406 DESCRIPTION OF RAVENSHEUOtS. 



trasted with the irregular rude shapes of the great 

 masses in which they appear, have a singular and 

 pleasing effect to the eye. 



The sandstone formation, on which the trap 

 rests, and which forms the level part of the shore 

 uncovered by the sea at low water, contains va- 

 rieties of the old red, of different shades, alter- 

 nating with layers of brown and grey. Particu- 

 lar portions of it have the usual characters of 

 quartzy sandstone ; others are micaceous, and ap- 

 proach to what is called sandstone-slate. In this 

 formation, we also find beds ot layers of clay- 

 ironstone ; of slaty argillaceous marl ; of coarse 

 limestone, with clay -balls of a greenish colour ; 

 and of claystone, inclining to calcareous marl, in- 

 cluding nodules of light-yellow and green-colour- 

 ed clay. Along the shore which was examined, 

 and which extends fot a mile and a half, or two 

 miles, the dip and direction of these different beds 

 or layers,^ are sufficiently uniform, excepting at 

 the immediate junction of the trap and sandstone 

 rocks, which presents an appearance extremely 

 curious, and well entitled to the particular atten- 

 tion of the geologist. 



Here the sandstone, deserting its usual dip and 

 direction, seems to run beneath the basalt on every 

 side, in the form of a vast cup or plate, filled with 

 the solid mass of the trap, which rises upright 

 from its edge. Consequently, the dip of the 

 sandstone underneath the north side of the ba- 



