158 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



from tte west to the east. To the south and south-east of the light- 

 house at the north-west extremity, the land is veiy little raised 

 above the sea level, to which it runs down by a gradual slope, being 

 at its junction with the shingle beach which forms the south-west 

 part of the shores, but 26 to 30 feet above the sea. The whole of the 

 southern and south-west half of the island is comparatively flat and 

 lowland, and rises with somewhat rapid slopes to the north and north- 

 east terminating in precipitous clife, from 100 to 280 feet in height. 

 The north and north-east coast line, in marked contrast to the south 

 and south-east shore line, which is but slightly indented, is more 

 irregular, being carved into a multiplicity of minor headlands and 

 points and many varieties of inlet, creek, and cave. 



" Owing to the irregularities in the sea-cliffs, the coast presents the 

 appearance of numerous tors or isolated crags, standing up as if occur- 

 ring in the centre of the island. 



"Tory Peak (see fig. 21) is a most prominent feature in the outline 

 of the island, appearing like a great tower standing about the centre 

 of the island. It is in fact a partially detached sea-stack on the north- 

 east coast, near the east end of the island. A wide bay is cut far into 

 the land south of this peak at Scoltshoarsa ; and the land about East 

 Town, lying very low, permits nearly the whole of this huge mass of 

 rock to be seen from the south. Similarly Tormore or the great Tor, 

 which occurs at the north extremity of the Doon peninsula and which, 

 in common with the latter, runs out to north-east at nearly right 

 angles to the main island, appears as a massive tower, at the eastern 

 extremity of the island, the whole of the ' Anvil,' as the ridge is 

 called, being foreshortened into one mass. The whole of the Doon, 

 which rises rapidly from the sea level at Port Doon to nearly 300 feet, 

 also is foreshortened into a craggy or torlike mass." 



(p. 102.) — " Prom the extremity of Doon Balor, a fine view of the 

 whole island is obtained, and on a clear day nearly all the northern 

 cliffs are seen fi'om this position, with the lighthouse distinctly promi- 

 nent at the western extremity of the island (fig. 22). 



" Granite. — The greater part of the island consists of granite 

 which varies greatly in texture, being at one part a massive com- 

 pact durable rock, and at others, where porphyritic, much more 

 decomposable than in the former case. At the north-western 

 extremity at Toradardeen, the rock occurs in irregular amorphous 

 masses. Along the sea-cliffs, the rock appears as a highly porphy- 

 ritic gray granite with the weathered surface thickly studded with 

 crystals of orthoclase. The shore is much indented. 



