PREFACE.
Naturalists of every class know too well how Hugh Miller died—the victim of an overworked brain; and how that bright and vigorous spirit was abruptly quenched forever.
During the month of May (1857) Mrs. Miller came to Malvern, after recovering from the first shock of bereavement, in search of health and repose, and evidently hoping to do justice, on her recovery, to the literary remains of her husband. Unhappily the excitement and anxiety naturally attaching to a revision of her husband's works proved over much for one suffering under such recent trial, and from an affection of the brain and spine which ensued; and, in consequence, Mrs. Miller has been forbidden, for the present, to engage in any work of mental labor.
Under these circumstances, and at Mrs. Miller's request, I have undertaken the editing of "The Cruise of the Betsey, or a Summer Ramble among the Fossiliferous Deposits of the Hebrides," as well as "The Rambles of a Geologist," hitherto unpublished, save as a series of articles in the "Witness" newspaper. The style and arguments of Hugh Miller are so peculiarly his own, that I have not presumed to alter the text, and have merely corrected some statements incidental to the condition of geological knowledge at the time this work was penned. "The Cruise of the Betsey" was written for that well-known paper the "Witness" during the period when a disputation productive of much bitter feeling waged between the Free and Established Churches of Scotland; but as the Disruption and its history possesses little interest to a large class of the readers of this work, who will rejoice to follow their favorite author among the isles and rocks of the "bonnie land," I have expunged some passages, which I am assured the author would have omitted had he lived to reprint this interesting narrative of his geological rambles. Hugh Miller battled nobly for his faith while living. The sword is in the scabbard: let it rest!
W.S. SYMONDS.
Pendock Rectory, April 1, 1858.
CONTENTS.
PART I. | |
| Preparation—Departure—Recent and Ancient Monstrosities—A FreeChurch Yacht—Down the Clyde—Jura—Prof. Walker'sExperiment—Whirlpool near Scarba—Geological Character of theWestern Highlands—An Illustration—Different Ages of Outer andInner Hebrides—Mt. Blanc and the Himalayas "mereupstarts"—Esdaile Quarries—Oban—A Section through Conglomerateand Slate examined—McDougal's Dog-stone—Power of the Ocean tomove Rocks—Sound of Mull—The Betsey—The Minister'sCabin—Village of Tobermory—The "Florida," a Wreck of theInvincible Armada—Geologic Exploration and Discovery—At Anchor. | 15 |
| The Minister's Larder—No Harbor—Eigg Shoes—Tormentillaerecta—For the Witness' Sake—Eilean Chaisteil—Appearance ofEigg—Chapel of St. Donan—Shell-sand—Origin of SecondaryCalcareous Rock suggested—Exploration of Eigg—Pitchstone Veins—ABone Cave—Massacre at Eigg—Grouping of Human Bones in theCave—Relics—The Horse's Tooth—A Copper Sewing Needle—Teethfound—Man a worse Animal than his Teeth show him to have beendesigned for—Story of the Massacre—Another Version—Scuir ofEigg—The Scuir a Giant's Causeway—Character of theColumns—Remains of a Prostrate Forest. | 31 |
| Structure of the Scuir—A stray Column—The Piazza—A buried PineForest the Foundation of the Scuir—Geological Poachers in a FossilPreserve—Pinites Eiggensis—Its Description—Witham'sExperiments on Fossil Pine of Eigg—Rings of the Pine—Ascent ofthe Scuir—Appearance of the Top—White Pitchstone—Mr. Greig'sDiscovery of Pumice—A Sunset Scene—The Manse and the Yacht—TheMinister's Story—A Cottage Repast—American Timber drifted to theHebrides—Agency of the Gulf Stream—The Minister's Sheep. | 49 |
