heavy lump it is ; there's nae braken o't ; ye may maist as 

 weel thump awa at a yetlin bullet ; and I ance saw a sma' bit of 

 it draw the needle of a compass to it, and make it spin round 

 like Jenny Birril's wheel o' fortune on the end o' an auld 

 herrin barrel at Broxbrae fair." — " That is magnetic iron-stone," 

 said Walter ; " and it is frequently found in primary mountains. 

 It is also found in the Shetlands, and many parts of Germany 

 and Sweden." — " And how had it found its way to the Rashen- 

 brae ?" said Bauldy. — " That is a subject which we will not enter 

 upon at present," said Walter ; " but, perhaps, we will be able to 

 give you information on that point when we are farther advanced 

 in geology." 



West Plean, December 10. 1824. 



