Identifier: earthitsinhabita481recl (find matches)
Title: The earth and its inhabitants ..
Year: 1881 (1880s)
Authors: Reclus, Elisée, 1830-1905 Ravenstein, Ernest George, 1834-1913 Keane, A. H. (Augustus Henry), 1833-1912
Subjects: Geography
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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4-55- W.of G. Miles. Sgir More; that is, Great Rocks—rising upon a submarine plateau stretchingaway from the gneissic islands of CjII and Tiree, arc pointed out from afar by alofty lighthouse. The Tower of Skerryvore is a rival to the famous lighthousesof Eddystone and Bell Hock, and the difficulties over which its engineer, AlanStevenson, has triumphed were, perhaps, even greater than in the case of theother two, as the power of the waves in these seas is sufficient to lift a block ofstone weighing 42 tons. To the south of the Firth of L^rne there extends another chain of islands,formed, like the neighbouring coast, of Silurian rocks. This chain includes
Text Appearing After Image:
NOETHEEN SCOTLAND. 353 Jura—or rather Diura ; that is, Stag Island *—and Islay, the one covered withlofty mountains rising to a height of 2,566 feet, the other the most fertile andbest cultivated of the Hebrides, and rich in metals. The narrow sound whichseparates these islands from the peninsula of Kintyre is navigable, but owing toits swift tidal currents it is dangerous to small vessels. Two of these currentsmeet between Jura and the small island of Searba, producing a tide of doubleheight. The passage of this strait is attended with peril when the tide changes,more especially if the wind blows in a direction contrary to its current andtowards the rocks. At such times no vessel would venture to approach thisfearful race, which the Gaels very appropriately call Coirebhreacain, orCorryvrekan ; that is, Caldron of the Sea. The velocity of the current isvariously estimated at 10 or 13 miles, f Of all the currents in the seas of Scotlandthat of Coirebhreacain is most dreaded ; in it

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