No. 1.] PAISLEY — MARINE CLAYS. 4B 



NOTES ON THE MARINE CLAYS OCCURRING AT 

 THE RAILWAY CUTTING ON THE LEFT BANK 

 OF THE TATTAGOUCHE RIVER. 



By Rev. C. H. Paisley. 



The deposit to which these notes refer is situated in Gloucester 



Co.j N.B., about 2-J miles from Bathurst, on the left bank of the 



Tattagouche River, where it is crossed by the Intercolonial 



Railroad. It is 60 feet'"^ above the river at low water, and 162 



feet above the sea. The cutting that exposes the deposit is not 



entirely through, so that our information cannot be said to be 



complete. Near the highest part of the cut yet exposed, the 



bank presents a surface of about 40 feet, and gives the following 



section : 



Ft. Ins. 



1. Soil bearing spruce and fir trees 1 — 2 



2. Coarse gravel 6 — 8 



3. Sand, which, with an occasional thin layer of reddish 



clay, reaches a thickness of 10-12 



4. Yellowish clay 9 



5. Reddish sand 1 3 



6. Reddish-yellow clay with threads of sand 1 S 



To this depth the deposit seems to be non-fossiliferous. 



7. Greenish sand with an occasional valve of Mya, and in- 



numerable minute fragments of shells, giving the 

 bed such an appearance as is presented by the sand 

 on the sea shore to-day 1 S 



8. Coarse sand and reddish clay, so intermingled that, in 



.some places, it is impossible to detect any stratifica- 

 tion. In the sand which, on penetration for 1 foot, 

 is found to be stained with iron rust, and which on 

 exposure for a few hours becomes hard as a soft sand- 

 stone, occur occasional small angular fragments of 

 quartz, slate, serpentine, &c., varying from 1 oz. to 

 say 5 lbs. in weight. In many parts the clay assumes 

 the form of nodular concretions, interstratified with 



* These measurements give the heights to the level of the Railway, 

 so that to get the height of the top of the deposit it will be necessary 

 to add about 40 ft. They are both taken from high water mark at 

 Campbelton, Restigouche ; but the difference between that and the 

 Bay Chaleurs is very trifling. 



