The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1866-03-10
strange aeOl0gieal F0FmatiOng:

Scattered all over the world are the traces
Of volcanic action. The central fires which
biologists tell US are confined within the
earth's crust, are here and there seen in ez-
pressiYe activity, sending forth ire and
smoke, showers Of cinders and foods of
lava, in other places we have boiling springs
and fountains of water at others, the
melted lava of ancient eruptiOus hardened
into rock and at others, rocks that, with
out at all resembling the product of any re
cent volcanic action are still obviously Of
igneOus {fery) oTgin-molten matter, which,
long ages ago, has burst through the solid
framework of the earth, and, spreading
over the surface has hardened into forms
the most curious and fantastic that magma
ton can conceive. These very remarkable
rocks are known as basalt, aud their peculi-
ar.ty of form, as well as their semi-crYstal
line appearance, render them picturesque
land striking Here they are seen IN a
thousand forms like the breakers of the
sen converted into stone in the fury of a
gale there in lofty columns that look like
the remains OF some colossal temple and
hero again a cavern where the seq murpurs,
and the moonlight falling on its wonderous
roof gives it the aspect Of some Moorish
hall, a triumph Of Saracenic art Some
times a solid, lofty block Of basalt rises up
alone, a striking feature on the rugged sea
coast such a rock is found on the shores Of
-, re island of St Helena.
This basaltic needle which is one Of the
singular characteristics of the island
= ob 1ut sixty-fOur feet in height; from its
ao.i; erity Of form it is often called the
+ rbj,n, rey" but it resembles still moro a
..ahl of wood. The prisms are horizontal
os,,I s;s; led their thickness about three
o. four IL 'ches Rising out Of the water
from,,a has. lltic base, over which the sea
breakes in lany a beautiful cascade, the
appearance pl esented b 2 this rock is peculi-
aFIv interesting 1t is very difficult, how
over. to account for its 70 rmation. Itappears
10 have formed part-G % basaltic wall,
which the action of the waves has swept
away. bys.sOIne unusual storm, leaving this
single. portion of the rock alone remaining.
The geological formal ion OF st Helena
consists almost entirely o. basalt limestone,
tufa, and other ieneous su distances are scat
, tered over it, and clearly establish its vol
.canic origin. But there no trace of any
tthinr resembling crater except the dell
known asEhe ".Devirs Ptlnchbowl." The
rpilar which we have befo re alluded, to as
well as many other curious features, render
the island peculiarly intere sting, apart from
the modern and histoT zeal Importance
which attaches to it, as the scene of the first
Napoleon's captivity and death.
The prevalence Of basaltic formations is
= saeeable in, nearly the sam line of longi.
- De from the Canary and Madeira islands
20 Greland, Scotland, and Hebrides, and Ice
To, Vi. Few countries in the world present
en-, - magnificent basatic' rocks as the north
Of ICELAND and the Hebrides. The singular
esp. set of the Giants Causeway is especially
,v6r asy of attention so also is that of the
mag J56eent. care Of StafIa:
--" that worlrouB dome.
a s-s Where. o shame the temples deoksd
ny shfll Of earthly architect,
Nature herself it seemed. veuid raise