BEN-NEVIS. 327 



for rdany miles on the east and south. The pro- 

 bability has already been noticed, (p. 3i3-)that the 

 range of mountains which extends from Glencoe 

 to Ben-Nevis, consists of an overlying formation, 

 principally of felspar, under a great variety of 

 forms and appearances. This, however, is stated 



merely in the way of conjecture. 1 now pro- 



cee4 to describe more particularly the 



ORYCTOGNOSTIC CHARACTERS 



of the different rocks which compose Ben-Nevis, 

 as they were observed in the course of prose- 

 cuting the investigation along the Base, the Accli- 

 vity, the Summit, and the Precipice. In different 

 parts of this extraordinary alpine tract, the vari- 

 ous objects which meet the eye, in a picturesque 

 point of view, are too striking to be passed over 

 without remark, as we proceed. 



Besides the information to be derived from sur- 

 veying the more prominent masses, which present 

 themselves around the mountain, I have noticed 

 the facilities of examination that are afforded by 

 the water-courses in every direction. In particu- 

 lar, the base and acclivity may be examined with 

 advantage along the course of five streams, which 

 divide the circumference into the same number of 

 unequal portions, and some of which conduct at 

 length to the dark-coloured rock that forms the 

 summit. These are 1. The Stone -burn, which 

 takes its rise under the precipice to the east, and 

 holds its course nearly northward ; 2. The Mill- 



x 4 



