OF DURNESS AND ASSYNT. 



241 



south-east. Several dips taken in this locality were the same, others 

 veered round to the east, but none to the north of east. 



Following the cliff along to the west, and noting the prevalence 

 of south-easterly dips, we come, at about two furlongs east of Baile- 

 nacille, to a small arch of limestone, with dips ranging from south- 

 east to north-east. Such local variations are obviously unimpor- 

 tant. In the area south of the fault the dips are almost uniformly 

 to the south-east, as may be seen at many points between the inn 

 and Sangomor. 



Coming back to the west of the old church at Bailenacille, we find 

 the north-east dip soon changes to east, and then to east-south-east, 

 and on the Kyle of Durness the limestone forms an escarpment over 

 a mile long, striking south-south- west and dipping clearly to the 

 east-south-east. At many other points in the area round Durness 

 the same dip is seen. 



It is then certain that the mass of limestone lying south of the 

 flags, and in immediate contact with them, dips south of east, 

 northerly dips being quite exceptional, and then occurring only at a 

 distance from the schist. As the latter dips steadily to the north- 

 east, it is difficult to see how it can be conformable to the limestone. 



Eut a more comprehensive view of the district presents the re- 

 ceived view in a still more incredible light. East of Sango Bay is 

 the Smoo mass of limestone. Though separated from the Durness 

 area by a faulted strip of gneiss, it preserves the same south-south- 

 west strike. East of Sangomor it steadily dips east- south-east, at 

 Smoo it is about horizontal, but west of Sangobeag it turns up to 

 the south-east and a syncline is formed. On the promontory of 

 Leirinmohr some of the dips are nearer south than east ; but in no 

 case have I observed in the Smoo mass the north-easterly dip of the 

 altered series. 



As Murchison himself admits that higher up the valley the 

 limestone is faulted against the old gneiss on both sides, it is need- 

 less to follow it further. 



b. Gneiss of Sango Bay. — Between the two limestone areas is a 

 band of schist. On the shore it is well exposed, not " thrust about 

 in dire confusion," but forming a symmetrical half-dome facing to 

 the north-east. On the east side, within a few yards of the lime- 

 stone, and dipping towards it obliquely (that is, to east-north-east, 

 at 40°), is hornblendic and chloritic gneiss. Towards the west the 

 dip curves gradually round to north-east and north, and the gneiss 

 is then underlain by dark mica-schist, which soon occupies the 

 shore, the dip turning round to north-north-west, and finally to 

 north-west, as if it would pass beneath the limestone which crops 

 up in the shore close at hand, and is seen in the cliffs with its usual 

 low south-easterly dip. There is no doubt that this strip is faulted 

 (/ 2 and/3) against the limestone on both sides. 



This gneiss is of the same kind as that which underlies the flaggy 

 schist on Ear-out Head and east of Loch Erriboll, and it must not 

 be confounded with the Lewisian, which in this district is very 

 massive, coarsely crystalline, and almost vertical in its dip. Accord- 



