S T A 



the iurface is plain. The fpaces between the perpendiculav 

 prifms are filled with a v.Uow fparry matter, of which the 

 oxyd of iron, feparated from the bafaltea, with fome argil- 

 laceous earth, and fpecimens of zeolit.c cryllals, are the 

 component parts. Near the landing-place the pillars are 

 fmall, but their magnitude increafes in the vicinity of the 

 cave of Fingall. ' This natural curiofity of the ifland is 53 

 feet wide at the entrance, 117 feet in height, and 250 feet 

 in length. The arch is compofed of two unequal fegments 

 of 3 circle, which form a natural pediment. The mafs by 

 which the roof is crowned, or rather farmed, is 20 feet in 

 thicknefs at its loweit part. It confills of fmall prifms, in- 

 clining in all direftions, clofcly cemented with a calcareous 

 matter, and zeolitic cryllallizationf, which afford a ftriking 

 contrail with the dark purple hexagons formed by the end» 

 of the pillars, and exhibit the appearance of mofaic work. 

 The bottom of the cave is filled with the fea. In very calm 

 weather, a boat may fail into it ; but if fuch an attempt 

 Hiould be made when the waves are in the flightell degree 

 agitated, the vefl'el would be dalhed to pieces. The only 

 way of entering at fuch times is by a caufeway on the eaftern 

 iide, not more than two feet broad, formed by the bafes of 

 broken pillars, which being contfantly wafhed by the fpray, 

 13 very Hippery and unfafe. At the further extremity is 

 another fmall cave, which, from certain paffages, emits an 

 agreeable noife every time the water rufhes into it, whence it 

 has acquired the name of the " melodious cave." Befides 

 the cave of Fingall, there is another, exhibiting the fame 

 appearance-, though on a fmaller fcale. It is tituated on 

 the nortli fide of the ifland, and is called the " Corvcrant's 

 cave." 



Staffa, though one of the greateft natural curiolities in 

 Europe, or perhaps in the world, has been till lately little 

 noticed, and indeed fcarcely known. The iirlt perfon who 

 particularly called the attention of the learned to this fingu- 

 iar ifle was Mr. Leach, a native of Ireland ; who, in the 

 year 1772, having been on a vifit to Morven, in Argylefliire, 

 in a fifhing excurfion, was charmed with the peculiar appear- 

 ance of its rocks, and landed upon it. Soon afterwards, fir 

 Jofeph Banks, Dr. Von Troil, the learned biihop of Linc- 

 koeping, and others, in their voyage from Iceland, anchored 

 in the Sound of Mull ; and having been informed by Mr. 

