259 
contains several intrusive sheets of igneous rock, and the 
former as well as the basement rock is traversed by hundreds 
of dykes. The sandstone areas in this region are upon the 
‚whole low lying, and in only very few places do they extend 
bevond 400 meters. The basement rocks often form moun- 
tains of an altitude of more than 800 meters, but even these 
appear low compared with the lofty and snow covered summits 
of the adjacent batholite. Also in other respects do the topo- 
graphic features vary from those of the batholite, the basement 
rocks and the sandstone being relatively compact and capable 
of resisting weathering. The surface of the rock in higher 
altitudes is therefore most frequently dark and overgrown by 
lichen, and the lower areas are green with shrubs and grass, 
but we do not find such extensive surfaces without vegetation, 
such large screes and stone rivers like those which are so com- 
mon within the domain of the batholite. An exception is men- 
tioned on p. 230. 
CHARACTER AND DISTRIBUTION OF ROCKS. 
Basement rocks. — The most widely spread basement rock 
in this region is the Julianehaab granite, the petrographic qual- 
ities of which have been mentioned in the first chapter. In the 
same place reasons are given which favour the belief that this 
rock is of Algonkian age. 
Inside the granite territory subordinate masses of diorite 
(p. 12) have been found in several places, but these diorite 
areas are but small, and as their limits have not been minutely 
examined, they are not indicated on the map. The places where 
diorite has been found are the following: 1) Directly north of 
the Igaliko a quartz-diorite occurs in an area of less than two 
square kilometers. This diorite lies upon the granite near the 
coast, and at an altitude of about 50 meters it is covered by 
sandstone. 2) A diorite of quite a similar nature is to be 
found in the upper part of the Tavdlorutit Mountain east of 
175 
