Page 294 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

293
ering in its general height, widens to from twenty to thirty et, and r one hundred yards nearly, is always above water. The tops of the columns r tis length being nearly of an equal height, they rm a grand and singular parade, that may be easily walked on, rather inclining to the water's edge. But om high water-mark, by the continued surges on every return of the tide, the plat rm lowers consid­ erably, and becomes more and more uneven, so as not to be walked on but with the greatest care. t the distance of a hundred and fty yards om the cli , it turns a little to the east r twenty or thirty
yards, and then sinks into the sea.
5. The rm of these columns is mostly pentag­ onal ; some w are of three, ur, and six sides : what is very extraordinary, and particularly curious, is, that there are not two columns among ten thou­ sand to be und, that either have their sides equal amongst them lves, or whose gures are alike. Nor is the composition of these columns or pillars less deserving the attention of the curious spectator. They are not of one solid stone in an upright posi­ tion, but composed of several short lengths, curiously joined, not with at sur ces, but articulated into each other like a ball and socket, the one end at the joint having a cavity, into which the convex end o the opposite is exactly tted. The depth of the con­ cavity is generally about three or ur inches. What is still rther remarkable of the joint, the convexity and correspondent concavity are not con rmed to the external angular gure of the column, but ex­
actly round, and as large as the diameter of the col­ umn will admit, and consequently, as the angles of these columns are in general extremely unequal, the
circular edges of the joint seldom coincide with more
READING LESSONS.
25*