276 THE PICTOU COAL FIELD — POOLE. 



of the deposits within the coal field, tliat a ridge of older rock 

 existed and furnished protecting- lines behind which the V)eds 

 of the field were deposited. 



Alonpf the rim of the basin between Alma and New Glasgow 

 north and south faults seem either to cross the range into the 

 coal field, or as spurs of the great North fault to disturlj tlie 

 latter, but east of New Glasgow the conglomerate apparently is 

 not similarly aflfected. Coincident with this change the line of 

 disturbance leaves the neighbourhood of the conglomerate escarp- 

 ment, and so far as can now be seen, eastward of the town of 

 New Glasgow less decided unconformit}" divides the underlying 

 rocks from the conglomerate, and tlie difterence in age is greatly 

 reduced. 



Logan mentions the apparent conformity along this range which 

 he examined, the dip of the conglomerate nearly agreeing with 

 that of the substrata. Wliere seen a little west of the house of 

 A. McGreofor the latter are red marls and thin bedded chocolate 

 coloured sandstones, stronglj" resembling the series to the east- 

 ward toward Pine Tree/^^ 



Sir William speaks of finding in the conglomerate pebbles of 

 the black agglomerate limestone which is such a characteristic 

 rock of the latter series. This puts the question of the later 

 deposition of the conglomerate beyond a doubt. In it are also 

 to be found large circular boulders of sandstone, the " bull's eyes " 

 he mentions as common in the sandstones of Pine Tree brook. 

 Similar Vjull's eyes, it may be noted, are found in the quarries of 

 Pictou, but not, so far as known, in the Middle Coal Measures or 

 Millstone Grit. 



While it is evident that many of the serious disturbances in 

 this field were subsequent to the deposition of the conglomerate, 

 the apparent conform it}^ of the latter with its underlying strata 

 in the district of Pine Tree, contrasts very strongly with the 

 conditions seen west of New Glasgow. There it is only the 

 eroded surface of the rock that approximately coincides Mnth the 

 dip of the conglomerate. The rock itself is thoroughly uncon- 

 formable. It undoubtedly suffered dislocation and was greatly 



(1) Geol. Report, 1869, p. 13. 



