138 PHYSICAL FEATURES OF NOVA SCOTIA.—MURPHY. 
regular surface, and covered with drift. This latter distance is 
said to be Trias, or New Red Sandstone, but we could not, within 
the limit of our observations notice any outcrop which shews 
sandstone rock 7m situ. 
The iron ore bearing strata of the south side of the Annapolis 
Valley, which are first met at Nictaux, have been described by 
Dawson as Devonian, but Dr. Honeyman, from recent explora- 
tions, is inclined to place them much lower. I am able to place 
before you some fossils taken from the iron deposits themselves 
at this place, which may assist in determining the age of the 
_ strata here. The slate here has a strike of 45° E. and dips N. 
85° and continues up the valley of the Nictaux River to the 
15th mile. At the 13th, and again at the 134 miles the outcrops 
of some of the Cleveland Magnetic Lodes present themselves. 
Two at the 13th mile, 5 to 8 feet thick, each are said to be very 
rich. They run N. E. and 8. W. across the line of the mountain- 
range with a slight northerly dip, and were only two of many 
which the Cleveland Iron Company have opened up by pros- 
pecting. At 144 miles Smith’s Bluff is reached, where the for- 
mation changes from slate to granite. Here we encounter a 
solid bluff of the latter, but for a short distance only. We are 
now in the granite region. From here to the crossing of the 
LaHave River, a distance of 28 miles, any visible outcrop met 
with shews “porphyritic granite.” 
Immediately upon crossing the LaHave river, at the 43rd mile, 
there is a transition from granite to slate, which is seen in the 
beds of the various streams, and in the gravel round Wentzell’s 
lake. The strata has a strike of south, 60° W., and dips north- 
erly at an angle of 80°, the cleavage being nearly vertical. 
We are now in the Lower Cambrian formation, or the aurifer- 
ous region. At 47 miles, at Morgan’s falls, the strike is north 
63° E., the dip is northerly 87°. At Riversdale, 49 miles, the 
strike is N., 60° E., dip 87°, N. At 60 miles the strike is N., 65° E., 
the dip is vertical. At 61 miles we lose the slate in our line 
of survey, drift, with granite boulders, taking its place, which 
continues to Bridgewater. 
