great mass of whin rock is incumbent on git and clay, these latter are commonly thought to be of posterior formation, which makes thisarrangement to be confidered as fingular. Beautiful fpecimens ifradiated bæmatites are found in the quarry near Holyroodhouse, Thefe are intermixed with Reatites, green fi brous iron ore, and calcareous fpar, form ing in many specimens a very uncommon mals.

Neins of calcareous fpar, beautifully ftripped, are met with in many places. Allo lac lunæ, zeolite, and amethyfline quartz crystals. There is a good fad one quarry at the back of the rock.

CALTON HILL.

of We shall only obferve, that the on which the caftles of Dumbarton and Stirling, are built; it is a fpecies of whin flone, and of an exceeding dark colour, called by the Swedish naturalifts trap, by Wallerius, Corneus trapezius niger folidus. It is not in the lealt acted upon by acids; the acid has no other effect upon i, than merely to difcolour the furface. In fome parts of this rock, very beautiful fpecimens of white radiated zeolite have been found, particularly when digging the refervoir for water, under the halfmoon battery; it was hule attended to at the time, and it is believed few fpecimens of it have been preferved, the fragments of the rock being immediately carried off to the high roads, which they are particularly well adapted to, when broken in fufficiently fmall pieces. This kind of zeolite has alfo been found in the lower parts of the rock fronting Pria ces ftreet. When the foundation of the barracks, prefently building in the caftle, were digging, a beautiful zeolite. was found incrafting the whin ftone, of an opake white colour, with rays. diverging from a centre, not the twentieth part of an inch in thickness, and from one to two inches long. The zeolite found here is not affected by being digefted with the ftrongelt acids, owing to its containing a very great proportion of filiceous earth; when expofed to the fire it fwells greatly, and its furface exhibits a ftriated rugged appearance.

The ea fide of this rock being molly covered with foil, cannot be nar sly examined; the detached fragments are of the fame nature as the Cattle hill, viz. a coarse-grained trap; fome of which contains a confiderable quantity of hæmatites and fhorl, and is afted upon by acids. Near the top of the hill they affume a perphyric appearance, which is very vifible in the quarry above the Bridewell. The low et ftratum is a coarfe pudding stone, formed of fragments of a porphyrous rock, of a number of different fizes, mixed with a good deal of red fel-fpar; above this ftratum is another of por phyry from 30 to 40 feet thick. A very rare folt was difcovered in this porphyry, in the year 1785, by a French gentleman, viz. the margodes of Linnæus; it was found from the fize

of a

a pea to that of a bazel nut and up wards, of a teffalated cryftalized fhape, with regular, fides and angles, refembling a garnet, of different colours, from a deep red to a light brown coJeur; its earth approaches neareft to that of the zeolite. This curious foffil has alfo been found, in a quarry, upon Arthur's Seat, at the eaft end of the Duke's Walk.

CASTLE HILL.

The rock upon which the caftle of Edinburgh is built is the fame as thofe

fenic, accompany all the metals (ex-dication of coal. When the miners find cepting gold) there may be fome the blaes marked with the impreffions thing proceeding from a partial decom- of vegetables, they never defpair of findpolition in the mine which may retard ing coal. In general, coal lies at a confivegetation, both these fubftances being derable depth below the furface. The noxious to plants. This, however, is feams of coal are from a few inches to not well ascertained. It is believed, eight and ten feet in thickness, and that in the neighbourhood of most of fometimes even more. / the mines prèsently working in this country, large fpots are to be feen, where there is no vegetation. Such appearances ought not therefore to be overlooked.

COAL AND LIME-STONE.

The minerals moft abundant and most ufeful in this country are coal and lime-tone. With regard to the firft, coal, it never is found in primitive ftrata, or in rocks like the metals. The ftrata which accompany coal are fandftone, lime-ftone, blaes, fhiver, and dogger. Unless the country abound with thefe we fhall in vain expe& to find coal. Hence we fee that no coal has been discovered north of the Lomonds of Fife, (excepting in Suther land,) there being no fandstone, lime, or other accompanying materials north wards of these hills: the mountains being, in general, compofed of thiftus and moor-ftone, or granite. The difcovery of foffil plants is also a pretty fure in

Lime-ftone is found both in the pris mary and harder ftrata, and in the fe condary, though most frequently in the latter. Lime-ftone is generally fuppo fed to be derived from the shells and relicts of marine animals, and it is accompanied by fimilar materials as coal; for the most part it is imbedded in fandftone. It is known by the effervescence occafioned by pouring a few drops of aqua fortis on the fone. The incruftation of vegetable matters, by the waters if fuing from lime, commonly known by. the name of petrifying fprings, alfo in dicate the prefence of lime in the neigh bourhood. Limc-ftone feldom lies many fathoms below the furface. In making trials it should be attended to that the upper part or crop of the ftone, as it is called, is never fo rich as that below, the lime being in part diffolved, and wasted by rain and other caufes. C.

TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY OF SCOTLAND. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 166.

ARTHUR'S SEAT

found, a particular fpecies of iron ftone A MOST beautiful and fingular spotted has been difcovered, which rifes in jafper was fome years ago dug out of flabs from the fiffures, and takes a very this hill, below St Anthony's chapel; fine polifh. In the cavives, where at the bafis is generally of one uniform colour, fometimes veined, but always fpotted with another colour. It contains a good deal of iron in fmall round balls; it admits of an elegant polish, and is wrought into feals, buttons, &c. the colours are brown with white fpots, blue with white fpots, white with red fpots, and fometimes all these colours blended together.

At the place where this jafper is

Some account of the more precious tones and remarkable minerals, found in the County, will be given afterwards,

tempts were made to obtain fpecimens of the jafper, feveral remarkable cryf tals were difcovered, partly filiceous and partly calcareous, of the dog-tooth kind, intermixed, and fhooting from the fame bafe. Red-keel, or Ruddle, is a fo found on the north-eaft fide of the hill

SALISBURY CRAIGS.

This hill is well worthy the attention of the naturalift, from the various ftrata that compofe it, which our limits will not admit of going into the detail

of

The north part of the Leny hills on the
Queensferry road, and moft of the op-
polite coaft of Fife, are compofed of a
fimilar fone. It has a quantity of cal
careous matter in its compofition, which
is probably the caufe of its crumbling
down. In many of the fragments, fine
fpecimens of zeolite are alfo fcen. On
the fouth end of the hill, fine quarries
of free-tone have been wrought for
many years. There is a mixed kind of
ftone here, which is fomewhat fingular; it
feems to be a compound of fhiftus and
fand-ftone; it is very hard, and rifes divi-
ded into thin flabs or layers. This tone is
of a very
dark colour, and contains alfo
a quantity of mica, in fmall fhining par-
ticles. What is remarkable, both fides,
of the flab are very rough, and regularly
honeycombed, the prominencies of the
one correfponding to the depreffions of
the flab that adhered to it. This ftone is
fo hard, that if pulverifed, and proper-
ly prepared, it would certainly anfwer
many of the purposes of emery.
PENTLAND HILL, BRAID & BLACKFORD

HILLS.

times the fragments are shapeless, but they are alfo found feparated in layers about three quarters of an inch thick, and bended as if they had been foftened by heat. Nodules appear, too, very generally in the rock, about the fize of peas, which are of the fame compound as the rock itself. This fingular stone contains fuch a proportion of the two ingredients which compofe china and carthen ware, viz. clay and fand, as to be capable of being manufactured into that fort of ware without any addition.

The fountains from whence water is conducted, in caft-iron and wooden pipes to fupply the city, rife near the foot of this hill.

BRAID HILLS

Are next to the Pentland. The higheft is 6yo feet above the fea. Tho the petunfe rock runs through them, and appears now and then in different parts, yet there are feveral other compound rocks here, but none very remarkable. In fome places, to the fouth-eaft, we find the petro-filex. At the fouth cot ner, fpecimens of terra ponderofa have been found, and of zeolite, both in con fiderable maffes. Specimens of black lead have been found on these hills too, in detached maffes. There are some veins of agate difcovered in the rocks, but too thin to be of ufe.

BLACKFORD HILLS.