| An Excursion—The Chain of Crosses—Bay of Laig—Island ofRum—Description of the Island—Superstitions banished by pureReligion—Fossil Shells—Remarkable Oyster Bed—New species ofBelemnite—Oölitic Shells—White Sandstone Precipices—GiganticPetrified Mushrooms—"Christabel" in Stone—Musical Sand—JabelNakous, or Mountain of the Bell—Experiments of Travellers atJabel Nakous—Welsted's Account—Reg-Rawan, or the MovingSand—The Musical Sounds inexplicable—Article on the subject inthe North British Review. | 66 |
| Trap-dykes—"Cotton Apples"—Alternation of Lacustrine with MarineRemains—Analogy from the Beds of Esk—Aspect of the Island on itsnarrow Front—The Puffin—Ru Stoir—Development of Old RedSandstone—Striking Columnar character of Ru Stoir—Discovery ofReptilian Remains—John Stewart's wonder at the Bones in theStones—Description of the Bones—"Dragons, Gorgons, andChimeras"—Exploration and Discovery pursued—The MidwayShieling—A Celtic Welcome—Return to the Yacht—"Array of Fossilsnew to Scotch Geology"—A Geologist's Toast—Hoffman and hisFossil. | 85 |
| Something for Non-geologists—Man Destructive—A Better and LastCreation coming—A Rainy Sabbath—The Meeting House—TheCongregation—The Sermon in Gaelic—The Old Wondrous Story—TheDrunken Minister of Eigg—Presbyterianism without Life—Dr.Johnson's Account of the Conversion of the People of Rum—Romanismat Eigg—The Two Boys—The Freebooter of Eigg—Voyage resumed—TheHomeless Minister—Harbor of Isle Ornsay—Interesting GneissDeposit—A Norwegian Keep—Gneiss at Knock—CuriousChemistry—Sea-cliffs beyond Portsea—The Goblin Luidag—Scenery ofSkye. | 105 |
| Exploration resumed—Geology of Rasay—An Illustration—The Storrof Skye—From Portree to Holm—Discovery of Fossils—An IslandRain—Sir R. Murchison—Labor of Drawing a Geological Line—ThreeEdinburgh Gentlemen—Prosopolepsia—Wrong Surmises corrected—TheMail Gig—The Portree Postmaster—Isle Ornsay—An OldAcquaintance—Reminiscences—A Run for Rum—"Semi-fossilMadeira"—Idling on Deck—Prognostics of a Storm—Description ofthe Gale—Loch Scresort—The Minister's lost Sou-wester—The FreeChurch Gathering—The weary Minister. | 123 |
| Geology of Rum—Its curious Character illustrated—Rum famous forBloodstones—Red Sandstones—"Scratchings" in the Rocks—AGeological Inscription without a Key—The Lizard—Vitality brokeninto two—Illustrations—Speculation—Scuir More—Ascent of theScuir—The Bloodstones—An Illustrative Set of the Gem—M'Culloch'sPebble—A Chemical Problem—The solitary Shepherd's House—Sheepversus Men—The Depopulation of Rum—A Haul of Trout—Rum Mode ofcatching Trout—At Anchor in the Bay of Glenelg. | 139 |
| Kyles of Skye—A Gneiss District—Kyle Rhea—A Boiling Tide—A"Take" of Sillocks—The Betsey's "Paces"—In the Bay atBroadford—Rain—Island of Pabba—Description of the Island—ItsGeological Structure—Astrea—Polypifers—Gryphœaincurva—Three Groups of Fossils in the Lias of Skye—Abundance ofthe Petrifactions of Pabba—Scenery—Pabba a "piece of smooth,level England"—Fossil Shells of Pabba—- Voyage resumed—KyleAkin—Ruins of Castle Maoil—A "Thornback" Dinner—The Bunch ofDeep Sea Tangle—The Caileach Stone—Kelp Furnaces—Escape of theBetsey from sinking. | 159 |
