ISLE e 
Ample contrivance would at all times render the paflage 
fecure, as the vifitor lofes much of the grandeur of the 
cave by not eroding the lake; and indeed it is foinewhat 
furprifmg that, though the cave has been much frequented 
for two years, more convenient means of eroding the 
pool Ihould not have been furnilhed. The oppofite paf- 
fage, into which the farther end of the plank mult be 
placed, is entered by a narrow opening not more than 
three feet wide, but of great height. The Tides of this 
door are formed by two immenfe engaged pillars of pure 
fpar. That on the left is a ruftic column about fix feet 
in circumference, and about fixteen feet high, but with¬ 
out any bafe. It is a plain lhaft rifing abruptly from the 
floor, and is without a capital, the upper part being lolt 
in the general fparry protuberances which cover the inner 
fldes and roof of the porch, and which falhion the rough 
entablature of this pillar. That which fupports the right 
flde of this aperture is of the utmolt regularity, and is in¬ 
comparably more aftpn-i thing and elegant than any of the 
fliapes which the fpar has taken in the other parts of the 
cave. This column is one of Nature’s finelt productions; 
and certainly there has no where been difeovered fuch an 
admirable contexture of parts as it exhibits. Its regu¬ 
larity, indeed, would almoft declare it to be the work of 
art, but its intricacy and -grandeur mark it as far fur- 
pa fling the powers of human ingenuity. The lhaft of this 
pillar is nearly cylindrical, and may be about twenty feet 
in length, and in its general breadth not lefs than two 
feet and a half. It is placed upon a regular circular bafe, 
riling lix inches from the floor, and projecting about 
twelve inches from the pillar. The bafe is compofed of 
ftalagmitical concretions, and is partly vvaftied by the water 
of the pool. The pillar has the general look of a Sara¬ 
cenic or a Norman column, formed by a feries of feCtions 
having the fame (hape, and nearly the fame flze, which 
individually appear as if correCtly adjuited one above the 
other. Each of thefe portions is again divifible into two 
•diftinCt parts, the upper one being a cryftallized mafs of 
ftalagmites, fomewhat like clutters of the fruit of the 
mountain-afn, while the under part at firft light refem- 
bles the foliated carvings of the Corinthian or Compoflte 
capital inverted. Upon a more minute examination, this 
diviflon is found to difplay a ItruCture of the moft me¬ 
thodical and furprifmg arrangement. The circumference 
of the pillar, or at leatt all of it which juts forward, is at 
this part made up of Ihining ftalaCfitical incruftations, 
conftruCted like the leaves of the foxglove, inverted and 
placed in a tafteful manner. Each leaf is fufpended, or 
feems to ifiue from the mafs above, and is inlerted at its 
point into a limilar concretion below. Thefe leaves are 
mferted in regular order to form the circle of the pillar, 
and they are totally unconnected with each other, fo that 
the hand can eafily be introduced betwixt and behind 
each of them. They are lomewhat conduplicated, of con- 
fiderable thicknefs, having the hollowed lide and edges 
turned outwards. The interftices of thefe leaves give a 
complete infpeCtion of the internal part of this column, 
which is a combination of the fame foliated incruftations 
with its exterior, every inner leaf being in the fame way 
feparate, and for the molt part oppofite to the fpace left 
by the outer range. This column, then, is made up by 
an alternation of fuch feCtions, placed in the moft perfeCt 
order, firmly cemented, and each being about twenty-two 
inches high. The foliated portion being the largeft, and 
•the corymbiated the fmalieft. 
