GEOLOGICAL AND ETHNOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS — ETHERIDGE. 47 



geological formations, and the effects of the elements upon them, 

 some of the boldest and most picturesque scenery in New South 

 Wales is produced, rivalling even that of the Blue Mountains. 

 At this point the gorge from escarpment to escarpment is not 

 more than two miles wide, if it amounts to that. Particularly 

 grand is the view, when the visitor, standing on any of the upper 

 sharp turns of the road, looks up the valleys of the Wollondilly 

 and Nattai above the junction; and probably one of the grandest 

 outlines of the whole is that of the huge hill,* which frowns over 

 the point of union of the two rivers. 



During the descent of the Queahgong road, and during the 

 ascent a few days later, I endeavoured to trace a junction line 

 between the Hawkesbury Sandstone and Coal-measures, in con- 

 nection with the unconformity believed to exist between the 

 two, but the base of the scarp is so piled with huge blocks, and 

 covered with debris, and dense vegetation, that no clear section 

 can be seen. The same difficulty seems to have impeded the 

 Rev. W. B. Clarke, years ago, when he explored this valley, for 

 he remarks : " At the base of the Hawkesbury rocks, blocks 

 fallen and accumulated so as to hide the junction. Dense vines, 

 fig-trees, ferns and jungle, with pools of water." About nine 

 hundred to 1,000 feet down, or from seven to eight hundred feet 

 above the river, shales make their appearance, interbedded with 

 quartz conglomerates of the Hawkesbury Sandstone. Shales 

 continue until about 1,300 or 1,400 feet have been reached on the 

 descent, and it is somewhere between the two points indicated 

 that the actual junction takes place. 



The Hawkesbury Sandstone consists of a coarse sandstone, 

 yellow, red, or of purplish tints in colour, becoming very pebbly 

 and conglomeritic towards the base. The bedding is practically 

 horizontal, and the joints are numerous, causing displacements in 

 large masses of rock. 



The first coal seam is met with at from 1,300 to 1,400 feet 

 below the summit, or about three to four hundred feet above the 

 river, at no great distance from the junction of the two series of 

 rocks. In Clarke's section the uppermost coal seam is given as 

 at about nine hundred and fifty feet above sea level, or seven 

 hundred and fifty feet above the Wollondilly. Mr. Cuneo has 

 obtained Glossopteris in these measures. 



The only published information with which I am acquainted 

 relating to this particular portion of Burragorang, besides Clarke's 

 " Section " already referred to, is a paper by the same Author 



* I may here remark on the paucity of names attached to such grand 

 physical features in many districts, particularly the present one, and 

 how conducive to exact physical and geographical description some 

 well-devised scheme of nomenclature would be. 



