covered with ftaladitic matter, and fome-
times elegant ftaladites are formed 3 or 4
feet long, and not more than one in diameter,
quite tranfparent ; when the infiltration
of water is great, ftaladites feldom appear,
the rock being covered with a thick muddy
marl ; ftreams of water generally occur
at the bottoms, and water frequently filters
down fome part or other. In the caverns
are dépolirions of fand, earthy matter,
and a variety of rounded Hones, &c. which
clearly prove, that water from a remote
part has found a fubterraneous courfe into
thefe caverns, and probably was the principal
agent at fome period of their formation.
Openings or fwallows frequently occur
of confiderable depth, fome are difclofed
from the furface; as Eldon hole, others are
found in mining : they are generally uneven
at the furface, and the fides are commonly
perpendicular ; they appear to be a part
of
of the ftratum funk, and to have filled
fome cavern below.
The limeftone ftrafum is found frequently
divided by the toadftone, which I fhall
now notice. It forms the furface in various
parts of the county, beginning in
the neighbourhood of Matlock, and dividing
the limeftone for a confiderable dift-
ance near Buxton, and particularly at
Woimhill; in that neighbourhood, it is of
confiderable extent, uneven, and rocky, but
by no means fo much fo as the preceding
ftratum. This fubftance is fingularly aded
upon by the atmofphere, and puts on fuch a
variety of appearances and difference of cha-
raders, as to render it difficult to know it in
its various ftages of decompofition; in fome
places it appears like bafalt, or rather what
is called whinftone; abounding with hornblende,
and in it are found jafper and calce-
dony. At a fmall diftance not exceeding 20
yards