It was here that Caius chanced
to wander one calm mild day in early March, mild because the thermometer
stood at less than 30 deg. below the freezing point, and a light vault of
pearly cloud shut in the earth from the heaven, and seemed, by way of
contrast with other days, to keep it warm. He had ridden far, following
out of aimless curiosity the track that had been beaten on the side of
the bay to this farthest island. It was a new road for him; he had never
attempted it before; and no sooner had he got within good sight of the
land, than his interest was wholly attracted by the cliffs, which,
shelving somewhat outward at the top, and having all their sides very
steep and smooth, were, except for a few crevices of ice, or an outward
hanging icicle, or here and there a fringe of icicles, entirely free
from snow and ice. He rode up under them wonderingly, pleased to feast
his eyes upon the natural colour of rock and earth, and eager, with
what knowledge of geology he had, to read the story they told.
This story, as far as the history of the earth was concerned, was soon
told; the cliffs were of gray carboniferous limestone. Caius became
interested in the beauty of their colouring. Blue and red clay had
washed down upon them in streaks and patches; where certain faults in
the rock occurred, and bars of iron-yielding stone were seen, the rust
had washed down also, so that upon flat facets and concave and convex
surfaces a great variety of colour and tint, and light and shade, was
produced.
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