This parish offers many objects of considerable interest to the geologist. It is entirely situated on rocks belonging to the calcareous series. In the southern part, its rocks consist of clay slates possessing various degrees of fissibility, from the most perfect roofing-slate of Delabole, to a slate that can only be separated into thick flags. Amongst these strata occurs an interesting rock, which appears to be composed of hornblende and compact felspar, and in some parts of hornblende and calcareous spar only. The latter variety is well known in the neighbourhood under the name of green freestone, and may be seen in the walls of the oldest churches. It is _in situ_ in a croft near the pretty little waterfall of Nathan’s or Kneighton’s Kieve. In the northern part of the parish, near King Arthur’s Castle, and in Bossiney Cove, the slate is very _talcose_, and is occasionally coated at its joints with calcareous spar. At the former place also occurs a large mass of compact felspar, but which is so much decomposed that its precise nature has not been ascertained. In the sea-cliffs are several slate-quarries, the quality of which, however, is inferior to the Delabole, and is known in the market by the name of _cliff slate_. In this slate are impressions apparently derived from shells, which have been referred to the genus _producta_. This is the only instance of a fossiliferous slate hitherto detected in Cornwall, though it is probable that others may exist, particularly between St. German’s and the Rame Head. ST. EARTH. HALS. Is situate in the hundred of Penwith, and hath upon the north, Philack; east, Gwyniar; west, Breage, Geenlow, and St. Hillary. For the modern name, it signifies holy or consecrated ground or earth, referring to the church and cemetery thereof. In Domesday Roll this district was taxed under the jurisdiction of Trewinard, of which more under. At the time of the Inquisition of the Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester, 1294, into the value of Cornish Benefices, this church was neither extant or endowed, since it is not named in that inquisition, in Decanatus de Penwid. But in Wolsey’s Inquisition, 1521, it is called San Etghi, or Yrghe; id est, the holy charge, cure, or command, viz. of souls, and was then valued 14_l._ 1_s._ The patronage in the Dean and Chapter of Exeter; the incumbent Ralph. The rectory in Painter, by lease under the Dean and Chapter; and the parish rated to the 4_s._ per pound Land Tax, 1696, 125_l._ 19_s._ 2_d._