THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.
VISIT TO THE ISLE OF MAN.

[Reprinted from The Isle of Man Times of Sept. 17, 1887.]

The visit to the Island and the excursions of members of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, form an event of more than ordinary interest. It will be remembered that, some time ago, the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, taking advantage of the Association meeting at Manchester, determined to invite a number of the members to make an excursion to this Island. A committee was accordingly formed, consisting of his Honour Deemster Gill, the President of the Society ; the Rev E. B. Savage, F.S.A. ; Dr Haviland; and Mr R. S. Stephen, to arrange, if possible, for an excursion. After making some preliminary arrangements, these gentlemen waited on his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, who addressed a formal invitation to Sir Henry Roscoe, F.R.S., President of the Association. This invitation was accepted, and the local committee commenced in earnest to make the necessary preparations. Owing to the absence of Dr Haviland and Mr Stephen, the main burden of the arrangements fell on Deemster Gill, Mr Savage, and the Hon. Secretary, Mr W. J. Cain. Hospitality was offered to about 15 of the members at private houses, and for the remaining members special terms were made at the Castle Mona Hotel. Special terms, too, were made with the isle of Man Steampacket Company, and with some of the local car proprietors for the conveyance of the excursionists. So popular was this excursion of the Association that upwards of 100 applications for tickets were made, but it was found necessary to limit the number to 80. On Friday, the 9th instant, the excursionists started from Manchester for Douglas via Fleetwood. Mr Savage crossing on the morning of that day in order to welcome them on board, and to accompany them to Douglas. It is much to be regretted that the day turned out wet and stormy, and that, in consequence, the excursionists experienced considerable discomfort during the passage. The steamer was met on its arrival by Deemster Gill, Mr Ridgway Harrison, Major Spittall, Dr. Wells, Dr. Farrell, and other local gentlemen. The following are the ladies and gentlemen composing the excursion (the names arranged alphabetically) :-

Allison, Dr. Horion, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester.
Baker, Mr H., 262, Plymouth-grove, Manchester.
Baker, MrJohn, The Gables, Buxton.
Backhouse, Mr W. A., St. John's, Wolsingham, near Darlington.
Birley, Mr H. K. and Miss, 13, Hyde-road, Ardwick, Manchester.
Byrom, Mr and Mrs J. R.., Mere Bank, Fairfield, Manchester.
Barker, Miss JeWe M., Hexham House, Hexham.
Burrows, Mr Abraham, Greenhill, Atherton, near Manchester.
Buckland, Miss A. W., 54, Doughty-street, London, W.C
Becker, Miss Lydia, 3, Shrewsbury-terrace, Shrewsbury street, Chorlton-road, Manchester.
Butterworth, Mr W., Greenhill, Church-lane, Harpurhey, Manchester.
Butler, Rev Artbur, LL.D., Olton Vicarage, near Birmingham. ,
Campion, Mr, Queen's College, Cambridge.
Crook, Mr and Mrs Henry T., 9, Albert-square, Manchester.
Corey-Hobson, Mrs, 54, Doughty-street, London, W. C.
Crowley, Messrs Fredk. and Ralph, Ashdell Alton, Hants.
Chinery, Dr. and Mrs Edward F., Lymington, Hants.
Capper, Mr Robert, Westbrook, Swansea.
Cragg, Mr and Mrs R. B., Skipton, York
Crighton, Mr and Mrs W. J., Whalley Range, Manchester.
Dawkins, Professor Wm. Boyd, M.A., F.R.S., Woodhurst, Fallowfield, Manchester.
Dronsfield, Mr Wildam, Oldham.
Esam, Mr and Mrs W. B., Sheffield.
Edmonds, Mr F. B. 72, Portsdown-road, Maida Vale, W
Harmer, Mr Andrew W., Eccles, Manchester.
Fream, Professor W., B.Sc., F. L.S., E.G.S. F.S.S., Coll. of Agriculture, Downton, Salisbury.
Fuller, Mrk Mrs E. H., Withington.
Griffiths, A. Hill, M.D., 234, Oxford-road, Manchester.
Gasking, Rev Saml., B.A., F.G.S., F.S.Sc., St. Columba's Church, Liverpool.
Graves, Mr Frank,18, Slade-grove, Longsight, Manchester.
Gervis, W. S., M.D., F.G.S., Ashburton, Devon.
Griffiths, Mr G., M.A., Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex.
Hardeastle, Mr N. C., M.A., LL.M., Downing College, Cambridge.
Hansford Mr Charles, 3, Alexandra-terrace, Dorchester, Dorset.
Hewitt, Mr W. M., Overton House, Heaton, Bolton.
Hickson, Mr S. J., M.A., D.Sc., Downing College, Cambridge.
Harris, Mr P. W., B.A., Linen-hall, Barracks, Dublin.
Hobson, Mr Bernard, Tapton Elms, Sheffield.
Howard, Mr and Mrs Sydney, Cardiff.
Hartog, Mr P. J., B. Sc., 5, Portsdown-road, London N.
Howard, Mr and Mrs Thomas, Weston-super-Mare.
Irwin, Mr Wilfred, Higher Crumpsall, Manchester.
Jackson, Mr George, 53, Elizabeth-street, Cheetham, Manchester.
Jenkins, Major-General J. J., 16, St. James-square, London, S.W.
Kingston, Air Thomas, Windsor.
Logie, Mrs Ellen C., Dulwich, Surrey.
Lewis, Prof. and Mrs Carvill, Philadelphia.
Maitland, Mr and Mrs P. C., 136, Great Portland-street, London, W.
Murray, Mr and Mrs William V., Hyde Park.
Mackeson, Mr H. B., F.G.S., and Miss Mackeson, Hythe, Kent.
Massey, Rev. AV. C., Miss Massey, and Miss E. Massey, Brooks's Bar, Manchester.
Nutt, Miss Lilian AI., West Dulwich, Surrey.
Nicholson, Mr R. H. Boucher, 21, Albion-street, Hull,
Oldham, Mr H. Y., Rugby.
Panton, Prof. J. Hoyes, M.A., F.G.S , Guelph, Toronto, Canada.
Palmer, Mi:s and Miss M , 9, Birchall-road, Killin, London.
Peiss, Mr W., Macclesfield.
Payne, Miss Edith A., Hatchlands, Cuckfield, Haywards Heath.
Plummer, Mr, British Guiana.
Ragdale, Mr .I. R„ Whitefleld, near Manchester.
Richardson, Mr Charles, Putney, S.W.
Rigg, Mr Edward, M.A , Royal Mint, London, S.
Rowcliffe, Mr W. G. and Miss.
Rose-Innes, Mr P., Junior Carlton Club, The Temple
Stirrup, .Mr Mark, F.G.S., Bowdon.
Smelt, Rev. Maurice Allen, and Mrs, Cheltenham.
Smith, Mr Edward.
Smith, Miss Emilia, Buenos Ayres.
Scrivener, Mr A. P.
Storms, Dr, Raymond, Belgium.
Sinton, Mr Theodore, Kersal Moor.
Singleton, Miss F. J., The Knott, Undercliffe, Bradford Yorks.
Stott, Mr, Chorlton-cum-Hardy.
Sparrow, Mr, Manchester.
Stephens, Miss Gulielma, Bridport, Dorset.
Tate, Mr Alexander and Miss, Belfast.
Toyle, Mr, Miss, and Miss B., Higher Broughtoa, Manchester.
Underdown, Mr H. W., Whalley Range, Manchester.
Whitworth, Mrs, Ravenna, Church-lane, Harpurhey, Manchester.
White, Mr and Mrs, London, N.W.
Whittle, Mrs.
Wood, Mr and Mrs A. J., Richmond, Surrey.
Wilson, Mr Alexander, Manchester.
Walker, Miss S., Levenshulmo.
Ward, Mr C. H., Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Wright, Miss, Victoria Park, Manchester.
Winser, Mr and Mrs Edwin, Knutsford,
Young, Thomas, M,D., and Airs Young, Manchester.
Young, Mr Sydney, University College, Bristol.

The following ladies and gentlemen, resident in the Island, and mostly members of the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, joined in the excursions:

Anderson, Col., Receiver-General, Ballacooley, Michael.
Anderson, Miss, Ballacooley, Michael. '
Archer, Mr Robt., Woodburn-road, Douglas.
Brearey, Mr A. W., Belmunt-terrace, Douglas.
Brown, Mr J. A., Athol-street, Douglas.
Brown, Miss May, Athol-street, Douglas.
Brown, Miss K., Prospect-terrace, Douglas.
Brown, Mr and Mrs Walter J., North-view, Douglas.
Browne, Mrs Wm. J., Prospect-terrace, Douglas.
Browne, Mr J. De Maine, Librarian, the Free Library, Douglas.
Boardman, Mrs, Waterloo-road, Ramsey.
Bradbury, Dr J., Laxey.
Bruhl, Rev H. L. and Mrs, Queen's Avenue, Douglas. ,
Butler, Miss, Derby-square, Douglas.
Cain, Mr W. J., Woodburn-square, Douglas, Hon. Sec. Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society.
Clague, Dr. John, M.D., Castletown.
Crellin, Mr J. C., M.A., J.P., H.K., Orrysdale, Michael.
Crellin, Miss, Orrysdale, Michael.
Crellin, Miss G., Orrysdale, Michael.
Clarke, Rev. B. P., B.A., the Vicarage, Marown.
Clarke, Mrs A., Osborne-terrace, Douglas.
Clarke, Mr H. Shortridge, Osborne-terrace, Douglas.
Clarke, Rev. Edward, the Vicarage, Santon.
Drinkwater, Mr Geo., LL.B., Barrister at Law, Kirby.
Farrell, Richard, LL.D., Principal, Victoria College, Douglas.
Fell, Miss and Miss Ada, Brunswick-road, Douglas.
Ferrier, Rev. E., W.A., Castletown.
Gasking, Rev Jno. Trist, Oakhill, Braddan.
Gill, his Honour Deemster, Anfield Hey, Douglas, President Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society.
Graves, Mr & Miss, Peel.
Harrison, Mr Ridgway, J.P., Crown Agent, Woodburn House, Douglas.
Harrison, Miss, Woodbarn House, Douglas.
Hingston, Mr G. and Mrs, Windsor-terrace, Douglas.
Jeffcott, Mr J. M., High-Bailiff, Castletown.
Keig, Mr Thomas, Prospect-hill, Douglas.
Kelsea, Mr, Prospect-hill, Douglas.
Kermode, Mr E., Finch-road, Douglas.
Kinvig, Mr Thos. H., Castletown.
Kissack, Miss, Oxford-street, Douglas.
Kneale, Mr Thomas, Ballaleaney, Andreas.
Kitto, Capt. Wm., Foxdale.
Leece, Mr C. H., Miss, & Miss H., Ballamona, Braddan.
Laughton, Mr A. V., H K., High-Bailiff, Peel.
Moore, Mr A. W., M.A., J.P., F.R.M.S., F.R.H.S., H.K., C.P., &c., Cronkbourne.
Maddison, Miss, Osborne-terrace, Douglas.
Moore, Rev. F. J., B.A., the Vicarage, Lonan.
Quayle, Mr G. Harrington, H.K., Castletown.
Quayle, Miss Edith, Bridge House, Castletown.
Reddicliffe, Capt., Laxey.
Richardson, Wm., M.D., The Asylum, Braddan.
Richardson, Mrs, The Asylum, Braddan.
Robinson, Miss, Mount Bradda, Douglas.
Ross, Mr F. Maxmilian, J.P., Windsor-terrace, Douglas.
Ross, Mrs, Windsor-terrace, Douglas.
Rowe, Capt., Laxey.
Savage, Rev, E. B., M.A., F.S.A., The Vicarage, St. Thomas', Douglas.
Stephen, Mr R. S., M.A., J.P., H.K., Spring Valley House, Braddan.
Spittall, Major James, H.K., Laureston.
Taylor, Mr J., Oxford-street, Douglas.
Tellet, Dr F, S., Auburn House, Ramsey.
Tennant, Capt R. and Mrs, Queen's Avenue, Douglas.
Tenannt, Mr, Queen's Avenue, Douglas.
Tennant, The Missts, Queen's Avenue, Douglas.
Tooker, Mr Edwd. G., Arbory-road, Castletown.
Wells, Dr. Primrose, M.A., Derby-road, Douglas.
Williams, Rev. J. G., The Vicarage, German.
Walsh, Rev. Edmund, St. Mary's Rectory, Douglas.

