I 



116 MINERALOGICAL NOTICES 



Garviemore. — Near the inn of Garviemore, 

 there is in situ a beautiful granite, with large 

 crystals of all the ingredients, particularly mica, 

 and resembling that of Portsoy. A bed of quartzy 

 compact gneiss at a little distance, having a dark 

 bluish colour, has been mistaken, and attempted to 

 be quarried for limestone. 



The Spey. — Along the Spey, the same kind of 

 granite as that observed at Garviemore, frequently 

 occurs, particularly at Cluny. Below Laggan, there 

 is a rock of white coloured granular quartz, beau- 

 tifully interspersed or spangled with scales of mica. 

 As we advance towards Pitmain, the hills on the 

 left side of the river, present vast and rugged fronts 

 of compact gneiss, and mica-slate penetrated with 

 hornblende, of which the strata, particularly of 

 gneiss, are piled above each other to a great height ; 

 and have covered the ground at the foot of the ac 

 clivities, with enormous masses of debris. The same 

 substance, associated occasionally with mica-slate, 

 forms the greatest part of the rocks on the left bank, 

 till we arrive at Aviemore. Here, the mountains 

 of Cairngouram, situated on the south or opposite 

 side of the Spey, arrest the attention of the miner- 

 alogist. 



Cairngouram. — The great mass of this magnifi- 

 cent and extensive range, whose summit appears 

 little inferior to Ben-Nevis in height, is composed 

 of granite, in general uncovered with soil, and un- 

 accompanied with other rocks ; but containing a 