| Isle Orusay—The Sabbath—A Sailor-minister's Sermon forSailors—The Scuir Sermon—Loch Carron—Groups of Moraines—A sheepDistrict—The Editor of the Witness and the EstablishmentClergyman—Dingwall—Conon-side revisited—The Pond and itsChanges—New Faces.—The Stonemason's Mark—The Burying-ground ofUrquhart—An old Acquaintance—Property Qualification for Voting inScotland—Montgerald Sandstone Quarries—Geological Science inCromarty—The Danes at Cromarty—The Danish Professor and the "OldRed Sandstone"—Harmonizing Tendencies of Science. | 178 |
| Ichthyolite Beds—An interesting Discovery—Two Storeys of OrganicRemains in the Old Red Sandstone—Ancient Ocean of Lower OldRed—Two great Catastrophes—Ancient Fish Scales—Their skilfulMechanism displayed by examples—Bone Lips—Arts of the Slater andTiler as old as Old Red Sandstone—Jet Trinkets—FlintArrow-heads—Vitrified Forts of Scotland—Style of grouping LowerOld Red Fossils—Illustration from Cromarty FishingPhenomena—Singular Remains of Holoptychius—Ramble with Mr. RobertDick—Color of the Planet Mars—Tombs never dreamed of byHervey—Skeleton of the Bruce—Gigantic Holoptychius—"Coal moneyCurrency"—Upper Boundary of Lower Old Red—Every one may add tothe Store of Geological Facts—Discoveries of Messrs. Dick andPeach. | 192 |
| Ichthyolite Beds of Clune and Lethenbarn—LimestoneQuarry—Destruction of Urns and Sarcophagi in theLime-kiln—Nodules opened—Beautiful coloring of theRemains—Patrick Duff's Description—New Genus of MorayshireIchthyolite described—Form and size of the Nodules or StoneCoffins—Illustration from Mrs. Marshall's Cements—Forest ofDarnaway—The Hill of Berries—Sluie—Elgin—Outliers of the Wealdand the Oölite—Description of the Weald at Linksfield—Mr. Duff'sLepidotus minor—Eccentric Types of Fish Scales—Visit to theSandstones of Scat-Craig—Fine suit of Fossils at Scat-Craig—Truegraveyard Bones, not mere Impressions—Varieties of pattern—TheDiker's "Carved Flowers"—Stagonolepis, a new Genus—Terminationof the Ramble. | 212 |
SUPPLEMENTARY. | |
| Supplementary—Isolated Reptile Remains in Eigg—Small Islesrevisited—The Betsey again—Storm bound—Tacking—Becalmed—Medusæcaught and described—Rain—A Shoal of Porpoises—Change ofWeather—The bed-ridden Woman—The Poor Law Act forScotland—Geological Excursion—Basaltic Columns—OöliticBeds—Abundance of Organic Remains—Hybodus Teeth—Discovery ofreptile Remains in situ—Musical Sand of Laigre-examined—Explanation suggested—Sail for Isle Ornsay—AnchoredClouds—A Leak sprung—Peril of the Betsey—At work with Pump andPails—Safe in Harbor—Return to Edinburgh. | 233 |
PART II. RAMBLES OF A GEOLOGIST. | |
| Embarkation—A foundered Vessel—Lateness of the Harvest dependenton the Geological character of the Soil—A Granite Harvest and anOld Red Harvest—Cottages of Redstone and of Granite—Arable Soilof Scotland the result of a Geological Grinding Agency—Locality ofthe Famine of 1846—Mr. Longmuir's Fossils—Geology necessary to aTheologian—Popularizers of Science when dangerous—"Constitutionof Man," and "Vestiges of Creation"—Atop of the Banff Coach—AGeologist's Field Equipment—The trespassing "Stirk"—SilurianSchists inlaid with Old Red—Bay of Gamrie, howformed—Gardenstone—Geological Free-masonry illustrated—How tobreak an Ichthyolite Nodule—An old Rhyme mended—A raisedBeach—Fossil Shells—Scotland under Water at the time of theBoulder-clays. | 255 |