The capabilities of the Castle Mona Hotel were taxed to the utmost extent, and it was difficult to find accommodation for the whole party in the large dining-room.

After dinner on the 9th, Deemster GILL, who had dined with the excursionists, addressing the company said: Will you allow me to say a word to the members of the British Association Excursion? As President this year, of the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, and on behalf of that Society, I desire to take the first opportunity of telling the members of the learned Association that we tender them a very hearty welcome to our Island, and that we feel much honoured by the readiness with which our invitation has been accepted. When the invitation was issued we did not dare to hope that more than 20 or 30 members of the Association would have accepted it, and we were surprised and pleased when we found that more than 80 were coming. We trust that the accommodation which we have provided in this house, and elsewhere, may be found to afford adequate comfort to our visitors, and we hope that the programme which we have arranged may show to them as much as is possible to be seen of our beautiful and inter esting Island in the time at our disposal. We feel that in the timë little more can be obtained than a bird's-eye view, for I believe that, ere you leave our shores again, you will find that, beyond possessing much that is beautiful in the way of scenery, and much that is pure and health-giving in the atmosphere we breathe, our Island abounds with objects of the deepest interest to men of science and research, especially to the Geologist and the Antiquary. Amongst other matters of general interest we possess a primitive constitution which we claim to be the most ancient in Europe, and which affords an interesting example of Home Rule, well suited to the circumstances of the place and the temper of our people, but which, however, I venture to think, would neither be suitable nor acceptable in any of the neighbouring countries. (Laughter and applause.) You will see, from the programme, that we have arranged our excursions so that the most of the Island may be seen, and so that some time may be given to the examination of its Geology and its Antiquities. We hope that the visit may be an enjoyable one to all who have come, that the heavens may favour us with sunshine, and that the impression produced may be sufficiently pleasant to lead to many repetitions of the visit. (Applause.)

SATURDAY'S EXCURSION (SEPT. 10).
THE NATURAL ARCHES ON LANGNRSS.-THE EXTINCT VOLCANO AT SCARLETT.-THE LAVA DYKES AND POOILVASH. - VISIT TO CASTLE RUSHEN.

The official programme for Saturday was as follows:

Carriages will leave Castle Mona, at 9-30 a.m., for the South. After stopping at Derbyhaven and Langness, Castle Rushen will be visited, where a collection of Antiquities will be arranged, and some of the more interesting documents in the Rolls' Office will be shown. After which the party will walk by Scarlett Point to Poolvaish, where the carriages will meet them and drive back to Douglas. The principal points of interest to the Geologist will be (i.) The examination of the Lower Carboniferou4 Shingle Beaches resting on the Lower Silurian Rocks at Derbyhaven and Langness ; (ii.) The Carboniferous Volcano of Scarlett Point, and the associated ashes and tuffs, and the old Lava Dykes which traverse the district ; (iii.) The Carboniferous Limestones and Shales. Professor Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S., will act as Leader.

On Saturday, the party, which numbered 130 people belonging both to the British Association, the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, and others, left Castle Mona Hotel, at 9 30 a.m., sharp, for the South. The party was under the leadership of Professor Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S., and he was accompanied by his Honour Deemster Gill, President of the local Society, and the Rev E. B. Savage, Secretary of the Archæological section of the Society. The first stop was made at Langness, where the party examined the lower carboniferous shingle beaches, the natural arches, and the lower Silurian rocks. Here the basement conglomerate was splendidly exposed in the cliff, on the eroded and tilted edge of the slate. A short distance away it was seen to be thrown down by a fault. Being traced along the shore it was observed to dip beneath the limestone, plainly shoving to the geologist that it was formed anteriorily to that formation, and, therefore, must be considered as probably of Ordovician age.

On reaching the first natural arch, professor DAWKINS, said: Now, ladies and gentlemen, I am here this morning not to give a lecture, but to point out to you one or two of the innumerable geological curiosities of this wonderful Island of Man-an Island which I feel pretty sure will exercise the same fascination upon some of you that it has exercised upon me. I came here some time ago as a visitor, and every time I come, I must tell you I feel less inclined to go away. The Island is full of remains, and traditions, and problems which cannot fail to be of interest to the geologist, and it is an Island which, so far as I can see, gives him an opportunity of fighting for ever about some of the points in its ancient history. (Laughter.) The point to which I wish to draw your attention in this place is the singularly clear evidence which we have as to the position of the rocks here, which are above the red rocks, and which are full, you see, of pebbles. If you concentrate your attention upon that rock, you will see that it is made of pebbles exactly of the same description as those now found upon the shore. The conclusion which you would form from that would be that that was really nothing in the world but an old pertified shingle beach. It is nothing more and nothing less, and when you have said that you have the main point. So that you see that, in old times, the sea was at a much higher level than it is at the present time, or that the land was at a lower level. And, moreover, when you look upon that comparatively straight line upon which the head: rests, you realise at once that you are looking at a line of old reefs, on the battered edges of which this shingle beach was formed. Supposing you were to examine the pebbles which compose that beach, you would find they were all made of the materials which constitute the main mass of the Isle of Man. That is to say, of rocks which are certainly not later than the Lower Silurian and some of which may be a great deal earlier. In my present condition of information I do not like to dogmatise as to the precise age of these slaty beds which are over the whole of the Isle of Man. Some of them seem to be of Lower Silurian age. Others may be very much older; but it is clear, from the constitution of that layer of conglomerate, that the sea beat against cliffs formed of exactly tho same roc's which now constitute the main mass of the Isle of Man. So when we contemplate that, we contemplate the ancient shore line, and presently we shall see exactly the line of cliffs of which it was formed. The story is clearly recorded here, and it merely requires a walk along the shore to realise the exact position. The age of the beach is clearly and unmistakably marked. If we had the time and the inclination, which, I expect, many of us have not today, to follow this beach to where it becomes of considerable thickness -say 20 feet - if we were to follow that in among those reefs we should see it gradually dip layer after layer until ultimately it plunges under the limestone reefs of the shore, so that it is clear that this beach belongs to the carboniferous time, and here we stand upon the beach of that period. With regard to a point which may occur to some of you who have not had an opportunity of attending the meetings of the British Association, with regard to the date of these things, I may inform you that we are in a state of the blindest ignorance. We know nothing whatever as to the means of measuring any of these geological phenomena with which we have to deal. We will leave that for people who deal with written records. I decline to fig a date for anything of which we have no documentary evidence. Now, I want to ask your attention to a very good illustration of what geologists call a fault. You will see that there is a line traversing the conglomerate and throwing it down. It is thrown down owing to a smashing of the rocks, and that is an illustration of what we call a fault. There has been a great line of smashing here, and the pebble beach, once continuous, has been thrown down to a point lower down, clearly visible to us. It is about as good an illustration of a fault as any I know of. There is another thing we may note here; and that is the infiltration of the different material. of course it is variable according to the surrounding circumstances. This vein stuff is really very important, because it is the source from which most of the metals outof the metalliferous veins are obtained. It is deposited for the most part by water. Most of the lead veins have had a history exactly of the same general order as that small crack which you see there filled with a material which is comparatively un- important. You will see also that this red slaty rock has been whitened. That is due to the passage of mineral waters, waters changed with carbonic acid- along the line of breakage there. It is a common thing to observe in the case of these faults. Such are the principal points, geological, to which I would draw your attention. All of you who care to make a note of these things should take down a sketch of this place in your note books, it being one of the best illustrations you could have, first of all of a pebble beach, and secondly of a geological unconformity. Here we have rocks twisted, gnarled, and contorted, and subsequently eroded by the action of the sea. The interval between the crumpled and eroded rocks and the beach above them is an interval of which we have not the faintest conception in terms of years. We can just say this, that during the time of the deposit of these rocks, these conglomerate beds and these other beds below, the whole of the Upper Silurian rocks were accumulated, and also the whole of the Red Sandstone. I must leave the length of time which the accumulation of all these thicknesses of strata took entirely to your own imaginations. I think I have said enough, from the geological point of view, and seeing that we have a great deal to do-we have to examine some of the basalt dykes on the other side of the bay, and the reefs of limestone, and settle, perhaps, the merits of the extinct volcano at the Stack- seeing all this we had better proceed on our journey. (Applause.) I will not, therefore, inflict anything more geological upon you. I should like you, however, to examine another arch, which is situated a few yards off from this one. On the way by Scarlett I may remark that we will find also some curious ice markings, because we shall not only have to deal with rocks made by fire, but also marks on the rocks caused by ice. All these things will occupy us for the best part of this afternoon.

The party having examined the arch further on towards the point of Langness, the leader I conducted them lower down on the beach.

On arriving there, Professor DAWKINS said: I told you at the arch that that old pebble beach was older than the carboniferous limestone, and that it dipped under it. You can see it here. We are now standing on exactly the same set of pebbles as those I showed you in the beaches a few minutes ago. And here, the rocks being highly inclined seaward, we see the limestone coming in. They come in here and fix the date of them beyond doubt. It is about as good an example as you could get of conformable stratafication. In the other case the conglomerate rests on the edges of the rocks below, and were not parallel to the rocks. If you take them here, and note them under the limestone beds, you will see both are parallel, and, therefore, we know that they belong to practically the same geological period. That is the point I wish to show you here, and to explain which I have ventured to drag you over these ragged reefs. I wanted to give you chapter and verse on this point, because I believe it has been stated in some quarters that this conglomerate belongs to a period long after the deposit of the limestone. But here you have proof, on account of it plunging below the beds, that it belongs to a period before the limestone. The limestone is formed in tolerably clear water, while the conglomerate is, of course, on the shore line. And the fact of finding the limestone above the conglomerate shows that at the time the land was sinking, and the pebble beaches were gradually being depressed into clear water. We shall see several indications of that along the beach.

The party then drove to Castletown. Here they were met by the High-Bailiff of Castletown, Mr G. H. Quayle, H.K., Mr Ferrier, Mr F. E. Keene (Governor of Castle Rushen), Dr. Clague, Miss Edith Quayle, Mr R. Garside, and others.

Luncheon was served to the whole of the large party by the host of the George Hotel, (Mr John Gilbert). After luncheon, Professor Dawkins called attention to the fact that at Castle Rushen an exceedingly interesting collection of antiquarian objects had been got together for the inspection of the party. In the first plaee, he would call their attention to the stone axe used by man in the earliest pre-historic ages. There was also a large bronze axe, shaped like a wedge, representing the oldest form of metal axe known in this part of the world. On the same table were several very curious things, amongst others a silver vessel from one of the Manx churches, and probably of about the 15th century. Well, then, there was a very curious cross, which certainly had a touch of Byzantine art, and that ran on all fours with what one knew about the Christianity of the early monks-people who lived in and served Treen chapels. They belonged to the old Irish system of Christianity. Then, again, these was a Manx Prayer Book which looked wonderfully like a Welsh Prayer Book, only it was not Welsh. (Laughter.) It was remarkably well printed. There were several other documents of interest. Besides those there were some stone querns with which the Manx used to grind corn. And when they went forward into the Runic times, into the times of the Scandinavians and the Irish Missionaries, they were brought face to face with Runic crosses. Indeed in Castle Rushen they would find a beginning of a very good collection of casts of Runic crosses. They were mostly in the coiled rope pattern, which was so remarkable. They dated from the fourth, fifth, and sixth, down, perhaps, to the 12th or 13th centuries. When he spoke of fossils he would draw their attention particularly to the fossil corals and a wonderful collection of large chambered shells which were Nautili, more or less out of curl. They were found in the limestone. The charm of these things was that they were all purely local, and they were all extremely interesting. There was also a very good specimen of the antler of the Irish Elk, part of an extinct species of deer which was found in one of the bogs of the Isle of Man. It was perfectly clear that so large an animal as the Irish Elk could not have lived in the Isle of Man as the Island was at the present time. The animal must have walked over from Ireland, where any amount of them were to be found. Those were the points of interest which seemed to him to be worthy of mention. He hoped sincerely that ultimately the Castle would become the home of what he might call the National Antiquities of Manxland. (Hear, hear.) They were in a land of Home Rule, and at all events Castle Rushen would be a very fitting home for the national collections of the Isle of Man. (Applause.)

