ON THE HIGHLANDS. 



The conglomerate now described, is a portion 

 of the great mass of the same substance, which 

 stretches along the foot of the whole range of 

 Highland or primitive country, from the south- 

 west to the north- east of Scotland. It rests, I pre- 

 sume, on Clay-slate, to which it is obviously a 

 subsequent formation, and which it accompanies 

 all along, in the same geognostic position ; but 

 from the thick covering of soil, where I happened 

 to pass, I had no opportunity of observing the 

 junction. On the other hand, the conglomerate 

 itself appears to be covered at a lower level, with 

 a species of limestone, possibly floetz, the beds of 

 which affect a conformable direction and dip, 

 having been discovered in different places, to the 

 south-west and north-east, along its course. 



Of these formations, I did not ascertain the re- 

 lative extent. From what is mentioned in the 

 Statistical Account cf Callender, it is probable 

 that each of them occupies about a mile in breadth, 

 of the surface ground. — The beds of Sandstone 

 which are found towards the east of this district, 

 and which contain beds and veins of Greenstone, 

 are probably connected with the commencement 

 of the coal formation. 



It will be interesting, in a geognostic view, 

 when more particular observation shall enable us 

 to determine, to what class the Transition or 

 Floetz, in the series of formations, the Con- 

 glomerate of Callender should be referred. Its 

 relative position might naturally lead us to con- 



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