3 20 



ON THE HIGHLANDS. 



aspect, also is found, much penetrated with quartz, 

 and calc-spar. The micaceous strata of this dis. 

 trict, appear to maintain their usual direction. 



STRONTIAN. 



When we pass the ferry at Curran, and the 

 house of Ardgour, on the road to Strontian, we 

 find ourselves in the region of gneiss, which ex- 

 hibits, along this tract, a great variety of aspects 

 and proportions in its component parts. Fre- 

 quently it occurs large striped, like ribbon-jasper ; 

 or filled with reddish-coloured felspar, in every 

 form of layers, veins, masses, and nodules, which 

 give the rock a very peculiar, and often beautiful 

 appearance. Indeed, in the structure of the rock, 

 much undulation almost every where prevails. 

 About three miles from Strontian, towards the 

 east, granite appears, in various shades of red 

 and grey, depending chiefly on the colour of the 

 felspar. 



In the interval, therefore, between Balahelish 

 and Strontian, we have clay- slate, mica-slate, 

 grteiss, and granite, as we were taught to expect, 

 on geognostic principle. Here, accordingly, is an 

 important faci Something, indeed, approaching 

 to truth, must be admitted by the opponents of 

 the Wernerian school, as belonging to a scheme 

 of description, which is thus justified, by the gene- 

 ral similarity of relations, among what are called 



