I5ASALTES. 56 ? 
Staffa which was then opposed to them, or the east- 
ern side. 
The island of Staffa lies on the west coast of 
Mull, and is about a mile long and half a mile 
broad. We learn from the description which Sir 
Joseph Banks has given of this island, that there 
is a small bay on the west side, where boats gene- 
rally land ; a little to the southward of which the 
first appearance of pillars is to be observed. These 
are small, and, instead of being placed upright, 
lie down on their sides, each forming a segment 
of a circle. Above a small cave in the neighbour- 
hood of these pillars, others are found, of larger 
dimensions and inclined in all directions, particu- 
larly a small mass, which very much resembles the 
ribs of a ship. “ From hence,” says Sir Joseph, 
“ having passed the cave, which, if it is not low 
water, you must do in a boat, you come to the 
first ranges of pillars, which are still not above half 
as lai •ge as those a little beyond. Over against this 
place is a small island, called in Erse, Boo-sha~Ia, 
separated from the main by a channel not many fa- 
thoms wide : this whole island is composed of pil- 
lars without any stratum above them ; they are still 
small, but by much the neatest formed of any about 
the place.” 
The sea at high water separates this island into 
two parts, one of which makes a sort of cone, the 
pillars converging towards the centre ; while on the 
other, the basaltes in general lie down Hat, and in 
the front towards the sea are beautifully jmcked 