Braid and Blackford hills are fituated about two miles fouth of Edinburgh. From the materials which compofe them, they may be confidered as a continuation of the Pentland hills. The higheft of the Pentlands is Loganhoufe hill, being 1700 feet above the fea. The caft end is fomewhat abrupt; on Thefe lye nearer Edinburgh, and are the north part of the fummit, the naked feparated from Braid hills by a small face of the rock appears of a pretty live- ftream called Braid's burn. They rife ly white, when feen at a diffance. Its to a more conical top than Braid hills; height is 1450 feet above the fea. This the fummit is 550 feet above the ftone has got the name of Petunfe Pentlandica, from its refemblance to the materials which are employed in China for the manufacture of their porcelain. As it is the only example of this compound ftone in the island, or fo far as we know in Europe, a fhort defcription of it will not be confidered as fuperfluous. This rock is compofed of filiceous and argillaceous earth; fome fpecimens are pure white, others have a flesh colour, and others, again, are cream coloured, with fall fpots of a bright red; fome

fea. The materials are, fo far as we
know, much fimilar to thofe of Braid-
hilis, above defcribed. But there is
found, on the fouth fide of this hill,
a greenish earth, intermixed with spet-
ry matter, which, would indicate the
prefence of copper. There is no timber
upon any of thefe hills, which gives
them a very naked appearance.
corner of that part of Pentland hill we
have noticed, is covered with a very
thick mofs, and coarfe benty grafs, which
makes but indifferent pafture. Black-

The

ford

ford and Braid hills are much overgrown with whins. Between thefe hills there is an opening, which has been im proved to great advantage, and where a very fnug houfe ftood, which, from its fituation, was called the Hermitage of Braid. The prefent proprietor, Charles Gordon, Efq; has built a moft commodious houfe on this spot, after the Gothic ftile, which affords a very agreeable fummer retreat.

CRAIGMILLAR.

This is but a small rifing ground, though, owing to the gradual afcent from the fea, its height is 360 feet above that level; on its top ftands the ancient castle of the fame name, a favourite refidence of Queen Mary. It makes a most venerable appearance, and the view from the windows is highly delightful.

right columns, but form a very obtufe angle. The fummit of the hill is 540 feet above the level of the fea.

Around Edinburgh are feveral feats of confiderable confequence, the most elegant, however, is Duddington, the refidence of the Marquis of Abercorn. The houfe is modern, and the pleasure grounds are laid out to great advantage.

The beautiful fheet of water lying a mile to the north-east of the city, called Lochend, has not been decorated, tho' it is capable of much ornament. This loch, with the romantic rock and building to the east of it, adds much to the picturefque fcenery of that quarter.

Adjoining to the capital on the west and north lies

ST CUTHBERT'S, OR WEST CHURCH parish, which comprehends a great part of the fuburbs of Edinburgh. It is by The rock compofing this eminence far the most populous in Scotland, conis chiefly free-flone: but to the fouth- taining 32,947 inhabitants. This pawell of the caftle there is a ftratum of rifh contains about 9000 acres, the rent indurated clay, forming a fort of shiftus, which contains a good deal of copper, not in veins but intermixed in an irregular manner through the stone.

CRAIG-LOCKHART.

This hill rifes from the weft fide of the Linton road, about two miles fouthweft of Edinburgh. It is beautifully wooded, and forms a romantic fituation for the country refidence of Baron Gordon, the proprietor. This fmall range is covered with fine foil. It divides by a hollow near the middle. Where the rock appears to the northwest, it exhibits bafatic columns much fimilar to thofe of Arthur's feat, but rather more regular and determined in their fhape, forming a fort of femicircle. On the fouth-eaft, another fet of bafattie pillars appear fill more diftinct than the former, and of confiderably fmaller diameter." They are not in up

of which may be estimated at L. 22,500 Sterling. There are feveral excellent free-ftone quarries which fupply the city and contribute to its elegance. The 6 columns in front of the New College, measuring each 23 feet, by 3, the largest perhaps of one entire ftone in the island, were prefented by the proprietor of Craigleith quarry. There are alfo excellent quarries of whinftone working at Bellsmills for pavement. Next to this, is the parish of

CRAMOND, part of which lies in the county of Linlithgow. It is washed by the Frith of Forth on the north, and rifes gradually from the fea, the grounds being varied by beautiful and gentle fwells. The river Amond is the boundary on the weft, the banks of which are beautifully ornamented with wood. There is an iron-work carried on in this parifh to a confiderable extent, and faid to employ a capital of about

The heights we have given are from. L. 30,000 Sterling. tables made out by Mr Laurie and another

gentleman, both from actual furvey. In thefe tables, the hills now mentioned differ confiderably.

Steel, rod-iron,

nails, hoops, fpades, bolts for fhips, and fuch articles, are made here. This parish contains 3390 acres, the rent of