420 Dr, Dawson on the recent 



posits. "When least altered and disturbed, it appears to consist 

 mainly of thick beds of quartzite and slate, alternating with eacli 

 other, and presenting but little variation of mineral character, 

 except in the greater or less coarseness of the slates, or the 

 quantity of iron pyrites which they contain. The only evidence 

 I have ever obtained of the occurrence of any calcareous rocks 

 in this series, is a small specimen of impure crystalline liraestonCj 

 which I saw in the possession of the late Titus Smith, many years 

 ago, but he seemed to have no information as to its extent. 



The first gold found in this formation was observed at Tangier, 

 a harbour 40 miles east of Halifax, in 1860; but the excitement 

 consequent on its discovery died away, and was renewed only by 

 fresh discoveries in the spring of the present year. I have not 

 visited Tangier, though I have examined portions of the country 

 both east and west of it, and presenting apparently the same 

 geological characters. Indeed the portion of country between 

 Ship Harbour and St. Mary's River, including this place, is per- 

 haps the part of this coast which has been least visited by geolo- 

 gists. I am indebted to Henry Poole, Esq., a corresponding 

 member of this Society, for specimens of the auriferous rock, 

 which seems to be the ordinary slate of the district, somewhat 

 more soft and fine grained than usual, and associated with dark 

 gray quartzite. I have also seen in the possession of Mr. Rich- 

 ardson, of the Geological Survey of Canada, specimens of the 

 rocks, precisely of the same character with those which occur at 

 Musquodoboit, Halifax, Lunenburgh, Northern Queens, and 

 Yarmouth. The gold occurs disseminated in irregular grains and 

 masses in white milky or translucent quartz, often stained by the 

 hydrated peroxide of iron, derived from small quantities of iron 

 pyrites present in the veins. The quartz occurs in small veins 

 traversing the slate, apparently in the direction of its strike, and 

 the gold seems to occur most abundantly at and near the walls 

 of the vein. The gold appears to have been deposited in cavities 

 of the quartz, for in some very rich specimens exhibited in Mon- 

 treal by the Government Railway Delegation, and in a very fine 

 though small specimen kindly presented to me by the Hon. Mr. 

 Tilley, the gold is impressed by the faces of quartz crystals on 

 which it has been moulded. Mr. Poole has also sent to me spe- 

 cimens of yellow " gossan," or oxide of iron, said to contain par- 

 ticles of gold. This is probably a result of the disintegration of 