| Character of the Rocks near Gardenstone—A Defunct Father-lasher—AGeological Inference—Village of Gardenstone—The drunkenScot—Gardenstone Inn—Lord Gardenstone—A Tempest threatened—TheAuthor's Ghost Story—The Lady in Green—Her Appearance andTricks—The Rescued Children—The murdered Peddler and hisPack—Where the Green Dress came from—Village of Macduff—PeculiarAppearance of the Beach at the Mouth of the Deveron—Dr. Emslie'sFossils—Pterichthys quadratus—Argillaceous Deposits ofBlackpots—Pipe-laying in Scotland—Fossils of Blackpots Clay—Mr.Longmuir's Description of them—Blackpots Deposit a Re-formation ofa Liasic Patch—Period of its Formation. | 270 |
| From Blackpots to Portsoy—Character of the Coast—Burn ofBoyne—Fever Phantoms—Graphic Granite—Maupertuis and the RunicInscription—Explanation of the quo modo of GraphicGranite—Portsoy Inn—Serpentine Beds—Portsoy Serpentineunrivalled for small ornaments—Description of it—Significance ofthe term serpentine—Elizabeth Bond and her "Letters"—FromPortsoy to Cullen—Attritive Power of the Ocean illustrated—TheEquinoctial—From Cullen to Fochabers—The Old Red again—The oldPensioner—Fochabers—Mr. Joss, the learned Mail-guard—The Editora sort of Coach-guard—On the Coach to Elgin—Geology ofBanffshire—Irregular paging of the Geologic Leaves—Geologic Mapof the County like Joseph's Coat—Striking Illustration. | 291 |
| Yellow-hued Houses of Elgin—Geology of the Country indicated bythe coloring of the Stone Houses—Fossils of Old Red north of theGrampians different from those of Old Red south—GeologicFormations at Linksfield difficult to be understood—Ganoid Scalesof the Wealden—Sudden Reaction, from complex to simple, in theScales of Fishes—Pore-covered Scales—Extraordinary amount ofDesign exhibited in Ancient Ganoid Scales—Holoptychius Scaleillustrated by Cromwell's "fluted pot"—Patrick Duff's GeologicalCollection—Elgin Museum—Fishes of the Ganges—Armature of AncientFishes—Compensatory Defences—- The Hermit-crab—Spines of thePimelodi—Ride to Campbelton—Theories of the formation ofArdersier and Fortrose Promontories—Tradition of theirconstruction by the Wizard, Michael Scott—A Region of LegendaryLore. | 307 |
| Rosemarkie and its Scaurs—Kaes' Craig—A JackdawSettlement—"Rosemarkie Kaes" and "Cromarty Cooties"—"The Danes,"a Group of Excavations—At Home in Cromarty—The Boulder-clay ofCromarty "begins to tell its story"—One of its marked ScenicPeculiarities—Hints to Landscape Painters—"Samuel's Well"—AChain of Bogs geologically accounted for—Another ScenicPeculiarity—"Ha-has of Nature's digging"—The Author's earliestField of Hard Labor—Picturesque Cliff of Boulder-clay—Scratchingson the Sandstone—Invariable Characteristic of trueBoulder-clay—Scratchings on Pebbles in the line of the longeraxis—Illustration from the Boulder-clay of Banff. | 324 |
| Organisms of the Boulder-clay not unequivocal—First Impressions ofthe Boulder-clay—Difficulty of accounting for its barrenness ofRemains—Sir Charles Lyell's reasoning—A Fact to thecontrary—Human Skull dug from a Clay-bank—The Author's Change ofBelief respecting Organic Remains of the Boulder-clay—Shells fromthe Clay at Wick—Questions respecting them settled—Conclusionsconfirmed by Mr. Dick's Discoveries at Thurso—Sir John Sinclair'sDiscovery of Boulder-clay Shells in 1802—Comminution of the Shellsillustrated—Cyprina islandica—Its Preservation in largerProportions than those of other Shells accounted for—Boulder-claysof Scotland reformed during the existing Geological Epoch—Scotlandin the Period of the Boulder-clay "merely three detached groups ofIslands"—Evidence of the Subsidence of the Land inScotland—Confirmed by Rev. Mr. Cumming's conclusion—High-lyingGranite Boulders—Marks of a succeeding elevatoryPeriod—Scandinavia now rising—Autobiography of a Boulderdesirable—A Story of the Supernatural. | 336 |