The party then proceeded to Castle Rushen, where the antiquities mentioned by Professor Dawkins were arranged. Amongst the things shown were a number of models of Runic crosses made by Mr Cumming; a number of old engravings of the Derby family, Peel Castle and Castle Rushen; a Byzantine cross; a number of parchments ; ancient maps of the Island; a Mana Prayer-book; fossil of the horns of the Irish elk, found in a drift-mound of turf at Strandhall; fossil of the horns of a reindeer found at Pooilvaish ; head of a bronze axe found in an ancient graveyard at Ruillack, at East Surby; stone axe head found at Balladoole ; two stone axe heads found at Kentraugh; another stone axe head found at Ballavell ; and specimens of the following fossils :-productus, goniatites, nautilus, ammorites, orthoceratites; orthoceras, megos, euomphalus, spirifera, bellerophon, cyathophyllum, terebratula, psmmodus, zephrentys, lithostration, posidonia, various corals, and trilobites. There was also a quern found at Arbory, and the upper stone of a quern found at Cronkshynnagh.

The High-Bailiff of Castletown, Mr J. M. Jeffcott, was the guide at Castle Rushen, and in taking the visitors over the ancient pile he gave them an account of it, which, abbreviated, runs as follows: -A large portion of the present castle has been erected on the walls of a former structure, which was formerly a Scandinavian fortress. We have no record of the date of either the present or former castle. According to tradition, Castle Rushen was built in the year 960 by Godred, son of the first Orry, who, it is said, was buried within its ramparts. This conjecture, if applied to the original fortress, does not appear very improbable. The construction of the present castle, however, cannot possibly be referred to any of the Scandinavian princes of the tenth century. In 1815, when some repairs and alterations were being made in the castle, a beam of oak was found in a recess on the side of an old gateway, on which were cut the Arabic figures 947. It was a popular notion at the time that these figures represented the date ofthe edifice, and had been cut before its building was completed. Some writers seem to favour this notion. It is, however, quite certain that Arabic figures were in A.D. 947 unknown in the British islands, or even in Europe. The general opinion is that the first Christian who used them was Planudes, in the close of the thirteenth century. Mabilhon, in his work, De Re Diplomatica, affirms that he has not found them anywhere earlier than the fourteenth century. The age of the oaken beam was, therefore, probably much less than that of even the more modern portion of the castle. We learn from the Chronicon Manniae et Insularum, that, in the month of May, 1313, " Lord Robert, King of Scotland, besieged Castle Rushen, which was defended by the Lord Dugdale MacDowlle against the king till Tuesday after the feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle, on which day the said Lord the King took the castle." The duration of the siege here mentioned indicates the great strength of the fortress ao that time. At the base, the older walls upon which portions of the existing structure are erected, are 11 feet thick. Outside the building there is also a strong buttress. The height of the most elevated part of the castle is about 80 feet from the present ground level. The surrounding ground is, however, higher by at least 20 feet than it formerly was. By the filling up of the original moat, and the raising of the ground around the castle, the buttress is in some parts entirely buried ; indeed the whole lower story is now underneath the ground. The older portions of the building are easily seen from the prisoners' yards. The present castle was probably erected in the reign of Edward III. Its architectural character, and specially the character of the traceries over some of its windows, seem to Point to that period. It has been deemed strange that the rebuilding of the castle is not mentioned in the Chronicon Manniae et Insularum. It does not, however, seem so remarkable when it is remembered that the account of events mentioned in the Chronicle, except those relating to the Bishops of the Isle, is not extended to a date later than 1316, and our public records can only be retraced to the beginning of the fifteenth century. Of the occurrences in the Island during the interval between the last of the events detailed in the Chronicle and the earliest of our public records, there is scarcely an authentic narrative. It is exceedingly probable that the castle was erected in this interval, i.e, in the reign of Edward III. We know that in the beginning of his reign England was at war with Scotland, and, after some sanguinary fighting, Edward was victorious. We know, moreover, that this monarch in A.D. 1333 granted the Isle of Man to William de Monticute, first Earl of Salisbury, by whom it had been conquered. May not the castle have been designed and erected as a stronghold for the king's troops after the conquest of the Island from the Scots? Notwithstanding the repairs and alterations made in the edifice in 1815, a large portion of it probably remains in its original form. Its four beautiful towers are remarkable for their perfect preservation. These are faced with evenly-dressed blocks of mountain limestone brought from the neighbouring shore, and upon which the tooling is still crisp and dis tinct. In the northern wall was the inner portcullis, and is the splendidly formed gateway leading to the quadrangular keep, which is centrally placed between the towers. The keep measures 24 feet by 25 feet. In its centre is a well, and against one of its walls is a flight of modern steps uniting with the inner spiral steps by which the visitor is conducted to the top. Three of the towers are solid for at least 20 feet above the ground. The northwest tower was opened in the year 1877 by the then recently appointed Archaeological Commissioners of the Island. The excavation was made in the floor of an arched chamber about 20 feet above the ground. Below this chamber the interior of the tower is filled with earth compacted with massive stones. Large stones fixed in the walls protrude into the rubble material, an indication that the filling was performed during the building of the towers. An ancient wall, part of a former castle, runs immediately under the floor of the chamber, and upon a portion of this wall the joists of the modern floor rest. At this elevation the front wall of the tower is 6 feet 6 inches thick, and each ofthe side walls is 5 feet 9 inches thick. The walls, however, are much stronger and thicker at the base. The front wall, at the present level of the ground, is 10 feet thick ; hence the space between the masonry of the tower diminishes as the foun. dation is approached. lncluding the embrasures, the height cf this tower above the yard below is 70 feet. Each of its two side walls projects at right angles from the main portion of the castle to a length of 25 feet 6 inches, and its front wall measures 20 feet 4 inches across. The masonry is of remarkable strength. Though the stones in the outer side of each wall are beautifully dressed and evenly laid, those of the inner side are unchiselled and roughly imbedded in hard and almost impenetrable mortar. The great strength of the walls is much increased by the buttress, which it is believed rests on the limestone rock, and extends from its now deeply-buried foundation to a height of about 20 feet. Encircling the castle itself, and within a short distance from it, is a wall 9 feet thick and about 25 feet high, having an embrasured parapet. On this wall are still existing four small towers, in which are kept a portion of the old records. Outside of this battlemented wall was the ancient fosse or moat, now dry and filled up, and outside of the place where the moat was is the glacis which, according to tradition, was erected by Cardinal Wolsey when guardian of Edward, third Earl of Derby, during the young earl's minority. In the glacis were three redoubts or round towers, only one of which now remains. No satisfactory explanation of the origin of the name " Rushen" seems to have been given. Some old writers have,-indeed, said that the fortress derived its name from a "rusby bog" which formerly existed in its vicinity, an explanation which can hardly be adopted. The Rev J. G. Cumming affirms that it obtains its name from St Russin (?), who, be alleges, -was one of the twelve missionary fathers who, along with St Columba, settled in Iona, A.D. 563." The appellation is probably Scandinavian. Is it from the Danish Word RUSTE-to equip, to arm, to put on armour; or from RUSTNING-armour? "Castle Rushen " may denote an armed castle, or a castle equipped for defence. The castle is approached on its north-eastern side by a curious and interesting Gothic arched gateway, the passage from which, leading to the castle, passes through another and inner gateway in which is one of the portcullisses. Between these two gateways the principal Courts of the Isle were anciently held, and here were formerly three stone seats, one for the Governor, and one for each of the Deemsters. In the year 1430, a Court of all the Commons was held between the gates by Henry Byron, Lieutenant Governor. In this passage is the wooden hut, or box, of the toll keeper, where the tickets of admission to the castle are issued. On the way to the hut is a flight of modern steps on the left side and leading to the upper apartments in the old Government House, now fitted up for offices and public rooms. Here is the Rolls Office, where the proceedings of the Courts of Record are preserved. This house was erected by James, Earl of Derby. A stone which, when some disfiguring alterations were made some years ago, was removed from the front wall, bore the inscripticn " D. J. C., 1644." These letters denote James and Charlotte Derby. The clock-room is well worth a visit. Its measurement is about 15 feet by 15 feet. It was the ancient chapel belonging to the castle. A piscina and a niche, supposed to have been a receptacle for the sacred elements, are still visible. The old clock is an exceedingly interesting piece of mechanism. It was presented to the castle by Queen Elizabeth in 1597. She held the Isle at that period, when a dispute, as to the title to it, existed between the daughters and brother of Ferdinand, Earl of Derby. The bell upon which the hours are struck was provided, in the year 1729, by James, the tenth Earl of Derby, and the last of the Derby family who ruled in Man. The clock is still going, and keeps good time. The room at present used as the chapel of the gaol is situated on the right hand side, at the top of the steps leading from the keep to the upper part of the castle. The castle was a royal residence. Here dwelt the lords of the Isle. James, the seventh Earl of Derby, resided here from 1643 to 1651. James, the tenth Earl, resided here in 1719. The lords of Mann had the title of king. In the headings of some of our old Insular laws the lord is called king; thus, in 1417, Sir John Stanley is entitled -The Honorable Sir John Stanley, Knight, King and Lord." Again, in 1422, he is called "Our most gracious and excellent Lord, Sir John Stanley, King of Man and the Isles." In 1637, James, Lord Strange, is called " The Sovereign Liege Lord of the Island." The ancient kings of Man were, according to Selden, subject "first to the Kings of Norway, then to the crown of England (under King John and Henrie the Third), and afterward to the King of Scotland, and since again to the crown of England. They both styled themselves Kings in their seales inscribed with Rex Mannice & Insularum, and were so titled by their superior lords.

But they were also, in the later times, titled the lords of Man, or Domini Manniae, by which title the dignity was so restrained that, therefore, the name of King was taken from them. For our stories tell us expressly, that the lords of Man had withall the name of King and might use also a crown of gold."-(Titles of Honour.) dome old writer having suggested a similarity between the appearance of Castle Rushen and that of the Castle of Kremberg at Elsinore, the suggestion has been repeated by Grose, Robertson, Feltham, Cumming, and other authors. I have, however, been assured by a gentleman who visited the castle at Elsinore for the purpose of ascertaining the truth of the statement, that there is not the least similarity between the two structures. The tracery over the window of the old chapel, or clock-room, and that over some others of the windows, are in freestone, and it is believed, as already suggested, points to the fourteenth century. The few ornamentations, including sculptured heads over the arches, are all in freestone, and for the most part almost destroyed by erosion from the weather. A building, now used as a store, which abuts on the battlemented wall surrounding the castle, and is situated close to the under turn key's residence, is worth a visit. The roof is of peculiar construction. It is formed of blocks of limestone overlapping each other, after the manner adopted by the ancient Britons in the roofing of their circular huts. The building is perhaps of greater age than the existing castle. It may be fairly inferrad that the builders were unable to construct a properly arched roof, and, therefore, formed one after the mod, usually adopted at the period. This castle was occupied by Charlotte de la Tremouille, or, as she wrote it, "Tremoille," when the Island surrendered to the Commonwealth on the 2nd November, 1651. Her lord, the Seventh Earl of Derby, had gone to England to aid Charles II against the Republican Army, had been taken prisoner, found guilty of treason, and on the 15th of October, 1651, beheaded at Bolton. It was not until the arrival of the fleet-which it is said contained three regiments of infantry and two troops of horse-under the command of Colonel Duckinfield, and which had been sent to reduce the Island, that the Countess knew for a certainty of the cruel and ignominous death of the Earl. The Island was, it was alleged, ceded to the Parliament through the treachery of Captain William Christian, known as " Illiam Dhone," literally " Brown William," then Receiver of the Island and commander of the insular forces. Christian left the Isle of Man after its rendition, and remained away until 1662, when he returned, supposing; that he was then protected by the Act of General Pardon and Indemnity which had been passed. He was, however, arrested under "a mandate of Charles, the Eighth Earl of Derby, dated the 12th September, 1662, on a charge of treason against the Countess of Derby. On the 31st December, 1662, he was found guilty and sentenced to be shot. The sentence was carried into effect on the 2nd January, 1663, when he was shot at Hango Hill, near Castletown. In the year 1722, Bishop Wilson was imprisoned in this castle. The facts relative to his imprisonment may be thus briefly stated: Mrs Horne, the wife of Captain Alexander Horne, then Governor of the Island, in the year 1719, had reported that Mrs Puller, a widow, had been carrying on an improper intimacy with Sir James Poole. The Archdeacon, who was Government Chaplain, in consequence of this report, debarred Mrs Puller from the holy sacrament. In order to prove their innocence this lady and Sir James, according to the then practice of the Ecclesiastical Court, took the oath of compurgation before the Bishop, and produced compurgators of high character. As there was no evidence adduced against them, they were exonerated from the charge, and Mrs Horne was ordered by the Bishop's Court to ask their forgiveness and pardon. She, however, in contempt of the Court, refused to do so, and was, therefore, censured, and ordered to be expelled from the holy communion until she complied with it. The archdeacon, notwithstanding the censure, admitted Mrs Horne to the Lord's Table and was, therefore, suspended by the bishop. The archdeacon appealed to the governor. Though it was to the Archbishop of York, as Metropolitan, that the appeal legally lay, the governor assumed the authority to investigate the case, and required the bishop and his vicars-general to retract and cancel the censures. Their declining to do so, it was pretended, was a contempt, and for their pretended contempt, the governor fined the bishop £50 and each of his vicars-general £20. These fines the bishop and his vicars-general refused to pay. The refusal was construed into a further contempt of the governor's authority, for which supposed contempt they were committed to the gaol of Castle Rushen, where they were treated with many indignities. From the dampness of his cell, the bishop suffered very much. The prisoners petitioned the king in council, and after paying the fines under protest, were discharged at the expiration of two months. The whole proceedings of Governor Horne were, however, subsequently declared by the king in council, illegal; arbitrary, and oppressive, and set aside. The fines were ordered to be returned. It is said the king subsequently offered to the bishop the bishopric of Exeter, which he declined. There is a popular notion that the castle is connected by a subterranean passage with Rushen Abbey. There is, however, no apparent evidence of the existence of such a passage. The abbey, now unfortunately in ruins, is beautifully situated on the right bank of the river in the immediate vicinity of the village of Ballasalla. The monks were of the Cistercian order, and were appointed from Furness, on which Rushen Abby was dependent. It was founded in 1134, when " King Olave gave Ivo, Abbot of Furness, a piece of his land in Man, to establish a monastery at a place called Rushen, and he gave to the churches of the Isles lands and privileges,"- Chron. Mani. et insul.) The abbey house, a modern building, is now used as an hotel. We learn from the Chronicon Manniae, that in the year 1265, on the 24th November, Manus, son of Olave, King of Mann and the Isles, died at Castle Rushen, and was buried at Rushen Abbey. The barracks, occupied by the ancient garrison of the Castle, were, it is said, in the space within the battlemented wall, and now used as yards for the prisoners of the gaol. No portion of them now remains.

