1862.] IQl [Lesley. 



Mr. Brown "concludes from the best information in his possession 

 that the productive coal-measures exceed 10,000 feet," but I saw 

 nothing in Cape Breton to justify the supposition. He grants that, 

 ''owing to several extensive dislocations, it is impossible to ascertain 

 their total thickness with any degree of accuracy." I can only sug- 

 gest, with deference to his long experience and acknowledged skill, 

 that the structure of the east coast of Cape Breton has not been re- 

 garded from a right point of view, inasmuch as the coal-beds have 

 been always represented as members of one basin, dipping broadside 

 into the waters of the gulf; whereas, in fact, along that coast, they 

 occur with alternate northeast and southeast dips, forming a series of 

 basin-ends, the bodies of which lie side by side submerged beneath 

 the gulf. The same four or five workable beds inclosed in the same 

 one or two thou.sand feet of productive measures, appear on shore at 

 the west end of each of these basins. As the dip is commonly gen- 

 tle, viz., from 4° to 8°, the basins sometimes coalesce; but in one 

 instance at least, that of Cow Bay, the south dips are 45°, and the 

 basin is sharp and narrow, greatly resembling the end of one of the 

 anthi'acite basins of Pennsylvania. As at Sjdney, and again at 

 Glace Bay, so here at Cow Bay there are but four workable coal-beds 

 in about 1500 feet of productive measures, and they are, no doubt, 

 the Glace Bay beds.* 



Sir William Logan, Sir Charles Lyell, Prof. Dawson, and other 

 geologists who have described the coal-measures of Nova Scotia and 

 New Brunswick, agree in assigning to them an almost incredible 

 thickness. "The entire section of the Joggins," writes Sir William 

 Logan, "contains 76 beds of coal and 90 distinct stigmaria under- 

 clays," with "24 bituminous limestones," in "a vertical thickness of 

 14,570 feet." 



When we analyze the eight divisions into which this immense mass 

 has been distinguished, we find them thus constituted : 



Nos. ], 2. Sandstones and shales ; drift-trees and erect cala- 



mites, 2267 feet. 



No. o. Sandstones; coal shales; uuderclays; 22 coal-beds, 2134 " 

 No. 4. Sandstones and shales, gray ; bituminous limestones ; 



45 coal-beds ; shells and fish-scales, .... 25.39 " 



* The combined thickness of the Lower, Middle, and Ujiper Coal-measures, as 

 determined by Mr. Jukes, in South Staffordshire, England, is 1810 feet. The 

 thickness of the productive coal-measures of Leicestershire does not exceed 2500 

 feet. In most parts of the deep Anthracite basins 2000 feet 'would be a fair ave- 

 rage. In Western Virginia and Pennsylvania, and in the deepest parts of the 

 Mississippi Valley areas, 1500 feet. 

 VOL. IX. — o 