| Relation of the deep red stone of Cromarty to the Ichthyolite Bedsof the System—Ruins of a Fossil-charged Bed—Journey to Avoch—RedDye of the Boulder-clay distinct from the substanceitself—Variation of Coloring in the Boulder-clay Red Sandstoneaccounted for—Hard-pan how formed—A reformed Garden—An ancientBattle-field—Antiquity of Geologic and Human Historycompared—Burn of Killein—Observation made in boyhoodconfirmed—Fossil-nodules—Fine Specimen of Coccosteusdecipiens—Blank strata of Old Red—New View respecting the Rocksof Black Isle—A Trip up Moray and Dingwall Friths—Altered colorof the Boulder-clay—Up the Auldgrande River—Scenery of the greatConglomerate—Graphic Description—Laidlaw's Boulder—Vacciniummyrtillus—Profusion of Travelled Boulders—The Boulder ClachMalloch—Its zones of Animal and Vegetable life. | 355 |
| Imaginary Autobiography of the Clach Malloch Boulder—ItsCreation—Its Long Night of unsummed Centuries—Laid open to lighton a desert Island—Surrounded by an Arctic Vegetation—Underminedby the rising Sea—Locked up and floated off on an Ice-field—Atrest on the Sea-bottom—Another Night of unsummed Years—TheBoulder raised again above the waves by the rising of theLand—Beholds an Altered Country—Pine Forests and Mammals—AnotherPeriod of Ages passes—The Boulder again floated off by anIceberg—Finally at rest on the Shore of Cromarty Bay—Time andOccasion of naming it—Strange Phenomena accounted for byEarthquakes—How the Boulder of Petty Bay was moved—The Boulder ofAuldgrande—The old Highland Paupers—The little Parsi Girl—HerLetter to her Papa—But one Human Nature on Earth—Journeyresumed—Conon Burying Ground—An aged Couple—Gossip. | 375 |
| The Great Conglomerate—Its Undulatory and RectilinearMembers—Knock Farril and its Vitrified Fort—The old Highlandersan observant race—The Vein of Silver—Summit of Knock Farril—Modeof accounting for the Luxuriance of Herbage in the ancient ScottishFortalices—The green Graves of Culloden—Theories respecting theVitrification of the Hill-forts—Combined Theories of Williams andMackenzie probably give the correct account—The Author'sExplanation—Transformations of Fused Rocks—Strathpetlier—TheSpa—Permanent Odoriferous Qualities of an ancient Sea-bottomconverted into Rock—Mineral Springs of the Spa—Infusion of thepowdered rock a substitute—Belemnite Water—The lively youngLady's Comments—A befogged Country seen from ahill-top—Ben-Wevis—Journey to Evanton—A Geologist'sNight-mare—The Route Home—Ruins of Craig house—Incompatibilityof Tea and Ghosts—End of the Tour. | 393 |
| Recovered Health—Journey to the Orkneys—Aboard the Steamer atWick—Mr. Bremner—Masonry of the Harbor of Wick—The greatestBlunders result from good Rules misapplied—Mr. Bremner's Theoryabout sea-washed Masonry—Singular Fracture of the Rock nearWick—The Author's mode of accounting for it—"Simple but notobvious" Thinking—Mr. Bremner's mode of making stone Erectionsunder Water—His exploits in raising foundered Vessels—Aspect ofthe Orkneys—The ungracious Schoolmaster—In the Frith ofKirkwall—Cathedral of St Magnus—Appearance of Kirkwall—Its"perished suppers"—Its ancient Palaces—Blunder of the ScotchAristocracy—The patronate Wedge—Breaking Ground in Orkney—MinuteGregarious Coccosteus—True Position of the Coccosteus' Eyes—Ruinsof one of Cromwell's Forts—Antiquities of Orkney—TheCathedral—Its Sculptures—The Mysterious Cell—Prospect from theTower—Its Chimes—Ruins of Castle Patrick. | 414 |