 Leach of the wonders which Staffa afforded, they vifited the 

 ifland, and an account of it was commur.icated by Gr Jofeph 

 to Mr. Pennant, who publifhed it in his " Tour to the He- 

 brides." Since that time it has excited the attention of va- 

 rious naturalifls, who have given accounts of it in their re- 

 fpetlive works : among whom, M. de St. Fond and Dr. Gar- 

 nett may be principally mentioned. The former, who vi- 

 fited the Britiili dominions on a voyage of refearch, thus 

 expreffes himfelf refpefting Fingall's cave. " This fuperb 

 monument of a grand fubterraneous combuftion, the date of 

 which has been lofl in the lapfe of ages, prefents an appear- 

 ance of order and regularity fo wonderful, that it is difficult 

 for the coldeft obferver not to be Angularly attonifhed by this 

 prodigy, which may be confidered as a fort of natural pa- 

 lace. I have feen many ancient volcanoes, and I have given 

 defcriptions of feveral bafaltic caufeways and dehghtful ca- 

 verns in the midll of lavas, but I have never found any thing 

 which comes near to this, or can bear any comparifon with 

 it, for the admirable regularity of its columns, the height of 

 the arch, the fituation, the form, the elegance of this pro- 

 duftion of nature, or its refemblance to the mafter-pieces of 

 art, though art has had no fliare in its conilruftion." Simi- 

 lar to this are the animated obfervations of the learned pre- 

 late before-mentioned. " How fplendid," fays he, " do the 

 porticoes of the ancients appear in our eyes, from theollen- 



S T A 



tatious magnificence of the defcriptions we have received of 

 them : and with what admiration are we feized on feeing the 

 colonnades of our modern edifices ! But when we behold the 

 cave of Fingall, formed by nature in the ifle of Staffa, it is 

 no longer poffible to make a comparifon, and we are forced 

 to acknowledge that this piece of nature's architefture far 

 furpaiies thatof the Louvre, that of St. Peter at Rome, all 

 that remains of Palmyra and PoeUuin, and all that the ge- 

 nius, tafle, and luxury of the Greeks, were ever capable of 

 inventing." In Pennant's Tour in Scotland, 4to. 1790, and 

 St. Fond's Travels, are accounts of this ifland, with plates. 

 STAFFELSTEIN, a town of Bavaria, in the bifhopric 

 of Bamberg, on the Lauter ; 16 miles N.N.E. of Bamberg. 

 N. lit. 50" 8'. E.long. 11° V- 



STAFFORA, a river of Italy, which pafies by Vog- 

 hera, and runs into the Po, 8 miles W.S.W. of Pavia. 



STAFFORD, a borough, market, and county-town, in 

 the fouth divifion of the hundred of Pirehill, Staffordlhire, 

 England, is fituated on the north bank of the river Sow, at 

 the ditlance of three miles from its junftion with the Trent : 

 and is 16 miles N.W. from Lichfield, and 140 miles in the 

 fame direiifion from London. The earliell authentic mention 

 of the town is in the Saxon chronicle, A.D. 913, when 

 Ethelfleda, countefs of Mercia, filler of king Edward the 

 Elder, built a callle here, of which no vellige now remains : 

 and Camden Hates, that in the following year king Edward 

 built a tower on the north bank of the river. This tower Mr. 

 Pennant fuppofes to have flood on the mount called Caftlc- 

 hill, and now dillinguiflied by the appellation of BuUy-hill. 

 Near it is an ancient ftrudure, called Caftle-church, built 

 in various ftyles of architefture. Nothing worthy notice is 

 mentioned refpefting this town, from the creftion of thefe 

 cafUes till the Norman conqueft, when it appears from the 

 Domefday furvey, that tlie king had here " eighteen 

 burgellfs in demefne, and twenty manfions of the honour of 

 the earls." The fame record Hates that the king built a 

 caflle here, the cuftody of which was given to Robert de 

 Tonei, who in confequence took the name of Stafford. 

 This caflle does not appear to have flood long ; but by 

 whom, or on what account deftroyed, is unknown. It was, 

 however, reflored in the reign of Edward III., and conti- 

 nued till the feventeenth century ; when being garrifoned in 

 fupport of the royal caufe, it was taken by the parhament's 

 forces, and demoliflied. Stafford appears to have been a 

 town of confiderable importance prior to the Norman con- 

 quelk : early in the tenth century it was confidered the chief 

 town of the diflrift : in the Domefday-book it is termed a 

 city, and was at that time governed by two bailiffs : but the 

 earlietl charter of incorporation now extant was granted by 

 king John, in the feventh year of his reign. This deed, 

 however, evinces that it was incorporated at a much earlier 

 period ; as it merely confirms privileges enjoyed from " re- 

 mote antiquity," and does not confer any new. The word 

 ufed in this charter to point out the previous exidence of 

 thefe privileges is antlquilus, which certainly would not have 

 been ufed to denote a period then fo recent as that of the 

 Conqueft. King John's charter was confirmed by Ed- 

 ward VI., and many new privileges added to the town. 

 Queen EHzabeth eftabhflied the alTizes and feffions here by 

 ad of parliament, in the firll year of her reign. Mr. 

 Gough Hates, that in her progrefs in 1575, fhe perceived 

 the town to be on the decline ; and being informed that it 

 was partly owing to the removal of the affizes, fhe faid fhe 

 would reltore that privilege for ever. 



The form of Stafford is that of an irregular ellipfis, the 

 greateft diameter whereof extends from fouth-eaft to north- 

 weft. The fituation, though low, is very plcafant : the 



llreets 



