552 GEOLOGY OF THE WESTERN COALFIELDS, 



descent in either direction brings us into impracticable country. 

 If we follow a track wliicb runs southwards from the station, 

 we reach the bottom of the conglomerate in about a quarter of a 

 mile, and at once enter rugged ground. Here the underlying 

 rocks dip at a very high angle towards the east. Following the 

 creek as it winds between the spurs, we reach the Turon at about 

 five miles from, and 300 feet below our starting point. The 

 dip seems to diminish regularly as we proceed southward, until 

 near the river, where it is about 16° S.E. If we take the other 

 slope and follow to the north the road down the Capertee valley, 

 we come upon the same rocks, here traversed by a vein of 

 porphyry. This is about half a mile from, and about 150 feet 

 below the station.* The same rocks appear in the same 

 association about a mile further. But it must be observed that 

 the road never leaves the conglomerate slopes except under 

 strong compulsion, so that we are generally above the i^evonian 

 outcrop. The road seems to wriggle right and left, up and down, 

 in its effort to escape the rugged gullies on the right, while on 

 our left gigantic walls of sandstone cut sheer, and showing 

 square built towers and battlements against the sky, rise many 

 hundred feet overhead. At last, at about four miles distance as 

 the crow flies, and good eight as the road runs, we strike a main 

 ridge which leads us by a long and rapid descent down from the 

 conglomerate to the Coco. It is extraordinarily long, narrow 

 and straight, runs at right angles to the strike, and is apparently 

 separated from similar ridges to north and south by equally 

 straight gullies. It consists for the few first miles of the ordinary 

 hard slates and quartzites, succeeded by vertical limestones and 

 softer clay (or chloritic) slates, these latter being intimately 

 associated for some miles. I was not able to find many fossils, 

 but such as I did find, I have laid before you. They are un- 



* To the east at about the same distance is the quartzite quarry for 

 road metal referred to at our last meeting, the beds in which are nearly 

 vertical, though a furlong or so nearer the station they dip to the west. 