While in Castle Rushen a number of the members descended into an ancient vault in the Castle Yard, which Mr Keene had had specially opened. This vault, which is very large, is splendidly formed, and is, in fact, the place said to be connected by a secret passage with Rushen Abbey. A similar vault situated on the Quay was also opened, but time did not permit of its exploration.

The party, after inspecting Castle Rushen, proceeded, on foot, along the Shore, in the direction of Scarlett, the Stack, and Poolvaish. At Scarlett Limestone Quarry,

Professor DAWKINS said: I wish to ask your attention to what is to be seen in this place, You see first of all a most admirable illustration of the work which the carbonic acid and the rain water have done upon the limestone dissolving it away and carrying it off, and by that process converting the soft water of the rain, into the hard water of the limestone. Then you will notice small scratches on the limestone going towards the sea. Those are unmistakeably traces of the passage of the ice charged with stone, sand, and the like, slipping down in the shape of a glacier. You have there the characteristic polishing and scratching which is so universally the work of a glacier. As we walk along we shall see another very admirable illustration of this just on the other side, close to the shore. Then we shall pass from the action of ice to the consideration of the work that fire has done.

Proceeding on, the Stack was an object of attention, but could not be reached on account of the tide. However, the trap rocks in the neighbourhood had great attractions for many. First the limestone was noted in close proximity to the trap. Cyathophyllum and madrepore seemed to prevail in one part, then a fault was observed filled with treccia, which cut off this limestone, abounding in the above corals. The tufa was then examined. Professor Carvill Lewis, in company with the Rev S. Gasking, in examining the rocks, found some good specimens of hornblende andesite, which has not previously been reported from these parts. The trap rocks were followed right along the coast, and a stop was made where the limestone was to be seen, altered considerably by the volcanic ash.

At the Stack Professor DAWKINS said: I want to tell you the main point which strikes me as being of importance here. You will have noticed, as we walked along from the quarry, how the rocks roll, almost like the rolling of the sea, and some of you may have remarked that in one place there is a long line of smashing, full of a dark coloured rock. That line of rock is one of the dykes abcut which I have spoken to you, and the material filling it is made up of a material analogous to lava, and known in the form of dolorite. The spot on which we are standing is limestone, and if you look down in front of us, you will see another line of smashing filled with another of those dykes. That grey line which you see divides the pavement of limestone from the wider reefs beyond. But when we go further away, right across, you see a set of rocks which always are a distinct contrast to these on which we stand -rugged, rude, and singularly fractured, and without any trace of stratification. These rocks are distinctly of volcanic origin. You will find in Scarlett Point, facing us, a mass of variously constituted volcanic and crystalline rocks. You will find volcanic ash, vesicular and other kinds of lava. The whole of these form materials which once constituted part of the base of the volcano. I shall be able to show you, further on, evidence that this volcano was active during the time of the deposition of the carboniferous rocks, but it is sufficient here to call attention to this mass of intrusive igneous material, shot out right into the middle of these carboniferous rocks-shot out at the bottom of . the sea. (Applause.)

Further on, in another bay, addressing the assembly,

Professor DAWKINS Said : I have asked you to come down here to see the evidence that this volcano was active in the carboniferous time, and that we have unmistakeable proof in this place that this volcano -was active during the time that some of these rocks were being formed at the bottom of the sea. The evidence is to be found in the section which you will see, and on part of which I am standing. Some of you at my feet are sitting upon limestone, but limestone which has been very much altered. Then above that you will see a layer of material which is black and flinty. That is earthy limestone, which has been converted into chert. Then above that there is a mixed mass of volcanic ash. It contains fragments of limestone which it has broken off in its passage through the beds of limestone. And, moreover. to prove that, if you examine that grey mass of ash you can follow its dip under the layers of carboniferous chert. You have unmistakeable proof that this volcano was surrounded by the sea. It was active and kept shooting its material into the water of the carboniferous sea. The thickest mass of volcanic material is that which we have crossed over, and from Scarlett point-the Stack facing in this direction, these beds apparently grow thinner and thinner until, as I shall show you, they disappear altogether.

The party resumed their walk in the direction of Poolvaish, and halted on the limestone on the shore almost in front of the excavations in the Posidomyarian schist. Here Professor DAWKINS, standing on a very large trap dyke intruded through the limestone, composed of an ancient lava, made his last speech for the day. He said: Now, we are about to finish-if I may call it so-the show. (Laughter.) You will have noticed that we started with a pretty thick mass of volcanic rock, and we have had the limestone putting in an appearance more and more until here we are on the top of it. The volcanic rock just disappears here. I believe that to some extent it is cut off by the fault, but not wholly so, because it is continued over further, so that the distribution of the volcanic ash which is embedded with the limestone here extended some distance into Poolvaish Bay. Now, I think I have given you a pretty clear idea of what that volcano was. It was a marine volcano lifting its cone above the waves, shooting its ashes into the air, but they were distributed along the sea bottom. What I am standing upon is an enormous mass of volcanic rock which has burst through all these other older volcanic ashes. It belongs to a set of disturbances which are very much later than the deposit of those other rocks. It is very much later than the age of the carboniferous limestone, and this dyke is clearly traceable running right across the headland. I have mapped it on the other side cf the headland in the bay of Castletown. But my work has not yet reached far enough to strike it on the other side. It cuts for a very considerable distance almost in a right line, filling up cracks, filling this great track in the limestone, and sending strings off on either side of it. If you examine the point where this rock strikes the limestone, you will see the latter very highly altered. Such, then, is the principal fact with which I think I shall have concluded my remarks to you with regard to volcanoes and carboniferous geology generally. You will note that I have confined my attention particularly to the carboniferous time. I thought it better to focus myself upon that, than to give a general talk about the general geology of the Isle of Man. On Monday I may have occasion to say something about some of the older rocks. I am much obliged to you for the attention you have given to me, and I hope you all have heard what 1: have said, but will pardon me if you have not. I fear in this high wind I have not been able to make myself intelligible to you all. But geology is a science bristling with hard terms, and I have had some difficulty sometimes in translating some of the hard terms, with which the class-room is so familiar, into plain English. (Applause.)

Deemster GILL: I am sure you will all join with me in tendering a very hearty vote of thanks to Professor Dawkins for the excellent, instructive, and entertaining set of lectures which he has delivered to us to-day. (Applause.) I have lived in this neighbourhood almost all my life, and these rocks have always had great interest for me. Rut I never saw them in the light which I have seen them in to-day. I am sure that many who are here present have profited as I have profited by the words which have fallen from Professor Dawkins. (Applause.) I ask you all to join me in heartily thanking him for his lectures. (Applause.)

Three hearty cheers were then given for Professor Dawkins, who briefly responded.

It is interesting to note that from a quarry of bla-k marble or limestone, n?ar this spot, the exterior steps of St. Paul's Cathedral were supplied in the days of Bishop Wilson, and of late years material was obtained for repairing them.

After a rather tedious walk for the ladies back along the coast to Scarlett House, the whole of the party gladly mounted the carriages which were in waiting, and drove off in the direction of Douglas, which was reached about 7 o'clock, the party separating at Castle Mona, being all thoroughly satisfied with the day's programme.

MONDAY'S EXCURSION (SEPT. 12).VISITS TO BRADDAN, TYNWALD HILL, PEEL CASTLE, AND FOXDALE MINES. The following was the official programme :-

MONDAY, 12th.-Carriages will leave Castle Mona Hotel, at 9.30 a.m., and proceed to Braddan Chnrchyard, where the Crosses with Runic Incriptions will be shown ; thence by St. Trinian's Church to St. John's Chapel and the Tynwald Hill, from which the Laws are still proclaimed in Manx and English; the next point will be Peel Castle, with the Round Tower and the Ruins of S. Germain's Church. After lunch the route will be by Kirk Patrick Church to Foxdale Mines, where Captain B:itto will meet the party. Here the chief points of interest are the great lode of argentiferous galena traversing the granite and the schists, the carious association of minerals, the large blocks of granite embedded in the vein stuff, the carbonic acid gas issuing from the deep workings, and the altera.tion of the granite in the neigbourhood of the lode. A visit will also be made to the Quarry, where the granite and slate are seen in contact. Professor BOYDDAWKINS, F.R.S., will act as Leader at Foxdale. The road by Archallagan and the Cooil will be taken on the return journey.

Monday's programme had marked down for inspection, Kirk Braddan and its Runic crosses, St John's Chapel and the adjoining Tynwald Hill, Peel Castle and its companion ruins, and lastly the geological treasures of Foxdale. The one view of this report is to reproduce for the public good whatever further light the genius of the British Association has shed upon these varied objects of interest. That this may be done the more clearly, a consecutive narrative of the day's excursion will be briefly drawn out, and then the additional light radiating from our distinguished visitors upon Runic cross or granite quarry can be more accurately indicated.

Though the early morning was bright with promise, an omen of the frequent showers throughout the day saluted the thirteen waggonettes before leaving Castle Mona Hotel, in the shape of a darkened sky and brisk downpour of rain. In the first carriage were four conspicuous figures, Deemster Gill and the Rev E. B. Savage, Professor Boyd Dawkins, of Owen's College, and Professor Carvill Lewis, of Philadelphia. The remaining vehicles had a like distribution of occupants-many people belonging to the Island, along with various members of the British Association. The old Church at Braddan, religiously shut in by the surrounding trees, was reached in the rain, the party being met by Deemster Drinkwater and others. First, the three Runic crosses standing on a mound in the churchyard were examined. All contain inscriptions. The inscriptions in themselves are not very interesting. "Some unknown person erected this cross to some other unknown individual, who was father, brother, or son to the first-named." What is of interest, though, is the language of these inscriptions and the character of the letters. The letters are Runic and the language Norse, i.e., ancient Scandinavian. These Runic letters are closely allied to the letters of the Greek alphabet. Here arises a difficulty. How came this ultra northern nation into contact with the Greeks living far away in the remote south-eastern corner of Europe? Professor Boyd Dawkins lucidly solved this problem in the drive from Kirk Braddan to Crosby. The north was the home of that golden amber so highly prized by the civilised Greeks. As early as 400 B.C. there is distinct evidence of the amber travelling south and the Greek adventurers pushing further and further north along those two ancient trade-routes, the Dneiper and the Danube. Greek coins and Greek armour have been discovered from time to time all along this track in proof of the Grecian presence there in the past. From B.C. 400 to the 12th or 13th centuries, the date of the erection of these Runic crosses, gives a good fifteen or sixteen hundred years-ample time for a nation to learn an alphabet-and then the remote distance of Scandinavia from Greece itself accounts for the want of perfect similarity between the two alphabets, between the Grecian mother and her Scandinavian daughter.

