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‘ appearance which the concave ends exhibit: the convex,
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"isionion the stone ;' this would give -a perfect idea of the
ontlie. other hand, appears as if the ball was inclosed
within the pillar still,’ and a portion of the sphere projected
through the‘ extremity of the column. This very mathe-
matical appearance. of the circle inscribed in an irregular
polygon, has led. some fanciful theorists to suppose, that
tliese' curious" columns ‘might have been formed by” the
compressioxi of a‘ number of liquid globules, which at first
only touched at "one point, but when the pressure was
inciieasgediindefinitely, were formed into angular masses. ’
3 :Though the polygons are all irregular, yet the con-
tiguous sides of the adjacent pillars are equal, so that the
contact of the columns is complete. And we have
already mentioned, -that notwithstanding the number and
different values of the concurring angles in each point,
yet’th‘eir"sum‘is found to be so precisely equal to four
right angles, that there is not the smallest aperture or i,
open ‘space left over the whole arena of basaltic pavement. :3
So close is the flooring of this natural quay, that when-
ever any subsidence of the surface has occurred, water
will be found to lodge, and remain for a length of time.
And this suggests also a curious circumstance, to which
the attention of the visiter will be called, upon his arrival
at the Causeway ; that, although the union of the columns
V has been just represented as impervious to a lodgment of
water, yet on,tl1e west sideuofh the Causeway is seen a
spring of water bubbling up between in the interstices of
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the columns through which the blade of a knife could, I V‘ V‘,
with much difficulty, be introduced. This is called, of
course, the Giants’ ‘Well, and the water found in it is :?l
extremely pure. It "may be observed also, that the
pillars, between which the water issues,‘ are not the least
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N-o -no
