NOTES AND QUERIES. 



115 



were used as baths by the nuns of the convent of Lihon. A similar excavation 

 occurs near Greve de Lecq, in Jersey. 



Situated about seven miles from Guernsey, and twelve from Jersey, lies the 

 beautiful little island of Sark. This island is about three miles and a half in 

 length, and one and a half in breadth. Although small, there are a great many 

 objects of interest in it. It is divided into two parts, Great and Little Sark", 

 connected only by a tall and narrow pass, called the Coupee. On the west side 

 of Sark there lies another still smaller island, called Brechon, or " FIsle des 

 Marchands," which is divided from Sark by the Guilot stream, or channel; this 

 island is about three-fourths of a mile in length, and half a mile broad. Granite 

 and syenite, as usual, form the basis or lowest rock, on which a great variety of 

 the metamorphic rocks repose, forming the body of the island. The granite 

 makes its appearance at the two extremities of the island ; then syenite follows, 

 in which on the southern side many mineral veins exist, and at a place called 

 Port Gorey, in Little Sark, mines of silver were for some time worked ; but the 

 amount raised was not considered sufficient to defray the expenses of the working, 

 so they were after some time entirely abandoned. A great variety of minerals 

 were found in these mines, amongst which were muriate, chloride, and suL- 

 phuret of silver, carbonate, sulphide, sulphuret, and phosphate of lead, 

 carbonate aud sulphuret of copper, sulphuret of antimony, and antimoniferous 

 galena. The beautiful mineral, ruby silver, was also found, and veins and crystals 

 of carbonate of lime. Heaps of the silver ore still remain scattered about near 

 the mouths of the shafts, where good specimens can be obtained. At the time 

 the mines were abandoned the amount of silver which was raised was upwards 

 of twenty-eight thousand ounces, besides a great deal of copper and lead. 



At the Coupee, before mentioned, there is a vein of porcelain-clay, about 

 eleven feet in thickness, which appears to have proceeded from the decomposi- 

 tion of the granite. This is mostly white, but oxide of iron (red, purple, and 

 yellow), and veins of quartz, intersect it in many parts. The rocks in this 

 locality are of mica-schist, and at a place called "Le Pont du Moulin" they assume 

 an interesting appearance, on account of their horizontal stratification, this is 

 particularly remarkable in three masses of rocks, called the Alterns (Les 

 Antelets), near this spot. 



Saxa, vocantltali, nudus quag in fluctibus aras.— Viegil. 



These singular looking masses stand out alone, some distance from the shore, 

 and look like piles of masonry, or some artificial structure. Probably they were 

 the buttresses of a natural arch which has been washed away by the sea. On 

 approaching the northern point the original granite again makes its appearance, 

 and on the eastern side of the island veins of trap, greenstone, and quartz occur. 

 Porphyry too is found near Le Greve ; the quartz sometimes is found of a pink 

 colour, somewhat resembling the rose or milk quartz so abundant in Norway and 

 Sweden. Pot-stone, or lapis ollaris, is found near Havre Gosslin, and is used 

 by the inhabitants in making vessels for domestic use, as it can easily be cut 

 with a knife. Talc, hornblende, actinolite, and chlorite are also found. 



The island of Brechon, or l'lsle des Marchands, consists chiefly of gneiss ; 

 but veins of different rocks occur, and here a mineral lode was discovered and 

 worked with some success ; but this also was finally abandoned. Copper was 

 the principal metal found there. Another metal lode was discovered at Le Pot. 

 In Little Sark, in many of the caves metallic traces are discernible : iron pyrites 

 is found in some of them. 



I cannot conclude these remarks on the geology of these islands without some 

 notice of the curious caverns found in many of the cliffs, called by the natives 

 *? creux." These are crater-shaped cavities, having generally steep rocky sides 



