232 R. Chambers, Esq.. on Glacial Phenomena 



where, however, I failed to trace any object which realised 

 to my mind the idea of a true moraine. When our associate 

 Mr Maclarcn, in 1849, gave us his accurate summary of Gla- 

 cial Phenomena in Scotland, he justly remarked the rarity 

 of ancient moraines ; but he next year described to the Bri- 

 tish Association an object which he thought might prove to 

 be of that kind, which he had found in Glen Messan, a small 

 valley connected with the Holy Loch, on the Firth of Clyde. 



Such may be said to be the present posture of this branch 

 of our subject. I have now to enumerate a few ancient 

 moraines which have come under my own attention in Scot- 

 land. 



To the eastward of the Cuchullin group, and divided from 

 it only by Glen Sligachan, a wild valley full of polished and 

 striated surfaces, is the lofty mountain called Ben-Blaven. 

 A short abrupt valley, called Corry-hashtel, cleaves its south 

 side, terminating at the sea near the farm-house of Camus- 

 unary. About half way down this corry, on its west side, 

 commences a long train of blocks, in three separate and dis- 

 tinct lines, followed farther down by three ridges of blocks 

 mingled with mud, forming, beyond all question, the lateral 

 moraines of an ancient glacier which had descended through 

 Corry-hashtel, the outer line being the chronicle of its great- 

 est magnitude, the second marking its limit after it had 

 shrunk, and the third indicating its final condition. Another 

 and still ruder corry, descending the east side of Ben-Blaven, 

 with the lower summit of Garravine on the right, presents 

 at its mouth two or three distinct ridges of blocks mingled 

 with mud, which have evidently been the terminal moraines 

 of a glacier once filling that corry, and which had experienced 

 a similar shrinking. In this corry I found striated rocks. 



In the savage alpine district extending along the west 

 coast of Ross and Sutherlandshire, moraines of this kind are 

 not uncommon. Indeed, in most of the high valleys of this 

 desolate tract, we find rude masses of detrital matter which 

 have evidently come, by means of glacial action, from the 

 neighbouring hill sides ; but I propose to specify only those 

 which take an unmistakeably moraine form. On the south 

 portion of the lofty old red sandstone hills of Applecross, 