When the oldest part of old Braddan church was built no one knows. In 1291 the church here was whole and entire, for in that year Mark, the Bishop of Man, held a synod within its walls. The saint to whom it is dedicated-St Brandon-was Bishop of Man in the 11th century. Hence between the 11th and 13th centuries the original Kirk Braddan must needs have been erected.

Standing near the crosses, the Rev. E. B. SAVAGE, who acted as leader, said : These are some of the Runic crosses, of which there are about twenty in the Isle of Man. Of course a good number of the monumental crosses have no inscription at all. All the inscriptions are in the same formula, so and so raised this cross to the memory of so and so, mother, son, or father, as the case may be, giving the relationship. The inscription on this cross runs thus "Thorlof Neaci, brother's son of Eab, raised this cross to the memory of Fiac, his son." Thorlaf is Norse, the other names probably Celtic, and the date in all probabity is between 1170 and 1230. Dr. Vigfasson, mostly on philologicical grounds, gave these 60 years as the probable date during which these crosses with Runic inscriptions were raised. We shall see another cross at St. John's, and another at St. Germain's, in Peel. In this churchyard you will find another cross at the base of the tower, and another at the stile at the top end. I would like to mention also that on the other side of the road there are very interesting remains of what has probably been a fortified village or community. The fortifications seem to have included a great part of this churchyard. At some time or other it was evidently a place of great strength.

The crosses and the ancient village were examined with evident interest.

An interesting stop was made at Crosby Quarry. In the far by-gone, when living volcanoes poured forth their streams of liquid rock in this Isle of Man, one such stream flowed on through the present quiet fields of Crosby. Such lava-stream is termed a dyke when hardened into rock. The Crosby Quarry opens into one of these dykes. " The special feature to be noted here," remarked Professor Lewis, "is that the granulation runs parallel to the sides of the dyke." The slaty material at the side too shows the presence of a two-fold action, first of contact with the molten rock, and then of some powerful dynamic force.

At this quarry Professor DAWKINs said: You have here a very goad illustration of the manner in which some of these great igneous rocks shot through the slaty materials which form the main mass of the Island. The part I am standing on now is part of the great dyke formed of a material which my friend Professor Carvill Lewis tells me is first cousin to granite -or a rock somewhat of that nature. The exact name of the rock I should not like to stand responsible for until I have had microscopic sections made of the rock. The point I wish you to notice is the curious alteration caused in this dyke, and on the slaty material in its immediate neighbourhood. On that side you will see the slaty structure pretty nearly obliterated, and a quantity of dark crystalline material going through it, which is a first cousin to horn-blonde. These crystalline rocks are traversed by a line of cleavage, or something of that sort. They are roughly parallel to the slaty rocks on either side. Above you see the slaty rocks in immediate neighourhood with the purely crystalline rocks below, and the plans of deposition are roughly parallel to the inclination of the side of the fissure. These are the principal points which we have come up here to see. I must say, for my own part, that I think it is an exceedingly interesting place, and a place to which I hope at some later date to give some considerable attention. I have just been told, as is usually the case, with great dykes of this description -they are carried on for a considerable distance in a right line-and Mr Savage tells me that this is traceable on the other side of the valley, sweeping away through the hills. (Applause.)

No visit was allowed to the ruined chapel of St Trinian's-time was too pressing. From the road a brief survey was taken of the foliage-roofed pile. The architectural features, though rude, were evidently middle pointed Gothic. This chapel was built about the 13th century. The story of the " Buggane and the Tailor" was duly told. Whatever power that evil sprite bad in preventing the ancient roof from sheltering this chapel in the past, nature now is making a continuous atonement by spreading ever over the consecrated area the sympathetic branches of her sentinel forest trees.

The spire of St John's soon rose in the near distance, tall, stately, and new. The present St John's only dates back to 1849. The previous cruciform chapel on the same site was built by Bishop Wilson, 1704. How many others occupied the ground in the foregoing centuries is doubtless duly recorded in some old manuscript stored away in the family archives of some English nobleman, whose ancestors took the trouble to plunder these precious documents, but not to use them- From this chapel of St John's the solemn procession of all the High Government officials once a year wends its way to the neighbouring Tynwald mound to hear the laws of Mann duly promulgated in Bnglish and Manx. Deemster GILL was to-day the expositor of the Manx constitution from the summit of the same Tynwald Mount to the attentive crowd that gathered closely around him. In a clear and simple style he pointed out the essential characteristics of the Tynwald Government. 1st, The open-air legislation-the last surviving memorial in any land of Scandinavian rule; and 2nd, The utter invalidity of any law until formally promulgated to the people from that Tynwald Hill. In doing so, he said: It is part of the duty of the Deemsters, of whom I have the honour to be one, to stand cn this hill periodically. and perform a duty not always so pleasant as that I am performing to-day. In their official capacity it is the duty of the Deemsters of this Island to promulgate in English and in Manx the laws which have been passed by the Insular Legislature. Of late years, another official, the Coroner of Glanfaba, has been delegated to read the Manx. A few facts with regard to this ceremonial institution may not be out of place here. Our Legislature, when its branches sit in combination, is called "The Tynwald Court." We have inherited this institution and its name from our fore-fathers, who came here from Norway. They brought with them many of their customs and their institutions, and amongst them was the "Tynwald Court." In Scotland and in England also we find the name "Tynwald" applied to localities where these Courts have formerly been hold. In Iceland a Tynwald almost identical with ours existed up to the last century; but it is only in this Island that the institution has survived to the present day in its original form. Our Legislature is composed of the Governor, respresenting the Sovereign, the Council, the two Deemsters, and the twenty four Keys. The Deemsters form part of the Council, that is to say, they act in conjunction, and sit with the Council, but in describing the constitution of the country they are always named separately, and in our official documents, such as the statutes, the Court is described as "the Governor, Council, Deemsters, and Keys in Tynwald assembled." The form of passing statutes of this Island is very much like that adopted in the Imperial Parliament. Bills are introduced and discussed in either one branch of the Legislature or the other-the Council or the Keys- and are then passed to the other branch. The two branches then meet together in Tynwald, and the bill, having been previously printed-on parchment-is signed, and is then sent up to the Sovereign in Council for the Royal Assent. But, even after all this is done, the measure has not the force of law Before the bill can come into operation it must be promulgated, in the ancient form, from the top of this hill, in the Mans and English languages. That being done, the statute becomes the law of the land. That is the form and custom kept up from time immemorial down to this day. A Tynwald Court for the promulgation of laws and the transaction of other business is held at this place every fifth of July; but if necessary similar Courts are held here at other periods of the year. The fifth of July, or, under the old style, the 24th of June, is however, the day on which from time immemorial this ancient custom has been observed. The cereminy of promulgation is an imposing one, and as prescribed in a document prepared in 1417, for Sir John Stanley II. King, or Lord of Man, is as follows." Our doughtful and gracious Lord, this is the Constititution of old time, the which we have given in our Days, how ye should be governed on your Tynwald Day. First, you shall come hither in your Royal array, as a King ought to do, by the prerogatives and Royalties of the Land of Man. And upon the Hill of Tynwald sit in a chair, covered with a Royal cloth and cushions, and your visage into the East, and your sword before you, holden with the point upward, your Barons in the third degree sitting beside you, and your beneficed men and your Deemsters before you sitting, and your clerk, your knights, esquires, and yeomen about you in the third degree, and the worthiest men in your land to be called in before your Deemsters if you will ask anything of them, and to hear the Government of your land and your will, and the Commons to stand without the circle of the hill with three clerks in their surplices, &c." This form is substantially that observed at the present day. It is interesting to note that, from the earliest times, both here, and I believe elsewhere, the Tynwald proceedings commenced by a religious service. In early days the Tynwald performed certain judicial as well as legislative functions. The mound on which we stand is supposed to be composed of soil brought from each of the 17 parishes of the Island. What I have said must be regarded as a rapid sketch only of this interesting institution. Time will not allow of a more detailed account.

Mr RIDGWAY HARRISON: At the conclusion of the old ceremony three cheers are given for the Queen. We will take it for granted that that has been done on this occasion; and we will now give three cheers for Deemster Gill.

Cheers were given both for the Queen and for Deamster Gill.

How happily the word Tynwald enshrines its own maaning. Tynwald-Thing v6llr-vallis negotii-the hill of business, of business both pertaining to a judicial and legislative court. The origin of the Tynwald at St. John's dates back to the tenth century, to the time of King Orry. In actual documents it is first mentioned in 1229. (Oliver's Monumenta, Vol. I. p. 176). The first public promulgation of written laws (the laws were previously preserved by tradition, and termed breast laws) took place here in the year 1417. Another Tynwaldwas at Kiel Abban,in Baldwin. The mound there has only been destroyed during the last half century. In 1429 a Tynwald Court is recorded to have been held there. In fact, the ruler of Man had the right to summon such Tynwald Court wheresoever he pleased; thus, under Henry Byron, Lieutenant of Man, 1430, " a Court of all the Commons of Man was holden at the Castle of Rusben, betwixt the gates." (Mills Statutes, p. 12). From 1577, and probably from an earlier date, the Tynwald Court has always been held at St. John's down to the present time. Up to 1753, June 24tk was the day fixed for the meeting. This accounts for the name of St. Jobn being associated with the Courts, the 24th June being St. John the Baptist's feast day, In 1753 the new Calendar was introduced; but the Tynwald Day has remained constant to the old reckoning, and is, therefore, held on 5th July; the fairs and quarter days also remain faithful to the old style; so tbat they occur 11 days after our present reckoning.

An uphill walk in the rain, with a glance en passant at the tomb of a pre-historic chieftain, its gigantic stones piled up by the wayside, brought us to our respective waggonettes. One shortstop before reaching Peel, viz., at Poortown Quarry, the Quarry of Ballakilworrey. Here was a dull, dark, green cindery sort of rock. Professor Boyd Dawkins could make nothing of it-at least he modestly declared be could not. Pro fessor Carvill Lewis came to the rescue. This crude dark rock was pronounced to be gabbro, an eruptive rock that is by no means common, because so quickly changed to some other kind.

At this quarry Professor Lewis said: It is impossible to name a rock like this by only looking at it with the naked eye. One wants sections and a microscope. Bu', so far as we can judge, it appears to be a rock called Gabbro, or a rock closely allied to that. It is one of the rocks containing no free silica. So far as I can see, it is made of diallage and labradorite-a variety of felspar. If these are the constituents, it is Gabbro. It is an eruptive rock which is very scarce in England, and altogether it is not a common rock. One reason that it is not common is that it is so easily altered into other rocks. When Gabbro is pressed it becomes hornblende. Modern geology shows us that the great part of our hornblende rocks were originally Gabbro. The Island seems to be very interesting, from the variety of eruptive rocks it contains. We have already come across four descriptions of eruptive rocks.

The neat quarry visited was the interior of Creg Malin Hotel. No one had any practical difficulties here they were not able to solve satisfactorily for themselvas. It is true, Professor Dawkins did make a speech, but that was in answer to the kind and graceful welcome given to the British Association by the High-Bailiff of Peel. Here the party were met by the High-Bailiff, Mrs, and the Misses Laughton, the Rev J. G. Williams, Mr J. Joughin, H.K., Mr T. C. S. Moore, Mr H. T. Graves, Mrs Graves, Mrs Tayleur, Alias David son, and others. An excellent luncheon, one reflecting the highest credit on the management, was served at the Creg Malin.

After luncheon, the HIGH-BAILIFF said: As High-Bailiff of this ancient city allow me to express the feelings of the people of Peel, and the appreciation they have of the honour which the British Association have done them in paying them a visit to-day. It is the first visit I believe that has ever been made by the British Association to the Isle of Man, and it is one which we keenly appreciate. I am not going to waste your time further than to say that we are all of one opinion as to that appreciation, and we should like, in order to give us a notion of the reality that we have the British Association here, that one of its most distinguished members, Professor Boyd Dawkins-(loud applause)-who as Professor at Owens College is well-known to England, and who, as author of many geological works has attained a European reputation - (applause) -we would be glad if be would say something to us to enlighten our mind with reference to some things with which his mind is particularly familiar. (Applause.)

