126 Mr. Wm. Stevenson on Bedshiel " Kaims." 



sea and land produced at this stage by the elevation of the 

 latter to the extent of comparatively a few feet, would be dry 

 and tedious, though their study upon the map, compared with 

 field observations, will be found to be full of interest and 

 instruction. I shall only at present refer to the marked 

 eifect produced upon the tidal action by the shutting up of 

 the sound between the Derrington Hills, and, at a somewhat 

 later period, of that between Kyles Hill and Langton Lees. 

 The stoppage of these channels of ingi'ess and egress of the 

 tidal waters, furnishes, I conceive, the principal key by which 

 to account for the singular forms of the Kaims as they at 

 present appear and have done for unreckoned ages. 



Between two and three miles to eastward of Bedshiel 

 Kaims we come upon two very interesting examples of the 

 same class of deposits near Raecleughead. The summits of 

 these ridges are also exactly 700 feet above the present sea 

 level. The top of the hill on which Raecleughead farm-house 

 and oifices now stand, must at the time of emergence of these 

 Kaims have been a small island, rising only a few feet above 

 the sea. A rather deep, but very narrow sound divided this 

 from the hills to the northward. A small but well marked 

 terrace is cut into the northern face of the isolated southern 

 hill at the 700 feet level, but as this may have been formed 

 by man, though for what purpose it is not easy to imagine, it 

 may be referred to at present rather as a curiosity than as 

 anything of value as evidence in connection with the present 

 subject. The picturesque dell to northward shows most 

 beautifully its origin in the scooping out and removal by the 

 tidal waters, of the soft and incoherent materials through 

 which it has been excavated. An ancient cross fault with a 

 downcast to the south of great extent, much facihtated the 

 excavating powers of old ocean at this place, and the beauti- 

 ful hollow, without water, except a little which now artifi- 

 cially runs through it under cover, is the result. 



Less than two miles further to eastward brings us to the 

 remarkable Kaims upon the Dunse and Oxendean estates. 

 These like the Bedshiel Kaims attain, where highest, an 

 elevation of about 700 feet above the present sea level, some 

 of the higher and more prominent ridges coming up exactly 

 to the 700 feet contour. P'rom this height down to below the 

 500 feet level, we have a series of very interesting and com- 

 plicated ridges of sand and gravel, together with rounded and 

 flat mounds and knolls of the same composition — all pointing 

 to one common origin. At about the 700 feet level we also 



