20 The South Australian Naturalist. 



iu those days was a bugie, which was useful not oul}^ iu warning 

 vehicular traffic of our approach, but in keeping the members 

 together when in the field. 



At this date Hallett's Cove was known, other than by name, 

 to comparatively few people in Adelaide. Until Professor Tate 

 revealed its interesting geological features hardly any one 

 thought of going to this out-of-the-way spot. Before the 

 formation of the Section the professor used to take his Univer- 

 sity students there, and one of these, probably to show his 

 admiration for their mentor, carved the initials of the professor 

 (R.T.) on the rock surface v^4lich reveals such a fine exposition 

 of glacial action. The professor, instead of being pleased, 

 seemed to regard this (and rightly so) as an act of vandalism. 



In the early days of the colony (as it then was called) there 

 Avas a mine called the Worthing Mine in the vicinity of the 

 cove, with which venture Captain Hallett was connected, and 

 it was after him that the little bay derived its name. The 

 deserted miners' huts were noticed just previous to reaching 

 the destination. 



The party lunched in the shade of the high, rocky walls 

 which form the gorge through which Field's River runs to the 

 sea. Tea was made from the river's Avater, which, at this time 

 of the year, was rather brackish, and the decoction Avas not 

 too palatable. 



Professor Tate led the party along the beach to Black 

 Point, calling attention en route to conglomerates of an early 

 age, and the still more ancient pebbles included therein. The 

 purplish slates forming "Black Point" Avere passed, then over 

 the grey sandstone of horizontal stratification until the famous 

 "Tate" rock was reached. Here, on this hot January day, Avas 

 unfolded (for the first time to most of the party) the interesting 

 and even thrilling story of one of Australia's ice ages. Others 

 of a geological bent Avere in the gathering, and a lively discus- 

 sion took place, some adA^ocating glacier ice and others icebergs 

 as the agent in causing the i:)henomena. Many of the party 

 Avould gladl}^ haA^e Avelcomed a temporary return of the glacial 

 conditions on this hot day. 



Although it has often been suggested, it is believed that no 

 action has been taken to preserve this interesting rock, and 

 since this excursion Avas held much damage to its surface has 

 been done by specimen hunters. 



The escarpment \Adiich SAA^eeps in curvilinear form betAveen 

 the two headlands AA'as next visited, consisting chiefly of red 

 and gray sands and clays horizontally bedded. In these beds 

 many fossils Avere found, and the professor mentioned that he 