Professor DAWKINS, who was received with a hearty round of applause, in replying, said: Deemster Gill, Mr High-Bailiff, lauies and gentlemen, I feel that I am placed in the somewhat awkward position known as a cleft-stick. (Laughter.) I came here certainly not with any idea that I should be called upon for a speech. But I would say that it is with exceedingly great pleasure and satisfaction that I find myself here at all. And I feel quite sure that I am expressing the feelings of the British Associatio!y with which you have been kindenougb, sir, to identify me, when I say that we heartily thank the High-Bailiff and the inhabitants of Peel for all the trouble that has been taken to make this visit of ours to Peel satisfactory. (Applause.) Those of us who have not had experience in making practical arrangements for an expedition of this sort do not know what an amount of trouble it entails. 1, therefore, would say, in the first instance, that I am exceedingly gratified to find that things have gone off so far so well. I am sure that we will all leave Peel with regret. As I have been called upon for a speech, let me say that I feel very much in this frame of mind: I have been called upon to speak, and I have got you all here, and if I were to keep you here here for a couple of hours, it would just about serve you right. (Laughter.) You got me here, but now i have got you here. But, on the whole, I do not think it would be very kind of me to take such an advantage of the exceptional circumstance to which I owe my present position upon my feet. (Laughter.) I would say, however, that really, during the short time that this small band of the British Association have been in this Island of the west, the three-legged Island of the western sea, as I like to think of it-all of us have learned a very great deal. We have not only learned, by experience, the exceeding hospitality of the inhabitants of the Isle of Man(hear, hear)-but we have learned a great deal in one way and another of the events which went before our time-events connected with the Island which took place in times gone bye. I would say that when we went to the region of Castletown-the region which I believe, Mr High-Bailiff, is most remote from your dominion in Peel-(laughter)-we had not merely the rocks to s udy, we not merely stood upon the ancient shore of the carboniferous period, and noted the shingle beaches under our feet, bur we also looked at some of the antiquities and historical reminiscences connected with the Island. In the castle there we saw the beginning of what I hope will prove to be a good museum of national antiquities. I look upon the Isle of Man as a nationality, and a very delightful nationality; and when we came to the 'Tynwald Mound to-day, and listened to the words which fell from the Deemster, I felt myself thrown back about to the year 1100. (Laughter.) I do not mean to say that my surroundings were 1100. (Laughter.) Of course the general surroundings of hats and cloaks were of a later date. (Laughter.) But the mere assembling of a crowd like ours, around a mound like that, quite reminded me of the olden time, and you will remember that when we were studying that curious celebration which takes place there at stated times on Tynwald Hill, we were looking upon a most singular relic. There was a time when the laws were settled by an appeal to the people, when Home Rule was brought home to every homestead. And in that Tynwald Hill we have a survival which, so far as I know, is unknown in Europe, except in the Canton of Zurich, in Switzerland. It is a survival of the keenest interest to people who care for laws and ancient institutions. I do not intend to say anything at all about the old red sandstone which is found in this neighbourhood. We have all read in a most classic poem about the effect of a piece of old red sandstone thrown at a philosopher. Its effect may be briefly summed up in these words, that when he received it on his person "subsequent proceedings interested him no more." (Laughter.) I shall, therefore, say nothing more about the old red sandstone, and I would merely add further, that I think that time is really pressing so much that we had better find our way as quickly as possible to the Castle. We shall only have about twenty minutes to study the very interesting collection of antiquities there. I would like those of you who are aware of the fact to know that we are in the principal city-(the HighBailiff: " Hear, hear")-of the Isle of Man. I feel that to some extent we required to be told that that is the case-(cries of " Oh," and laughter)-but I would add further that that impression which is put upon my mind is merely the result of my sojourning in England. I know in the United States if you get a small hamlet in the remote West it is always called a city, so that I have no doubt, sir-(the HIGH-BAILIFF: " Oh ! oh ! " and laughter) -so that I have no doubt, sir, that this is a city. (Loud laughter). I have not the least doubt of it, and I for one, when I look at that magnificent castle in ruins, and when I realise that the inhabitants are fortunate enough to have a cathedral, and when we know that the cathedral has a bishop, we have all those essentials which constitute a city. (Applause, and the HIGH-BAILIFF: " Bravo, bravo.")

We all then made for Peel Castle. Before reaching the Islet, enriched with its unique assemblage of ruins, we had to exercise a little patience till one of the two small boats could 'row as o'er the ferry," and when over the ferry we had to exercise a little more patience, until some unknown friend could open to us the north gate. Cathedral, castle, soaring 'round tower, and British chapel, were all blended together, and all in ruins. They occupy the whole island-that sea girt rock. bound grave, where lie entombed the stoutest memorials of Church and State, the Cathedral and the Castle. The herring bone masonry of St. Patrick's Church takes us back to British or early Saxon times ; the castle brings us face to face with a remote antiquity, though no mention of it is found in history till the death of Olave, 1237 Its isolation and strength made it a suitable state prison. Here it is said that in 1397 Richard II confined the Earl of Warwick for two years, and that from 1441, Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester, remained in "durance vile" for fourteen long years (Falgan Chronicle, p. 394, Grafton's Chronicle, p. 587), and finally died in bondage. This is one of the ` palaces and strongholds of the Stanleys,' a mighty memorial of the quondam Kings of Man.

The cathedral was built, or, as some may believe, rebuilt, by Bishop Simon towards the middle of the 13th century. The architecture is early middle-pointed Gothic. As the guide was repeating his well-known lesson, the minds of many of those present were doubtless lit up by visions as described by Mr G. H. Wood:

There stands the holy mouldering fane,
Where rest the sleeping dead,
Where they for ages long have lain,
And slept the sleep that knows no pain,
Each in his grassy bed !

But roofless now is that holy pile,
And its arches rent and riven ;
Yet I love to tread its lonely aisle,
Where the footfall only is heard the while,
And muse on the things of heaven

A pleasing little memento of Peel was considerately provided for each visitor by Mr Tayleur, in the shape of a small pamphlet on Peel and Peel Castle, taken from Brown's Popular Guide. The genial good humour that had characterised the scientific excursion the day through seemed to grow more intense as the day wore on. No showers could damp its ardeur. The tower of " Corrin's Folly," whereby hangs a tale, was fully explained by Mr Savage to his fellow-travellers. Foxdale Mines were reached about five. The company divided into two parties-one to inspect the quarry, the other to visit the surface works. Professor Boyd Dawkins and Professor Carvill Lewis, with a numerous following, were first brought by Captain Kitto to the minor quarry. Here the chief characteristic was the contrast between the pure and the altered granite. " Never," declared Professor Boyd Dawkins, "did I see a place where this difference was so closely marked." Thence they passed to the great quarry where the granite and slate meet in juxtaposition. The striking feature here was the absence of disturbance in the comparatively soft slate when brought into immediate contact with the adamantine granite. Captain Kitto's experience was the same for the lowest depths of the mine. In the streamlet hard by was some very finely grained granite, which Professor Carvill Lewis termed Elvanite. In the quiet of the journey home to Douglas, the last named Professor made a remark which must be deeply consoling, and in the highest degree cheering, to all lovers of Geology in the Isle of Man. " Wherever I have been, I never in my life saw any area in the world where the whole genesis of geological formation is so distinctly visible as here in the Isle of Man."

At the places above-mentioned Professor DAWKINS said: The great lead vein which gives rise to all these magnificent workings here at Foxdale cuts clean through the granite and the slate. We shall see the junction - between them further on. What I want to show you particularly is the curious fact that in the neighbourhood of the lead vein the granite is let into with a green material. Felspar, as Professor Carvill Lewis has just noted, is converted into this green material is maragdite. I have two pieces in my hands. One is the comparatively unaltered granite, while the green piece is granite altered by the action of acid-laden waters in passing through the vein, and of granite in the immediate neighbourhood of the vein. The principal vein of Foxdale runs east and west, and it is traversed by several others running north and south, and this mass of stone Captain Kitto told me came from the north and south vein. Here is an illustration of a small vein filled with quartz. Crystallization starts outside, and they are filled up layer after layer until the whole of it is filled up.

At the quarry he said: I first want to ask your attention to the principal points to be noticed here. We read a good deal in some of the books about the enormous amount of alteration which is produced by the intrusion of masses of granite into the shaled slates, and the like. Here we have a most admirable illustration of the fact that that is not always the case. For instance, that rock close here on my right is granite. A little further away there is slate, and if you look at the slate close to the junction of the granite you will see that it has suffered singularly little alteration by the proximity of that crystalline rock. This is a wonderfully good illustration of that. I don't know whether Captain Kitto can tell us his experience of the alteration produced in the slaty beds down in the mine. Are they very much altered down in the mine?

Captain KITTO : They are not. Even down in the deep mine at the 170 fathoms level we go straight from the granite into the slate. There is nothing between them.

Professor DAWKINS : Professor Carvill Lewis has called my attention to one result of the junction, and that is that on the slate some little crystals of hornblende are produced by the contact with the granite. The same thing is found in igneous materials in Cumberland and Westmoreland.

Under the charge of Captain Kitto, junr., a large party went over the above-ground workings of the mine. Captain Kitto gave an intelligent explanation of the various processes used by the Company in working and cleaning the ore so as to get it ready for market. One of the principal objects shown was the enormous new engine now in course of erection, which is to be used for the working of the new shaft. The whole party, though very large, were hospitably entertained by Captain and Mrs Kitto and their family at their residence. The tea, which was so liberally dispensed, was very highly appreciated, especially by the ladies, on behalf of whom Miss Lydia Becker thanked Captain, Mrs, and the Misses Kitto for their kindness and attention.

The drive home was by the Cooil and Braddan, Castle Mona being reached at about half past seven.

TUESDAY'S EXCURSION (SEPT. 13). The following was the official programme for Tuesday:

Carriages will leave Castle Mona Hotel at 9-30 for Laxey, when the Surface Works at the Lead Mines and the great Water Wheel (72 ft. 6in. diameter) will be inspected under the guidance of Capt. Reddicliffe. After lunch at the Laxey Glen Gardens, the carriages will again be entered, and the road taken to Kirk Manghold Church, where are some interesting Ancient Crosses. The road home will be again by Laxey. Some interesting antiquities will be pasted on the way, which will be visited as time allows.

This programme was, however, not adhered to, the visit to KirkMaughold being dropped, much to the disappointment and regret of many of the party, including not a few local people. The party were favoured with beautiful sunshiney weather, and the drive out was greatly enjoyed. Thirteen carriages were sufficient to carry the whole of the party today, and the route taken from Castle Mona was by the Crescent-road, Broadway, Victoria road, by Glencrutchery, past the Governor's House, through Onchan Village, and on to Laxey, which was reached about half-past eleven o'clock. The carriages were left at the Bridge, the party being met by Major Spittall one of the directors of Great Laxey Mining Co.; Captain Reddicliffe (manager), Captain W. H. Rowe, Captain Kerruish, Captain Killip, the Rev F. J. Moore, vicar of Lonan; and Dr Bradbury. It was decided to visit the Big Wheel first of all, and of course, on the way, the specimens of quartz exhibited outside each house door attracted a great deal of attention. Professor Carvill Lewis quickly pounced on two fine pieces, for which only a few pence were asked, and he soon transferred them to his wallet. Several Manx cats also came in for a good deal of attention, a description of them as " stumpy cats" causing some amusement. Upon reaching the wheel many of the party mounted to the top, where, on account of the extreme clearness of the day, a magnificent view was obtained. Indeed, many of the visitors expressed the opinion that Laxey was the prettiest of all the places they had seen in the Island. å visit to what is called "the turbine" was much enjoyed by many of the party. The turbine, by means of a supply of water ingeniously arranged so as to give it 65 horse-power, is used for the purpose of drawing the" kibbles," when filled with the stone from the workings underground, up the shaft to the surface. The immense power of this strange looking and apparently simple machine caused the greatest wonderment among the party. The machinery above the turbine was also visited, and its working was likewise admired. The party then returned, passed through the company's workshop, and paused at the place where the water which is pumped out of the mines by the Big Wheel flows out of the pipe into one of the reservoirs.

