BASALTES. 
565 
state of an oxide must abound in those regions. 
To the eastward of the bay there are said to be 
beds of this ochre, of prismatic basaltes in regular 
colonnades, and of other basaltes which are jumbled 
together in a very confused manner, and mixed 
with earth. These alternate beds of basaltes and 
ochre are several times repeated, but the ochre par- 
ticularly occupies the lower part of this enormous 
heap, of which the height has been estimated at 
about three hundred and fifty feet. 
“ The time stole on,” says M. Pictet, “ and our 
benevolent and active conductor had still other 
things to show us, more to the eastward ; but as it 
is bad travelling on the beach, especially when the 
sea is rough, we returned along the same path by 
which we had descended, and for two miles fol- 
lowed all the windings of- this steep coast; from 
time to time cautiously approaching the edge of 
the declivity, to enjoy the prospect of the inac- 
cessible bay below, where the sea may be seen 
rolling in and breaking furiously upon the black 
rocks which collect upon their banks. These bays 
are entirely covered by columnar basaltes arranged 
in floors, piled upon each other, till they almost 
reached us. 
“ Continuing to follow this remarkable coast, we 
arrived at the end of a promontory, whose greatest 
height is towards the sea, where it resembles the 
point of a gigantic bastion, rising almost vertically 
to the height of three hundred and twenty-two feet 
above the shore : it is called pleskin. Here I want 
