Page 96 - The snake's pass

84 the snake's pass. — ;
Needless to say the conversation here became to me
much more interesting ; Dick went on :
" The main feature of the geological formation of
all
this part of the country is the vast amount of slate and
granite, either in isolated patches or lying side by side.
And as there are instances of limestone found in quaint
ways, I am not without hopes that we may yet find the
same phenomenon."
"Where do you find the instances of these limestone
formations ? " I queried, for I felt that as he was bound
to come back to, or towards Shleenanaher, I could ease
my own mind by pretending to divert his from it.
" Well, as one instance, I can give you the Corrib
River—the stream that drains Lough Corrib into G-alway
Bay ; in fact, the river on which the town of Galway is
built. At one place one side of the stream all is granite,
and the other is all limestone ; I believe the river runs
over the union of the two formations. Now, if there
should happen to be a similar formation, even in the least
degree, at Knockcalltecrore, it will be a great thing.
" Why will it be a great thing ? " I asked.
" Because there is no lime near the place at all
because with limestone on the spot a hundred things
could be done that, as things are at present, would not
repay the effort. With limestone we could reclaim the
bogs cheaply all over the neighbourhood—in fact a lime-
kiln there would be worth a small fortune. We could
build walls in the right places ; I can see how a lovely
little harbour could be made there at a small expense.