S t o n e s .
•Arran, and the Firth of Clyde, bounded by Airjhire; an ama J
tradl of mountains to the N. E. as far as Ben-lomond ¡ SkJ
finifhed the Northern view; and over the Weftern ocean vrj
Mattered Colonfay and Oranfay, Mull, Jona, and its neighborij
groupe of ifles ; and ftill further the long extents of Tirey and J
juft apparent. •
On the fummit are feveral lofty cairns, not the work of devotiol
hut o f idle herds, or curious travellers. Even this v a il heap J
ñones was not uninhabited : a hind paffed along the fades full JpeJ
and a brace of Ptarmigans often favored us with their appearanJ
even near the fummit. ,
The other paps are feen very diftindly ; each inferior in height J
this, but all of the fame figure, perfectly mamillary. Mr. BaúswL
his friends mounted that to the South, and found the height to bj
two thoufand three hundred and fifty-nine feet: but Beim-an-tirim
over-topped i t ; feated on the pinnacle, the depth below was tii
mendous on every fide.
The ñones of this mountain are white (a few red) quartzy andl
compofed o f fmall grains; but fome are brecciated, or filled wit!
cryftalline kernels, of an amethyftine color. The other ñ o n e s ofthl
ifland that fell under my obfervation, were a cinereous ila te , veined
with red, and ufed here as a whet-ftone ; a micaceous fand-ítonel I
and between the fmall ijles and Ardefin, abundance of a quartzy micJ I
ceous rock-ftone.
Return by the fame road, crofs the Sound, and n o t finding til
veffel arrived, am moft hofpitably received by Mr. Freckim, »1
Freeport, near Port-afkaig, his refidence on the Southern fide of the!
water, in the ifland of
I i » <1
I i . A Y .
Walk into the interior'parts: on the way fee abundance of rock and
lit marie, convertible in the bell o f manures. Vifit the mines,
larried on under the directions of Mr. Free ¿/aim, fince the year 1763:
*he ore is of lead, much mixed with copper, which occafions ex-
lenceand trouble in the reparation: the veins rife to the furface,
■ave been worked at intervals for ages, and probably in the time of
■he Norwegians, a nation of miners. The old adventurers worked
By trenching, whigh is apparent every where: the trenches are not
■bove fix feet deep; and the veins which opened into them not
■bore five or fix inches thick'; yet, by means .of fome inftrument,
■inknown to us at prefent, they picked or fcooped out the ore with
■ood fuccefs, following it in that narrow fpace to the length of four
■eet.
I The veins are of various thicknefs -, the firings numerous, con-
Blufting to large bodies, but quickly exhaufled. The lead-ore is
■¡ood: the copper yields thirty-three pounds per hundred; and forty
ounces of filver from a tun of the metal. The lead ore is fmelted in
an air-furnace, near Freeport; and as much fold in the pig, as, fince
■tiefirft undertaking by this gentleman, has brought infix thoufand
Bounds.
I Not far from thefe mines are vail ftrata o f that fpecies o f iron called
W°g-ore, of the concreted kind t beneath that large quantities of vi-
■fiolic mundic.
I On the top o f a hill, at fome little diftance, are fome rocks, with
■great veins of emery running in the midil, in a horizontal direction,
■Md from one to three feet thick.
. ,K k A fmall
JVLY *•'
M ikes o t u a Di
Ison«