NOTES AND QUERIES. 
113 
the extent of the forest may have been g^reatly exaggerated in these traditions, 
yet that in a former age there were decidedly trees growing there ; and that the 
sea has encroached, as I believe it still continues to do, on the land. I have 
no doubt that if search was made peat would be discovered under the sand, as 
is the case in a similar locaKty at Yason Bay, Guernsey, which I will speak of 
hereafter, where filbert-nuts and vegetable remains are found, just as in the peat- 
deposits in Ireland and other places. 
From this spot the rugged cliffs of the northern shore commence extending 
onward for about twelve miles: they are granitic; but veins of syenite, quartz, 
felspar, and porphyry everywhere intersect the granite. On this coast there are 
numerous quarries of the granite already mentioned at Mont Mado ; also some 
porphyry quarries at a place called Fremont. The stone here looks almost as 
white as chalk ; but on being broken it is often curiously stained with oxide of 
iron. If after passing these quarries the road is taken to the left, it will 
lead over the cKffs to Bowlay Bay, which is a very interesting locality to the 
geologist. 
Here commences the curious conglomerate, or pudding-stone, which extends 
along the eastern coast. It consists of fragments of rocks cemented together 
with an argillaceous paste containing oxide of iron. In this vein it occurs of 
a beautiful green colour. Here, too, nu^nerous pieces of a compact green 
felspar are to be found strewed over the beach in various directions. The 
conglomerate extends along the shore as far as St. Catharine's Bay, where it 
abruptly ceases, and joins the porphyritic rocks which form the coastline as far 
as Groutville Bay, where the schistose rocks, forming the southern portion of 
the island, commence. On the road near Gorey one of those singular Druidical 
cromlechs will be seen, of which there are several in the island. In these, 
human bones, and even entire skeletons, amulets, flint-implements, celts, 
cleavers, ashes, and pieces of pottery, have from time to time been discovered. 
Beds of amygdaloid are found in the island, which is much used for building- 
purposes. In many of the syenite quarries, on the surface of the stone, slight 
traces of binoxide of manganese have been found. 
Green porphyry is also quarried in some parts of the island. The following 
is a list of the principal minerals which have been found in the various parts of 
the island of Jersey. Iron-pyrites ; oxide of iron ; binoxide of manganese ; 
copper-pyrites; quartz; epidote; carbonate of lead; felspar; hornblende; 
titanium. 
The geology of the island of Guernsey is more varied, and consequently more 
interesting than that of Jersey ; but I can only briefly notice a few of the most 
striking points in it. The southern part of the island rises to the greatest 
height, and consists chiefly of gneiss and other similar rocks ; the western 
side is principally sycnitic. Granite makes its appearance at the northern 
extremity; then hornblende (both schistose and amorphous) foUows on the 
eastern side ; syenite appearing here and there. The town of St. Peter-Pout 
is situated in a valley, between the junction of the syenite and gneiss. There 
serpentine is found ; also talcose schist. A blue grey variety of granite is 
extensively quarried and much used for budding-purposes ; and veins of that 
curious mineral, "graphic granite," are found in the island. The rocky 
scenery of the southern cliffs is extremely grand and magnificent ; and there are 
some curiously shaped rocks at a place called Moulin Huet. These appear to 
be of a schistose character; and on account of the decomposition of the rock 
by the influence of sea and air, numerous minute cones have been formed, and 
the disturbed portions of stone lying about in every direction give a very 
picturesque appearance to the scene. In the parish of Torteval trap is found, 
veining the gneissic rocks, and presenting the usual terrace-like appearance. 
Small and narrow veins of crystalline carbonate of liuie arc found in the gneiss, 
VOL. IV. p 