Here Professor BOYD Dawxixs, addressing the assembled company, said: Ladies and gentlemen, I am merely here as the mouthpiece of these gentlemen who have been kind enough to give me some information, and first of all I should like to point out to you that this Lagey mine is 271 fathoms deep, and that, instead of cutting through the granite, as the mine we visited at Foxdale yesterday does in part, this cuts wholly through the clay slate. It is that dark, clayey, slatey material with which we are all so familiar in this part of the Island by this time. With regard to the pumping engines, I should like just to tell you that they are worked by this great wheel which you see, looking almost as if it were a reservoir of strength,-all the work it does is represented by the pumping out of the tiny little stream which you see, at the rate of about forty gallons per minute, if it is that at the present time. The stroke of the pumping piston is 8 ft. 6 in. in the shaft, and the stroke at its end is 10 ft. The diameter of the big wheel is72ft.6in. Now,these are the principal points which I have just had put before me. With regard to the lode, however, I would just go further, and say that the lode varies considerably in thickness-from the thickness of your little finger to about 18 ft. It seems to me that that fully illustrates what we may call the lottery of mining, and it shows beyond all doubt the truth of a saying which amused me very much when I heard it the other day, that in all mining matters there are three terms of comparison in which to describe their value-Mine, Minor, and Minus. (Loud laughter.)

The party were then conducted to the washing floors of the mine, and while some of them watched the process of washing and separating the lead from the blend ore and the copper, it was an interesting sight to see many of the most distinguished of the party ensconced on small heaps of stones, cracking at small pieces with their hammers and carefully examining the lines, &c. Professor Boyd Dawkins became completely absorbed with this, to him, intensely interesting occupation, and after maintaining a long silence he was heard to remark to some friend close by, " Oh, don't I wish I had my assistant here ! Would'nt I load him up ? " A small engine, two horse power, which is used for drawing the trucks from the top of the shafts to the upper platform of the washing floors, was shown to the visitors. This engine is said to be the smallest of its kind in the United Kingdom. Some copper ore, of which the mine produces only a small quantity, was inspected, and specimens of rock in which the lead, the blend ore, and the copper were plainly to be seen, were also examined with much interest. Captain Reddicliffe likewise explained the working of the separating and washing machines, and showed how the three substances came out in three separate places. The party were afterwards shown a large quantity of blend ore as it is sent to the market. The blend ore is kept on the dressing floors near the tramway, but the lead ore, when ready for sale, is kept under cover. In reply to a question bv one of the visitors, Captain Reddicliffe stated their lead is pretty rich in silver, as it contains about 40 ounces to the ton, which, of course increases its value very much. He said that the blend ore was sold at about £3 a ton, the lead ore at about .£17, but prices had been low lately. The blend ore, he also stated, is chiefly shipped to Swansea, while Bristol took the major portion of the lead ore. It may be interesting to state that about 100 tons of lead ore, valued at about £1,700, was stored on a space something like 18 feet by 16 feet, the heap being about 39 ft. high. The party having examined and inspected nearly everything there was to be seen about the dressing floors, proceeded to Laxey Glen Gardens, where lunch was served by Mr Forrester, in the Pavilion.

At the conclusion of the meal, his Honour Deemster GILL said: Ladies and gentlemen, there has been some uncertainty as to the rest of the programme to-day. I find that a very general feeling amongst us is that we should get home this evening as early as possible. (Applause.) We, therefore, propose to proceed to inspect the site of an ancient burial place with some large stones, about half a mile from here, which are commonly known as King Orry's Grave, whether King Orry's Grave is there or not I won't vouch. You will be able to judge for yourselves. (Laughter.) After inspecting those stones, we shall walk down to the shore to look at some curious markings on the rocks, which are said to be footmarks, and which we shall ask some of the geological gentlemen to explain to us. (Hear, hear.) We shall then re-enter the cars, which will meet us on the road above, and return to Douglas. Before I sit down, I should like to say-I do not know whether Captain Reddicliffe and Captain Rowe are here-but whether they are here or not, I wish to say that we tender to them a very hearty vote of thanks for what they have shown us this morning-(loud applause)-and I would include in the vote of thanks the Great Laxey Company who have allowed us to see what we have seen to-day about the mines. Major Spittall, who is one of the directors, has kindly accompanied us, and I think we ought to thank him very sincerely. I might say this, further, that the directors make it a rule to allow nobody to go underground, but in the case of this excursion they have made an exception, and they are prepared, if any of the geological gentlemen are remaining in the Island beyond to-day, to take them underground, and to show them what is to be seen there. (Loud applause.) I think that is a very liberal offer on their part. (Hear, hear.)

After luncheon, a Mr Tate, of Belfast, a member of the excursion, took a couple of photographs of the party grouped on the bowling green, assisted by Mr Keig, of Douglas. If the photograph turns out successfully, copies will be obtainable upon application to Mr Welsh, photographer, of Belfast.

The party then divided, one, beaded by Professor Lewis, proceeding to the shore, and the other, headed by Professor Boyd Dawkins, Rev E. B. Savage, and Dr Bradbury, proceeding to what is known as King Orry's Grave. The "grave" consists of a collection of huge stones, some raised on either side of a hollow, with one large upraised stone at the bead of the cavity. One portion of the grave is on Mr Joseph Kelly's land, and it was said by Dr Bradbury that the excavation was supposed to run in an oblique direction under Mr Kelly's house, underneath the road, and come out again on Mr Corlett's land on the other side of the road. When the party were at the stones on Mr Kelly's land, Dr Bradbury informed the company that it had been stated that there was a large stone underneath the surface stones, and it was supposed there was a large hollow underneath that stone. He added that originally the whole of the grave was covered in. Professor Dawkins suggested that probably there was a mound also. Dr Bradbury replied that it had been described as a grave covered in with a mound, and a circle of stones at either end, and certainly the circles of stones were plainly to be seen. The distance from one end of the cavity to another was 90 yards, and its course could be clearly traced. It was stated that when the old road was formed a large number of graves were disturbed.

Professor DAWKINS said: I will now call upon Mr Savage to tell us all about this.

The Rev E. B. SAVAGE said: I am afraid it is very little I can tell you about it. First of all as to the name, King Orry's Grave, I believe that it is quite a recent joke. I think it was a name given when the Cambrian Archaeological Society was over here, by some local gentleman, who did it, thinking by that means they would attach some interest to it. This year, strangely enough, when I was in Oxford, I saw a very beautiful little model of this, made in cork, all to scale, in the Pitt.Rivers collection. It was among other antiquities of of the same kind from different parts of the country. I believe the large, sloping stone which is at the head of this so-called grave, goes a considerable depth into the earth, and underneath that they say there is a large block of stone which sounds perfectly hollow, and they expect there is something underneath that as well. As to the curious position of two stones in the centre of the grave, which leave a hole in the centre, that is not uncommon in stone graves. The country people generally speak of these, when they see them, as stone coffins, but they are not stone coffins. They are quite different, but you often find a hole right through one of the stones in a grave of this description, and possibly Professor Boyd Dawkins will be able to explain - that, but I have heard it explained that it was to put the cinerary urns through, and so on, but numbers of the holes I have seen in stone graves have been far too small to put anything of that kind through. I have also been thinking that possibly these holes are made in the stones, so as to leave what an Irishman would call "An entrance out"-(laughter)-so as not to keep the spirit in entirely.

One of the party here remarked that there were some stones in Braddan Churchyard, lying by the tower, which had holes in them similar to the ones referred to by Mr Savage.

Mr SAVAGE: Indeed, I have not seen those. I have found them very often, especially in the south of the Island. This certainly seems to have been a very extensive burying place, because you can trace the cavity to the other side of the road, where there are a number of large stones forming a circle.

Some amusement was caused among the party surrounding the stones by one of the visitors coming up the road asking in a deep voice: "Is King Orry at home ? " .

At the request of Mr Savage,

Professor BOYD DAWKINs addressed the company. He said: Really I have very little to say about this, excepting that chamber tombs of this description are found, not only all over Europe, but very largely in the East, and the idea which underlies this kind of burial is that the dead live in these places exactly in the same way as the living live in their own houses. I take it that this hollow space which has seen left in the stones was intended very much, as Mr Savage has spoken about, to let the spirits have an " entrance" out. With regard to the date of this grave, I should not like to be dogmatic, but this type of grave is exceedingly common in various parts of the world-in Brittany, and even in Belgium. If we had Dr. Storms here, he could tell us about some of the long covered-in graves that are to be found in that country. These graves certainly began to be used as far back as the age of polished stone, and they were used also in the bronze age, and it is very possible that they may have been used by some of the Scandinavians, but whether they did as the Egyptians and the early Christians did-turned out the former occupants of the graves, and used them for their own burial place-is more than I can tell. You will remember that in this Island we have perfect evidence that the neolithic people were the inhabitants of this Island, and the people of the bronze age also lived here. I should like to mention that you have every one of these people represented among the Islanders. This time last year, when I was over in the Island, with Mr Savage and Dr Beddoe, and Professor Rhys, Dr Beddoe interested us all, and more especially the natives, by measuring and taking note of them, and he identified clearly the small, dark type of race which was here with those in France, Brittany, and Germany in the neolithic age. He identified, too, the fair-haired Celtic people, and he also distinctly traced the Norwegian invaders. It is, you will admit, very interesting to find these three different types represented in the people of this Island. These things, doubtless, some of us thought about as we saw and listened to the curious manners and customs connected with the observances of the Tynwald Court the other day at St. John's. I think that is all I have to say, but I may remark that it is very likely this may have been, not one burial place, but a burial place belonging to a number of people.

On the way out the party were shown a piece of metal which is kept in Mr Kelly's house, and which is said to be one of the shoes belonging to King Orry's horse. The shoe, if it is a shoe, is very much worn, of course, and is rather small, but there are three nail holes distinctly noticeable. The above was got out of the grave many years ago. The party then proceeded to the upper end of the grave, which is on Mr Corlett's land.

Mr SAVAGE, in explaining his views on the subject of the collection of stones, said there appeared to be the greatest similarity between the marriage and burial customs of by-gone ages, and those of the present day. The fact is, he said, we are very conservative in our marriage and burial customs. Ile pointed out a large cist at the end of the grave, and said that the early cists were nearly square, and the bodies were buried as nearly as possible, with the knees drawn up, and lying upon one side. In Christian times, however, they came to a, full length burial, which he would say was comparatively modern, but the earliest ones would be found lying down on one side, sitting straight up, or squatting. Of course that might have arisen from various reasons. One was, perhaps, they had to be like that because the graves were not big enough to allow them to be full length, but probably the difficulty would be in getting stones long enough to put them full length.

Dr BRADBURY : Don't you think that this is one continuous grave, from the circle at the other side of the road.

Mr SAVAGE: I should think so.

Professor DAWKINS : I think not.

Dr BRADBURY : In making this road about 200 graves were found.

Professor DAWKINS : Yes, but I should doubt very much whether this was continuous with that. I should think it improbable. You would not get one continuous right line. I do not think this runs in the same line as the one on the other side of the road. In fact, I am sure it does not. It would cut considerably to the right of it. I should think they are independent graves.

Dr BRADBURY: The two are on a different level.

Proressor DAWKINS : Oh, yes. Were any bones found ?

Dr BRADBURY : They did not find any bones here, but they did in the other one, on Mr Kelly's land.

In reply to a question by one of the party, as to whether the crossing the bands of a dead body on the breast was symbolical of Christianity, Mr SAVAGE said he did not think so.

This portion of the general party then proceeded to the shore, where they met the party which bad been under the leadership of Professor Lewis. The chief points of interest were some large markings on the boulders above the beach, which have been commonly put down as the footprints of some extinct animals. This theory, however, is far from being generally supported, as the following opinion will show :

Professor Lewis, speaking to our representative, said. They are hollows due to the rotting out of concretions or knots. These knots are formed in the original clay by the segregation of parts of it. They have been lengthened out subsequently by the same force which changed the mud into slate. They are not organic, but purely ordinary, natural formations, and can be seen in many parts of the world in clay slates.

Upon Professor Boyd Dawkins arriving at the spot be pointed out to the party what he called "the ripple marks" on the surface of the sloping rocks. He said the marks were the unmistakeable action of "ripple," as he could trace a long slope in one direction, and another slope in the opposite direction. He added This place that we are looking at now is less altered by heat and by pressure than any other place that we have seen. This is what is called clay slate-that is to say it is a clay that has been so compressed that it has assumed the condition in which you see it here. The ripple marks you can see clearly, and are just like what the effect would be of a comparatively gentle set of waves upon a very fine sand. The ripples clearly show that the current ran from the land seawards, because the steep edge of these ripples points towards the sea, and in watching the ripple marks on a sandy shore the steep side is that which always points down in the direction of the current or of the waves. These "footprints," as they are called, seem to be nothing but concretions. There seems to be nothing organic about them, and I doubt very much whether they are of any significance except where the nodules have been. I think you will find that they are rotten stones, or nearly rotten. I ought to add that in the neighbourhood of Grange beyond the Black Coomb, in Cumberland, I have seen exactly similar rocks to these, ripple marked in the same way.

