The FicTou Coal Field, — A Geological Revision. — By 

 Henry 8. Poole, M. A.; F. G. 8.; Assoc. Boy. Sch. of 

 Mines, <(-c. 



{Read Fehruary 13th, 1S9.3.) 



It is now more thun twenty j-ears since the officers of the 

 Geologiccil Survey examined and rejjorted on the Pictou coal 

 field, _giving in detail much of the important information thereon 

 that had Ijeen collected by them and previous observers. Their 

 report has been accepted ever since as a fairly correct delineation 

 of the structure and salient features of the field. It contains 

 two papers by independent observers, Sir William E. Logan and 

 his assistant Mr. Hartley. Sir William took the least known 

 portion of the field on the eastern side of the East river, leaving 

 with Mr. Hartley that lying on tlie western side and l)oth banks 

 of the river. 



Sir William, in his report, refers to the broken character of the 

 field, the depth of the superficial deposits, to the numerous dis- 

 locations and the absence of rock exposures in many parts pre- 

 venting a perfect series of the measures being built up ; and he 

 goes on to sa}', " what is now offered is to be considered as only 

 a distant approximation to the truth, to be improved hereafter 

 as occasion ma}' serve and further developments m;iy occur." 



Additional facts which furthei- workinp- in the mines and later 

 explorations in the field have lirought to light now suggest certain 

 modifications of the conclusions then reached : at tlie same time, 

 it may be remarked tlie}^ have confirmed many of Sir William 

 Logan's own deductions. In this review of our present 

 knowledge of the subject, what is here written is submitted 

 as supplementary' to the Report of Progress, for 1866-9 and 

 in part as a commentary on it. To treat the whole suliject 

 anew in detail would necessitate the preparation of an 

 article more elaborate than is now proposed, and at the 

 same time reijuire the repetition of much of the original 

 report without the possibilit}' of distinguishing what has been 

 proved and confirmed from what is still conjectural. It is, there- 



