14 Dr. Mac Culloch's Accouni ofGuernsey^ 



conducing much to its picturesque appearance, and contributing to 

 its fertility : in which, on a comparison with Alderney, it very much 

 excels. It is well watered, and produces trees of tolerable growth 

 and vigour ; a circumstance denied to the former. 



Although there are five landing places about the island, there Is 

 no harbour where ships can lie, and but one beach where small boats 

 can be wintered. Such Is the nature of the cliffs, that except at the 

 Creux, where a tunnel Is cut through the rock, there is hardly any 

 entrance to the land, but by climbing. It is a very strong natural 

 fortification, and might at a small expence be rendered impregnable. 



The rocks which compose the shores, being of various and gene- 

 rally fine forms, afford a variety of singularly grand and picturesque 

 scenery. 



Havre Gosselin, which Is formed between the land and I'lsle des 

 Marchands, is the nearest landing place to Guernsey. This is 

 bounded by cliffs of trap formation, near two hundred feet in height, 

 in many places very hard and compact, as is particularly the case 

 where it is in contact with granite. The rock of which they are 

 formed seems to have a N and S direction, consisting of indistinct 

 strata, and dipping to the east under an angle of about 40°. These 

 cliffs are divided by many large and deep fissures, out of which the 

 materials have been washed, thus leaving large caverns. Some of 

 these veins which I was able to examine, are filled with granitic 

 stones, ironshot, and in a state of decomposition. In some parts I 

 observed dark siliceous iron stone; and in some, were mixtures of 

 black mica and quartz, resembling micaceous schistus. Smaller 

 intersections are formed of green, and red jaspers, and many coarse 

 agates are found among them, consisting of similar materials, and 

 mixed with hornstones and quartz of different colours. Many veins 

 are inaccessible, but the substances found on the beach which seem to 



