miles of Bodmin, the soil is composed of peat and produces absolutely nothing. It is almost entirely a country of mines, especially in the neighbourhood of St. Austle. The inn called the Indian Queen is four hundred and ninety-one feet above the level of the sea: the most considerable branch of the river Fal rises in this neighbourhood. From the Indian Queen to Grampound, we continue for nine miles in grauwacke-slate, without its offering any thing remarkable. It is however very far otherwise, if from Grampound we direct our course N. N. E. towards the parish of St. Stephens.[1]
On quitting Grampound, the road leads for a short way towards the north, until we reach a small valley, which at its opening runs nearly east and west; it afterwards turns towards the north, and very soon takes a direction due north and south. A branch of the Fal flows through it, and the water, which on the heights near its source has been employed in washing porcelain earth, retaining the white colour of the earth, has at a distance the appearance of milk, which produces a very singular effect.
In proportion as we ascend, the grauwacke slate disappears, and in the neighbourhood of St. Stephen's church, it passes into the state of cornéenne, or of common grauwacke. It is stained with oxide of iron, and accompanied by numerous veins and pebbles of quartz. All these appearances indicate that we are approaching towards its limit. And although we cannot exactly point out the very spot of the transition itself, we may, without any material error, fix that point at Step-aside, a hamlet situated two or three furlongs from St.
- ↑ The pleasure and instruction I derived from this excursion, were particularly augmented by my having the advantage of the company of the Rev. Wm. Gregor, a gentleman equally modest as well informed, and whose name I have already had frequent occasion to mention.
