324 ON THE HIGHLANDS. 



side. But, if we conceive an imaginary line pas- 

 sing beneath this ridge, and joining the base at the 

 north and south points, the whole circumference 

 of the mountain at the level of the sea, can hardly 

 be less than 24 or 25 miles, r 



It is along the course of the hollow, or great ra- 

 vine just mentioned, that the summit or higher 

 portion of Ben-Nevis forms its celebrated lofty 

 precipice to the north-east and east ; from the foot 

 Gf which the ground descends towards the north, 

 with a comparatively gentle slope, for several 

 miles, till it reaches the valley or level country in 

 which the Lochy flows. Of the summit and its 

 stupendous precipice, the whole figure may be 

 compared to a mighty dome, out of which, imme- 

 diately below the apex, a portion has been hol- 

 lowed, by an irregular and almost perpendicular 

 section, having a grand projecting front towards 

 the east, but the greatest altitude on the north-east, 

 close to the summit, where this awful and tre- 

 mendous precipice forms a vast solid re-entering 

 angle. — Such is a general outline of the shape of 

 Ben-Nevis. As to its 



STRUCTURE. 



The surface of the mountain is all around far- 

 rowed by a number of streams, the courses of 

 which afford great facilities for determining the 

 nature of the rocks that compose its lower parts. 

 After minutely examining these water-courses, 

 and traversing the surface in various directions, 



