fame Strata in Ireland and Scotland. 8i 
the following bearings. The Dutchman’s Cap N.VV. — Cairn- 
borough N. by W. — The Paps of Jura (over Mull) S. by W. 
The greateft extent of the ifland is about one mile from 
N.E. to S.W. and in one part not more than a quarter of a 
mile from S.E. to N.W . It is tolerably level, the fhore every 
where fteep, and the cliffs formed by bafalt pillars or rude lava. 
The ufual landing place for boats is in a fmall cove on the 
N.E. fide of the ifland ; but we were affured, that there is no 
anchorage for veffels round its whole coaft. On the fouth fide, 
rifing from a nearly horizontal bed of reddifh ftone, are beautiful 
bafalt pillars of confiderable height, and {landing vertically ; at 
a little diftance are others inclined, and others which are 
curved, very hmilar to the ribs of a fhip. 1 here are three 
caverns amidft the bafaltic pillars ; the northernmoft goes in to 
the eaftward, how far I know not ; for, though we went en- 
tirely round the ifland in our boat, the tide was too high, and 
the fwell too great, to permit our entering any % of the caverns 
without the utmoft rifk ; we therefore forbore to make fo 
dangerous an attempt. One of the caverns is now u finally 
called Fingal’s Cave ; but the fchool-mafter at Icolmkill in- 
formed us, that the Erfie name for it is Fein, which fignines 
the melodious or echoing cave. On the northern part of the 
ifland, and at the cove where we landed, the cliffs are of 
coarfe lava, without any pillars. In fome parts of the ifland 
the tops of the pillars are ftanding bare ; in other parts the fur- 
face is formed by a rude argillaceous lava, full of bladder- 
holes, fome empty, others replete with quartz cryftals. Calca- 
reous fpar, pebbles of indurated clay and fhoerl, detached 
pieces of zeolite, are frequently feen, and the vegetable foil is 
a decompofed lava. In fome places we met with gravel con- 
taining pebbles of bafaltes, of red granite, and of quartz, 
Vol. LXXX. M whofe 
