e, at first view, their former union.
But to explain this more clearly, it will be necessary to give you a
general sketch of this whole line of coast.

"The northern coast of Antrim seems to have been originally a compact
body of lime-stone rock, considerably higher than the present level
of the sea; over which, at some later period, extensive bodies of
vitrifiable stone have been superinduced in a state of softness. The
original calcareous stratum appears to be much deranged and interrupted
by those incumbent masses. In some places it is depressed greatly below
its ancient level; shortly after it is borne down to the water's edge,
and can be traced under its surface. By and by it dips entirely, and
seems irretrievably lost under the superior mass. In a short space,
however, it begins to emerge, and, after a similar variation, recovers
its original height.

"In this manner, and with such repeated vicissitudes of elevation and
depression, it pursues a course of forty miles along the coast from
Lough Foyle to Lough Larne.

"It naturally becomes an object of curiosity to inquire what the
substance is from which the lime-stone seems thus to have shrunk,
burying itself (as it were in terror) under the covering of the ocean:
And, on examination, it appears to be the columnar basaltes, under which
the lime-stone stratum is never found; nor indeed does it ever approach
near to it without evident signs of derangement.

"Thus, for example, the chalky cliffs may be discovered a little
eastward from Portrush; after a short course, they are suddenly
depressed to the water's edge, under Dunluce Castle, and, soon after,
lost entirely in passing near the basalt-hill of Dunluce, whose craigs,
near the sea, are all columnar. At the river Bush the lime-stone
recovers, and skims a moment above the level of the sea, but immediately
vanishes in approaching towards the great basalt promontory of Bengore,
under which it is completely lost for the space of more than three
miles.

"Eastward from thence, beyond Dunsaverock Castle, it again emerges, and,
rising to a considerable height, forms a beautiful barrier to White
Park Bay and the Ballintoy shore. After this it suffers a temporary
depression near the basalt hill of Knocksoghy, and then ranges along the
coast as far as Ballycastle Bay.

"Fairhead, standing with magnificence on its massy columns of basaltes,
again exterminates it; and once again it rises to the eastward, and
pursues i