Intelligence Jrom the Land Arctic Expedition, J. 63 



llie sandstone slate, and bituminous shale, have to those seen in 

 England. They met with several lepidndendra, compressed 

 like the English ones, also impressions of ferns and reeds. They 

 had not, however, found any beds of coal belonging to this forma- 

 tion, but large deposits of a new bituminous wood-coal, mixed 

 with layers of mineral pitch. This is found in various parts of 

 the river, and on Garry's Island, at its mouth, sometimes depo- 

 sited on the fixed rocks, but never, as far as could be ascertained, 

 under any of them. It is generally associated with a rich earthy 

 loam, and seems to derive its origin from great deposits of tim- 

 ber, compressed under alluvial, or, to speak in a newer language, 

 diluvial matters, and impregnated with the bitumen, exuding in 

 immense quantities from the carboniferous limestone, which ex- 

 ists in enormous masses in this country, constituting whole dis- 

 tricts and ridges of mountains. The shells and corallines of the 

 limestone are very fine and perfect. The fibrous structure, and, 

 indeed, the shape of the trees, may still be clearly traced in the 

 coal. From the twisted state of the woody layers, I suspect that 

 a great portion of the coal has been formed from roots, or from 

 trees that have grown in a cHmate equally severe with this ; the 

 resemblance being very perfect to the wood of the spruce-fir, 

 which grows in the surrounding country." 



Additional Infoi'mation. 



We have read another letter, dated Fort Franklin, from which 

 the following is extracted : 



" Fort Franklin^ Great Bear Lake, 

 " My Dear Friknd, September 6. 1825. 



" Here I am once more housed for the winter. 



' Hebrum prospiciens, et nive candidam 

 Thracem, ac pede barbaro 

 Lustratam Rhodopen.' 



After six months of constant travelhng, our winter residence 

 is pleasantly situated on the banks of a lake 150 miles long, deep 



l2 



