33 
And the following communication from Capt. George W. 
Hughes, of the Topographical Engineers, a member of the In¬ 
stitution. 
To Francis Markoe, Jr., Esip, 
Corresponding Secretary of the National Institution , Washington . 
London, November 26, 1840. 
Dear Sir : When I last wrote from Glasgow, I promised at a future period to 
give some account of the proceedings of the British Association for the Advance¬ 
ment of Science ; but circumstances force me to limit my plan, and this letter will, 
therefore, be confined mainly to the proceedings of the Geological and Mechanical 
sections at times when I was present. 
I left London on the 16th ultimo for Glasgow, in Scotland, where the Associa¬ 
tion held its meeting for 1840, and arrived at the place of my destination on the 
18th. The letters of which I was the bearer enabled me without delay to procure 
a free ticket, which constituted me a member for the session. 
Among the number of distinguished persons convened on the occasion, to 
whom I was presented, was Professor Phillips, who very politely remarked that he 
could not accompany the geological excursion to Arran on the morrow, which had 
been projected, and as there was but a limited number of tickets given, he would 
transfer his own to me. I was sorry for the cause, but greatly obliged by his kind¬ 
ness, as it was an expedition I was extremely anxious to join. We rose early, 
breakfasted at Ardrossan, and embarked, about seventy in number, in the steamer 
“Isle of Arran,” far the Isle of Arran. 
Mr. Murchison, who had previously visited Arran in company with Professor 
Sedgwick, and reported on its geology, headed the section; and as we neared the 
shore, commenced his lecture, from the steamboat, on its geological structure. 
Among his auditors were Messrs. Griffith, of Ireland, De La Beche, Buckland, 
Jacobi, of St. Petersburg, Link, the great botanist from Berlin, and many others 
of reputation. Owing to the precipitous nature of the shores and the perfect 
calmness of the weather, our steamer, of light draught, was enabled to coast 
along very near to the Island, thus favoring us with an opportunity of most 
clearly recognising the superposition of the rocks and their various stratifica¬ 
tion. We approached Arran near where the whole coal field is seen in epitome, 
enclosed between the old conglomerate red sandstone and the new. The old red 
sandstone, he says, ought to contain fossil fish, (and he thinks they will be found, 
but as yet none have been discovered,) as this rock is known almost universally to 
abound with them; and he had found the same characteristic fossil throughout 
Russia, it being of a species called by him Holoptychus Nobilisimus , in honor of 
his friend, the Rev. Mr. Noble. The new red sandstone contains producti and 
other fossil remains of a kindred character. The series here dip north, descending, 
and are overlaid by carbonate of lime. Within sight of Sannox, to the north, is 
a remarkable hill rising to the height of 800 or 900 feet, called Craig-a-Caajou 3 
or the great ecroulement of red conglomerate, large masses of which are found 
3 