The party then moved further to the south of the sbore, and examined more of the rocks. Professor DAWKINS said that he was very glad he had come to Laxey, as the rocks were most interesting. He said that there were marks of pressure on some of the boulders, but he entirely disagreed with Professor Lewis's opinion that the "ripple marks" were caused by pressure. The Rev. S. GASKING stated that the so-called " footprints," or concretions were, he believed, only to be found on the shores at Laxey, Dalby, and Port Soderick. The party were then taken to a place still further south, where there were more footprints, said to be in the shape of a human foot, and which foot is supposed to have been that of the fatuous King Orry, Professor DAWKINS said they were very pretty, but be could not account for them. It was remarked that the footprints, which are here spread over a pretty smooth surface, generally occur in pairs. A good deal of speculation and some jokes were indulged in with respect to these queer markings, without any definite result being arrived at. This concluded the day's outing, and the party, which by this time had become somewhat scattered, Lyradually reassembled on the road, where the cars were in waiting, took their seats, and were driven to Douglas, reaching there about sis o'clock.

DINNER AT CASTLE MONA.-SPEECHES BY DEEMSTEK GILL, PROFESSOR BOYD DAWKINS, PROFESSOR LEWIS, MISS BECKER, MISS BUCKLAND, AND THE REV. E. B. SAVAGE.

In the evening a dinner was held in the saloon of Castle Mona, to which a distinguished party sat down. There were five tables, at which not less than 130 ladies and gentlemen were accommodated. His Honour Deemster Gill presided, and amongst those in his immediate neighbourhood were Professor Dawkins, Professor Carvill Lewis, and Mrs Carvill Lewis, Philadelphia; Rev, Dr. Butler, Dr. Tellet, Ramsey; Rev. E. B. Savage, Mrs Savage, Miss Urmson, Mr W. R. Walks, Mr W. P. J. Pittar, Mr R. S. Stephen, H.K., Dr. Farrell, Sliss Lydia Becker, Miss Buckland, Captain Tennant, Mr and Mrs Byrom, Mr and Mrs Brook, Mr Farmer, Mr Bradford, Mrs and Miss Rowcliffe, Mr Harris, Dublin; and Mr Sparrow.

At the conclusion of the dinner,

Deemster GILL, on rising to address the assembly, was received with loud applause. He said . Ladies and gentlemen, as it fell to my lot a few nights ago to address to you a few words of welcome, so it has fallen to my lot again to speak to you to-night a few last words of parting. We are bringing now to a close a period which to me personally has been extremely pleasant, and extremely instructing, and which, i hope, to you all has not lacked in interest. .(Applause.) I shall look back with great pleasure and gratification to that period, and I hope that you also will remember it not unpleasantly. (Renewed applause.) The local Society to which I belong feel, as I told you before, honoured that we have, in response to our invitation, so many, I may call them, wise men from the east. (Laughter and "Hear, hear.") We have also wise men from the west, and not only wise men, but wise women also. (Loud applause.) I believe that the individual members of the Society which I represent will find that the effect of associating with these learned persons during the last four days will be that of increasing their store of scientific know. ledge, whilst on the Society generally I believe the effect will be to stimulate us all in our studies and researches. For, ladies and gentlemen, we cannot but be conscious that in an isolated and small community of this kind, our general ideas are apt to become limited and cramped, and there is nothing that can do us more good, or can be more beneficial to us, than to come in contact with minds which have been exercised and expanded in larger fields. I am sure nothing could have been more instructive and more interesting than those short but learned lectures which we have frequently listened to during the last few days from Professor Boyd Dawkins. (Applause.) It has never, I think, fallen to my lot to listen to a scientific subject dealt with in such homely, such modest, such understandable language as that which the Professor has adopted. (Renewed applause.) I am sure that the most ignorant amongst us on the subject, has been instructed and edified by these lectures. My friend, Mr Savage, and myself, have endeavoured to take your minds back to that period in our national history when our ancestors, the hardy Norsemen, came here and brought with them their names, their laws, their institutions, and, I may add, their pluck and their enterprise; when they erected over the graves of their dead those beautifullycarved monuments to which Mr Savage drew our attention at Kirk Braddan the other day, a period when, prior to the Norman conquest of your country, we were subject to the rule of the Scandanavian, who introduced, as we told you, our Tynwald, that form of government which has lasted ever since, and which has governed this Island so wisely and so well for well nigh a thousand years, and which has produced a code of laws which, for conciseness and wisdom, I do not think are equalled in any part of the oivilized world. But whilst we brought your minds back some ten centuries, our geological friends carried us back countless ages to the period when our globe was young, and many of our rocks were unformed, the period of volcanos and glaciers. These are some of the subjects we have been considering during the past few days, and there is little more for me to do now, ladies and gentlemen, than to thank all those who have contributed to the success of those four days. That they have been successful, I am perfectly satisfied. (Applause.) I have heard on all hands nothing but satisfaction expressed, and I can tell you how gratified we here in the Isle Man are, and especially we who represent our little scientific Society, thatyoushould have been pleased in any degree whatever. When we look at that success, we seek those whom we have to thank for it, and there naturally, first of all, arises before our imaginations the active person, the genial face, and the versatile genius of my friend, Professor Boyd Dawkins. (Loud applause.) I am sure every one of us has learned a great deal from what Professor Dawkins has said to us. For myself, I feel that whatever I may have learned in the way of geology, I certainly have made great strides in my knowledge of that science of which Mr Cook and Mr Gaze are professors, the science which deals with the subject of personally conducted tours. (Laughter.) My time has been very much given up to that kind of thing during the last few days, and I now feel fully competent to undertake an excursion on a much larger scale. (Renewed laughter.) In thanking those who have conduced to the success of these excursions, I wish to thank the inhabitants of Castletown, Peel, Foxdale, and Laxey for the very hearty welcome which they have given us to their respective localities. (Applause.) I wish to thank especially the High-Bailiff of Castletown, for the very interesting history which he gave us of that ancient Castle of Rushen. I am afraid very few of us were there to listen to it at the time, as we were somewhat scattered, but I hope we shall sea it reproduced in -The Isle of Man Times." I wish to thank also Dr. Clague, who contributed those very interesting specimens and antiquities we saw at the Castle, and also Mr Quayle and his sister for collecting so many specimens for us to see there. All that was voluntarily done in order to interest and amuse us. We ought to thank also the High-Bailiff of Peel-(hear, bear)for having met us in the way he did, and for showing us over that very picturesque and interesting Castle at Peel. Whilst we are expressing thanks, we should not omit the Lancashire and Yorkshire RailwayCompany the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and the enterprising managers of this fine Hotel-(loud applause)-for a very considerable reduction in their charges to the members of, this excursion. (Renewed applause.) Having, said this, I do not think I have anything further to add, except to say farewell to you all, but I trust that it may not be a farewell for ever. (Applause,) I hope that the faces which have now become so familiar may become still more familiar to us in the future, and as a parting wish, I hope that the inexorable god of the sea will be more merciful to you on your return journey than he was on the occasion of your journey here. (Laughter and appause.)

Professor BOYD DAWKINs, who was received with cheers, said: Ladies and gentlemen, I feel that I am acting merely as the mouthpiece of all in this room, who have been in this Island, as it were, the guests, the welcome guests of Deemster Gill, Mr Savage, and those others who have contributed so much and laboured so long to make our visit comfortable -I feel that really I am but expressing the plain and the simple truth when I say that we shall carry away with us the most pleasant memories possible of one of the very best managed expeditions which it has fallen to our lot as yet to attend in our experience of the British Association. (Applause.) I, for one, may say that I sincerely hope that this may not be the last time that our faces may be seen in this beautiful Island, and I would say to those who do not know as much of this Island as myself, that really it is an Island which exercises an extraordinary fascination upon me. I came here as a casual visitor, and I must say that since that time I have never come here without learning a vast deal, and without leaving it with feelings of regret; and I sincerely hope that just those few things that we have seen here, and to which we have been guided by the kindness of these gentlementhat we shall look upon them simply as a few things out of the treasures-the almost end. less treasures, arobæological, geological, and historical, which await us in this charming little Island. I would further just may this, that I am sure most of us must know the very great amount of trouble that actually falls on all those who orianise any such expedition as this. (Hear, hear.) In the very nature of things, an expedition, for one day, is an experiment. It is a very serious matter, and a little thing may set it all wrong, but an expedition of this sort, over sea, is a thing, as far as I know, altogether new in the annals of the British Association. (Hear, hear.) I, therefore, feel that I am expressing the feelings of you all when I express to Deemster Gill and

for your extreme kindness, and I am sure none of the ladies present will ever forget the kindness we have received in the Isle of Man. (Applause.)

In response to repeated calls,

Miss LYDIA BECKER rose, and was received with great cheering. She said: I am very glad indeed that the lady has spoken so well on behalf of the ladies of the British Association, and I am proud of the honour of being permitted to second the expression of our thanks to those ladies and gentlemen who have made us so welcome here and so comfortable, and who have so kindly entertained us. I am sure we shall all lock back with the very greatest pleasure to these few days. For my own part, this is not my first visit to the Island. The inducement to come upon this excursion was the fact that I had been before, and I liked it so well, that I desired nothing better than to renew my acquaintance with the beautiful scenery of the place, I wish that the whole of the members of the British Association could enjoy this privilege, and 1! think if only the authorities in the Isle of Man will issue a formal invitation to the whole Association to come to this Island, they will have a very hearty and large response to it. (Applause.) As to a second Channel Tunnel, no doubt it would be appreciated, but I may say that I hope I shall not have to wait for that vague time before enjoying a second visit to the Island. (Applause and laughter.)

Deemster GILL. As I said in my opening remarks, ladies and gentlemen, we have wise men, not only from the east, but from the west. (Hear, hear.) We have a. Professor here from the other side of the Atlantic-(applause)-and we should like very much to hear what impression he has formed from his visit here. As they say in his own country, we ' would like to "interview" him on the subject. (Laughter.)

Professor CARVILL LEWIS, who on rising was greeted with prolonged applause, said: It gives me very great pleasure, Deemster Gill, and ladies and gentlemen, to say one word of appreciation, and one word of thanks to Deemster Gill and Mr Savage, and the other gentlemen who have so kindly conducted, and so successfully conducted us, day by day, on our most interesting excursions in this Island. I am called upon to speak, I suppose, as one whom under your constitution you would term

a foreigner. (Some cries of, "No, no.") I mean in the sense that I am not one of those who are under the rule of your great Queen. (Applause.) You will be proud to hear that the Queen of England is quite as much honoured in our country as in England-(loud applause)-and ever since I have been in England I have not had the slightest feeling in any sense of being what you would term a foreigner. (Renewed applause.) Not only has there been the kindest hospitality, and the most cordial welcome in every possible way, and the greatest assistance that oue could possibly have in all investigations to be pursued, but in every way there has been a feeling of the very closest kinship and brotherhood. (Applause). However, as I come from the other side of the little channel--(laughter)-that separates America from you, I am very glad to be able to add my words, to those who have already spoken, and expressed their appreciation of the beautiful things we have seen in this lovely Island of Man. Besides learning about the many antiquities it contains, we have learned of the delightful friendships to be formed in the Island itself. (Applause.) It is with feelings of the greatest regret that I shall leave this Island, but I hope it will not be for long, because I am sure I shall be most anxious to see these beautiful shores again. I am very glad to have an opportunity of saying a word in appreciation of all that we have seen, and of all the kindness we have received. (Load applause.)

Dancing afterwards took place in the diningroom adjoining the saloon, the music being furnished by the band of the Gaiety Theatre, and was kept up until 2-30 on Wednesday morning.

WEDNESDAY'S EXCURSION (SEPT. 14). On Wednesday, in accordance with the notice given by Deemster Gill the previous evening, a small party went to Foxdale by the 10-35 train, where they were met by Captain Kitto. The party then divided, one section, including Professor Carvill Lewis and Mr Mark Stirrup, F.G.S., going below, under the guidance of Captain Kitto, jun.; the other, including Professor Boyd Dawkins and Captain Kitto, sen., proceeding to the granite mountain in order to mark down accurately the extent of the granite boss. The junction of the granite and the slate could be traced with singular accuracy, and the boss proved to be slightly over three-quarters of a mile from east to west, by about half a mile from north to to south. The party underground had harder work, but felt that they were amply repaid by the interesting features opened up in the workings. After again experiencing Captain and Mrs Kitto's liberal hospitality, they returned to Douglas in the evening.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2006