Within this door, formed by the pillars now attempted 
to be deferibed, the cavity enlarges to about ten feet in 
width, the fldes of w'hich expofe a continuation of the 
fame fnow-white fpar, thrown into elegant cryftallizations 
not to be numbered, which emit a dazzling luftre in every 
direction. The floor is here alfo of white marble, but of 
a more Angular conformation than that which is displayed 
any where elfe in the cave. From the entry to this inner 
chamber the floor delcends very gently, and is principally 
moulded into a curved line, bearing, from its peculiar 
Vol. XI. No. 765. 
f - S K Y E. 433 
contexture, aftrong fimilitude to a piece of lace laid upon 
edge; but the fldes are not alike. It is two inches broad, 
rifing from the horizontal incruftations below, which is 
the proper floor, and feems as if caft into one uninter¬ 
rupted cord, confiding of many convolutions. The lower 
part, where it begins to jut up from the level, is a quarter 
of an yich thick; but it gradually becomes thinner, and 
terminates in a (harp edge, the whole of which edge is of 
an equal height along all the turns. One fide of this 
lace-looking cord is quite fmooth, but the other is wholly 
covered with fhining cryftallizations, and upon this flde, 
over the whole courfe of this convoluted chain, the waved 
interftices are filled with water, from which thefe cryftalli¬ 
zations have no doubt been depofited. 
About thirty feet from the pool the beauty of the cave 
ends. The fpace becomes dark ; the fparry incruftations 
are abruptly broken off; the bare black rock is-expofed ; 
and a narrow aperture in it here feems to terminate the 
cave, as this paflage is too much confined and fteep for 
farther inveftigation. 
From the grand external entrance of the cave to this 
place, the diftance may be about two hundred and fifty 
feet, and in a direction nearly rectilinear, though confi- 
derably elevated above the furface of the fea, the high- 
water mark of which may be about fifty-five feet lower 
than the level of the pool. 
There are different ways by which the traveller can get 
accefs to the cave. If he proceeds by fea, be may explore 
it without any bodily fatigue. His veflel can lie off the 
(bore, or anchor at the bay of Kilmoree, about four miles 
higher up Loch Slappen, or at another anchorage twq 
miles farther on, nearer the head of the loch; but in mo¬ 
derate weather, a veflel may lately anchor any where in the 
loch, which is tolerably clean, and free of rocks, and, along 
the Ihores, has from ten to fourteen fathoms water. 
Until a late period, it was a difficult undertaking to 
vifit the Hie of Skye in any other manner than by fea, as 
the roads in it were fo bad and inacceflible, that no 
wheeled carriage could pafs along them. Even on horfe- 
back the journey was dangerous, as well as tedious, but 
of late, by the interference and affiftance of government, 
good carriage-roads have been conftruCted, and are form¬ 
ing through many of the highland diftriCts; and the accefs 
to Skye, formerly fo arduous, will foon, from all quarters, 
be equally ready and agreeable as to other parts of the 
highlands. Nor is Skye itlelf, in this refpeCt, behind the 
main land. A line of road is now nearly finilhed from one 
end of the illand to the other, which mult greatly facili¬ 
tate other improvements rapidly advancing in that exten- 
five and interefting country,-and which mull foon put it 
on a level with other parts of the kingdom, as this illand 
wants neither gentlemen of information and enterprife, 
nor a foil capable of being brought to the perfection of 
diftant counties, were the climate alike favourable for 
agricultural purpofes. 
As yet, the molt: direft road to Skye from the fouth, is 
by Fort-William; but the other lines which are projected, 
and at prefent going forward, will render the communi¬ 
cation from the capital ftill more direCt, though the exe¬ 
cution of them muff be attended with enormous expence 
and labour. 
ISLE of WIGHT, an illand in the Englilh Channel, 
near the 'coaft, and forming a part of the county of Hants. 
Its form is an irregular fquare, or, as it has been fancifully 
luppofed, like a bird with expanded wings; about twenty- 
one miles in length, and thirteen in breadth, containing 
five towns, thirty parilhes, and about 18,000 inhabitants. 
It is nearly divided into two parts by the river Medina, 
which rifes near the fouth coaft, and runs into the fea on 
the north fide of the illand, near Cowes ; and a ridge of 
hills traverfes the illand from eaft to weft; to the north 
of which the land is chiefly meadow and pafture, to the 
fouth chiefly arable land; the hills themfelves affording 
pafture for a' great number of flieep. The fouth Coaft is 
bounded with fteep rocks of chalk and free-ftone, and on 
5 S the 
