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For it may be clemonilrated that they
are not cryftals formed by nature, by
their not being produced as all other
cryftals are, by external appoiition (per
appoiitionem) nor in any other matrix,
as is common to cryftals.
It would be very difficult to determine
whether the matter o f which
thefe prifmatic pillars coniift, burft
into thefe regular forms after it was
melted, and was growing cold, or
whilft it was drying, as you feem inclined
to believe : 1 cannot deny that
my eyes have prepoifeiTed me in favour
o f the firft opinion, in all thofe places
where I have feen any o f thefe pillars ;
but as fo many objedions may be offered
againft this opinion, I am obliged
to leave the matter undetermined.
The following may, however, ferve as,
a proof, that I did not, without due
foundation, believe them to be a kind
of lava, that burft in growing cold
and hard. Firft, you find both in the
iiland o f Staffa and many other places,
that the pillars ftand on lava or tuff,
and are furrounded by this matter.
Secondly,
Secondly, at Staffa, there was a large
ftratum above the pillars, and in ti
were many pieces o f thefe pillars
irregularly thrown among one another,
which leaves us to conjedure
that they muft have been more in
number, and higher after an old eruption
o f fire, but that a fubfequent
eruption had overthrown them, and
mixed them with the whole mafs.
Thirdly, we found orle o f thefe pillars,
on breaking it, full o f drops, almoft
like a ftaladite or dripping ftone ; and
none furely will pretend a bafalt to be
of fuch acompofition. Fourthly, 1 have
formerly faid, that the pillars in fome
places refemhle the infide timber-work
of a fhip; that is to fay, thefe pillars,
which moft probably were quite ftrait
at firft, in falling received this crooked ^
inclination; nor were they only the
joints o f the outermoft or loweft fide
which warped a little, but each ftone
was bent jfingly. Fifthly, we found
on the fliore at Huitara, near Skallholt,
a fragmentof bafalt, with a piece o f glafs
flicking in it, in the fame manner as
cryftals, like garnets, are found in the
bafalts
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