these, as well as the objects already named, might have had their share of influence in fixing St Columba's choice on this far famed and interesting island.

14. STAFFA.

ABOUT 10 miles north and by east of Icolmkill, and nearly 7 miles from the coast of Mull, lies Staffa, now a celebrated natural curiosity, eagerly visited by travellers from all parts of Europe, but wholly unnoticed by strangers until the last 40 years. It is an island chiefly composed of basaltes, nearly a mile long, and half a mile broad, containing from 2 to 300 acres of surface, of which 3 or 4 acres have at some period been in cultivation. It is the property of Mr Macdonald of Staffa, whose estate of Ulva, Gometra, Inchkenneth, &c. afforded many richer titles than this bleak rock, but who has his title from as singular a territory as any in the known world. In an agricultural survey, Staffa has scarcely any right to appear; but it would be unpardonable to pass it over in silence altogether in an account of the Hebrides, of which it has of late been the greatest boast. The name of Staffa, or Staff-öe, is derived probably from the circumstance of the basaltic pillars which adorn it, resembling the object meant by that term in the Danish, and which was in the ancient acceptation, a pillar, beam, or column, as well as a staff. Buchanan calls the island Staffa-Monroe takes no notice of it, nor does Martin, or indeed any other author, until Sir Joseph Banks visited it in 1772, in conseY y 4 quence

quence of the recommendation of Mr Leach, an English gentleman whom he accidentally met in the Hebrides, when on his voyage to Iceland.

"We arrived," (says Sir Joseph) " at the southwest part of the island, the seat of the most remarkable pillars, where we no sooner arrived than we were struck with a scene of magnificence, which exceeded our expectations, though formed, as we thought, upon the most sanguine foundations : The whole of that end of the island supported by ranges of natural pillars mostly above 50 feet high, standing in natural colonnades, according as the bays or points of land formed themselves, upon a firm basis of solid unformed rock; above these the stratum, which reaches to the soil or surface of the island, varied in thickness, as the island itself formed into hills or vallies; each hill, which hung over the columns below, forming an ample pediment; some of these above 60 feet in thickness, from the base to the point, formed, by the sloping of the hill on each side, almost into the shape of those used in architecture. Compared to this, what are the cathedrals or the palaces built by men? Mere models or playthings! Imitations as diminutive as their works will always be when compared to those of nature! Where is now the boast of the architect? Regularity, the only part in which he fancied himself to excel his mistress, Nature, is here found in her possession; and here it has been for ages undescribed. Is not this the school where the art was originally studied? And what has been added to this by the whole Grecian school? A capital to ornament the column of nature, of which they could execute only a model; and for that very

capital

capital they were obliged to a bush of acanthus. How amply does nature repay those who study her wonderful works! With our minds full of such reflections, we proceeded along the shore, treading upon another Giant's Causeway, every stone being regularly formed into a certain number of sides and angles, till in a short time we arrived at the mouth of a cave, the most magnificent I suppose that has ever been described by travellers.

"The mind can hardly form an idea more magnificent than such a space, supported on each side by ranges of columns, and roofed by the bottom of those which have been broken off in order to form it; between the angles, of which, a yellow stalagmitic matter has exuded, which serves to define the angles precisely, and at the same time vary the colour with a great deal of elegance: And to render it still more agreeable, the whole is lighted from without; so that the farthest extremity is very plainly seen from without; and the air within, being agitated by the flux and reflux of the tides, is perfectly dry and wholesome, free entirely from the damp vapours with which natural caverns in general abound. We asked the name of it. Said our guide, the cave of Fhinn.' What is Fhinn?' said we, • Fhinn McCoul, whom the translator of Ossian's works has called Fingal.' How fortunate that in this cave we should meet with the remembrance of that chief whose existence, as well as that of the whole epic poem, is almost doubted in England.

"On the west side of the isle is a small bay, where boats generally land; a little to the southward of which the first appearance of pillars are to be observed. They are

small,

small, and, instead of being placed upright, lie down on their sides, each forming the segment of a circle. From thence you pass a small cave; above which the pillars, now grown a little larger, are inclining in all directions. In one place, in particular, a small mass of them resembles the ribs of a ship. From hence, having passed the cave, which, if it is not low water, you must do in a boat, you come to the first ranges of pillars, which are still not above half as large as those a little beyond. Over against this place is a small island, called in Erse Buachaille, or the "Herdsman," separated from the main one by a channel not many fathoms wide. This whole island is composed of pillars without any stratum above them. They are still small, but by much the neatest formed of any about the place. The first division of the island, for at high water it is divided inte two, makes a kind of cone, the pillars converging together towards the centre. On the other they are in general laid down flat; and in the front next to the main, you see how beautifully they are packed together, their ends coming out square with the bank which they form. All these have, their transverse sections exact, and their surfaces smooth, which is by no means the case with the large ones, which are cracked in all directions. I much question, however, if any one in this whole island of Buachaille is two feet in diameter. The main island opposed to Buachaille, and farther towards the north-west, is supported by ranges of pillars pretty erect; and though not tall (as they are not uncovered to the base) of large diameters; and at their feet is an irregular pavement, made by the upper sides of such as have been broken off, which extends as far

under

under water as the eye can reach. Here the forms of the pillars are apparent. These are of three, four, five, six, and seven sides, but the numbers of five and six are by much the most prevalent. The largest I measured was of seven. It was four feet five inches in diameter."

"The surfaces of these large pillars, in general, are rough and uneven, full of cracks in all directions. The transverse figures in the upright ones never fail to run in their true directions. The surfaces upon which we walked were often flat, having neither concavity nor convexity. The larger number, however, were concave, though some were evidently convex. In some places the interstices within the perpendicular figures were filled up with a yellow spar. In one place a vein passed in among the mass of pillars, carrying here and there small threads of spar. Though they were broken and cracked through and through in all directions, yet their perpendicular figures might easily be traced. From whence it is easy to infer, that whatever the accident might have been that caused the dislocation, it happened after the formation of the pillars. From hence, proceeding along the shore, you arrive at Fingal's cave. Its dimensions, though I have given, I shall here again repeat in the form of a table.