| The Bishop's Palace at Orkney—Haco the Norwegian—IcelandicChronicle respecting his Expedition to Scotland—His Death—Removalof his Remain to Norway—Why Norwegian Invasionceased—Straw-plaiting—The Lassies of Orkney—Orkney Type ofCountenance—Celtic and Scandinavian—An accomplishedAntiquary—Old Manuscripts—An old Tune book—Manuscript Letter ofMary Queen of Scots—Letters of General Monck—The fearlessCovenanter—Cave of the Rebels—Why the tragedy of "Gustavus Vasa"was prohibited—Quarry of Pickoquoy—Its Fossil Shells—Journey toStromness—Scenery—Birth-place of Malcolm, the Poet—HisHistory—One of his Poems—His Brother a Free Church Minister—NewScenery. | 437 |
| Hills of Orkney—Their Geologic Composition—Scene of Scott's"Pirate"—Stromness—Geology of the District—"Seekingbeasts"—Conglomerate in contact with Granite—A palæozoic Hudson'sBay—Thickness of Conglomerate of Orkney—Oldest Vertebrate yetdiscovered in Orkney—Its Size—Figure of a characteristic plate ofthe Asterolepis—Peculiarity of Old Red Fishes—Length of theAsterolepis—A rich Ichthyolite Bed—Arrangement of theLayers—Queries as to the Cause of it—Minerals—An abandonedMine—A lost Vessel—Kelp for Iodine—A dangerous Coast—Incidentsof Shipwreck—Hospitality—Stromness Museum—Diplopterus mistakenfor Dipterus—Their Resemblances and Differences—Visit to aremarkable Stack—Paring the Soil for Fuel, and consequentBarrenness—Description of the Stack—Wave-formed Caves—Height towhich the Surf rises. | 457 |
| Detached Fossils—Remains of the Pterichthys—Terminal Bones of theCoccosteus, etc., preserved—Internal Skeleton of Coccosteus—Theshipwrecked Sailor in the Cave—Bishop Grahame—His Character, asdrawn by Baillie—His Successor—Ruins of the Bishop'sCountry-house—Sub-aërial Formation of Sandstone—Formation nearNew Kaye—Inference from such Formation—Tour resumed—Loch ofStennis—Waters of the Loch fresh, brackish, and salt—Vegetationvaried accordingly—Change produced in the Flounder by freshwater—The Standing Stones, second only to Stonehenge—TheirPurpose—Their Appearance and Situation—Diameter of theCircle—What the Antiquaries say of it—Reference to it in the"Pirate"—Dr. Hibbert's Account. | 476 |
| On Horseback—A pared Moor—Small Landholders—Absorption of smallholdings in England and Scotland—Division of Land favorable toCivil and Religious Rights—Favorable to social Elevation—Aninland Parish—The Landsman and Lobster—Wild Flowers ofOrkney—Law of Compensation illustrated by the TobaccoPlant—Poverty tends to Productiveness—Illustrated inIreland—Profusion of Ichthyolites—Orkney a land of DefunctFishes—Sandwick—A Collection of Coccostean Flags—A Quarry fullof Heads of Dipteri—The Bergil, or Striped Wrasse—Its Resemblanceto the Dipterus—Poverty of the Flora of the Lower Old Red—No trueConiferous Wood in the Orkney Flagstones—Departure for Hoy—Theintelligent Boatman—Story of the Orkney Fisherman. | 492 |
| Hoy—Unique Scenery—The Dwarfie Stone of Hoy—Sir Walter Scott'sAccount of it—Its Associations—Inscription of Names—GeorgeBuchanan's Consolation—The mythic Carbuncle of the Hill of Hoy—NoFossils at Hoy—Striking Profile of Sir Walter Scott on the Hill ofHoy—Sir Walter, and Shetland and Orkney—Originals of twoCharacters in "The Pirate"—Bessie Millie—Garden of Gow, the"Pirate"—Childhood's Scene of Byron's "Torquil"—The Author'sIntroduction to his Sister—A German Visitor—German and ScotchSabbath-keeping habits contrasted—Mr. Watt's Specimens of FossilRemains—The only new Organism found in Orkney—Back toKirkwall—to Wick—Vedder's Ode to Orkney. | 507 |