of Devonshire and Cornwall. 131 



many accounts it might be said that soap-rock is to serpentine what 

 kaoHn is to granite.* 



Kinance Cove, situated a mile and a half N.N.W. of the Lizard 

 Point, is a kind of small valley (combe) in the serpentine formation, 

 opening towards the sea, and exhibiting pillars or detached rocks 

 of very rude forms and appearance, which recalled to my mind those 

 of the high Alps. One of these obelisks projects into the sea ; 

 others have been so much excavated by the action of the sea, that 

 fissures, or complete arches have been formed, under which you 

 may walk at low water. When the sea, at the flowing of the tide, 

 begins to rush through these excavations, the whiteness of the foam, 

 contrasted with the brown colour of the rocks upon which it breaks, 

 produces a very striking effect. 



From the soap-rocks to Mullyan Church-town, where we re- 

 enter the gi-auwacke slate, on the west side of the promontory, we 

 walk over a common covered with turf, which prevents us from 

 knowing what the nature of the rock is in that district, it was besides, 

 almost dark when I passed over it. 



Remarks on the serpentine formation^ and on some rocks which 

 usually accompany it. 



Before I proceed to inquire to what formation the serpentine of 

 the Lizard belongs, 1 shall briefly notice the geological position of 



* Are we to refer to a species of kaolin or soap-rock, the white and unctuous clay 

 •which the ancients called terra cimolia^ and which was employed by the inhabitants of 

 the island of Argenticra, formerly Cimolis, instead of soap, for the purpose of cleansing 

 cloth. Lettres sur la Grece pour servlr de suite a cellcs sur 1' Egypte, par M. Savary, 

 p. 370. 



R 2 



