426 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION C. 
5.—NOTES ON THE CRYSTALLINE ROCKS OF 
BETHANGA, VICTORIA. 
By Frepx. Danvers Power, F.G.S. 
[ dédstract. ] 
Tue township of Bethanga is situated about three miles east of 
the junction between the Upper Murray and Mitta Mitta rivers. 
The rocks in these parts consist of crystalline schists pierced with 
granite veins. The former insensibly pass from one variety to 
another, but the granite veins which intersect the schists are 
sharply defined, and there is no transition rock between them. 
The schists have a distinct bedded structure, striking 30 deg. 
east of north, and show a system of fine anticlinal and synclinal 
curves, which also divert the granite veins. The main ranges in 
these parts run 20 deg. east of north, z.e., about parallel with the 
Australian Alps to the east, and also parallel to the coast in these 
latitudes. From the fact that a fairly continuous range of moun- 
tains runs parallel with the coast line so tenaciously from North 
Queensland down to Victoria, it is only natural to suppose that 
whatever the original force that caused our continent to assume 
its present form, it is the lateral pressure of the ocean on our 
coast that has a large say in the formation of our mountains. 
Dr. W. D. Carpenter, in a paper read before the Royal Institu- 
tion of Great Britain, in January, 1880, on “ Land and Sea. 
Considered in Relation to Geological Times,” says that the largest 
mountain chains characterise the borders of the greatest ocean, 
showing that the lateral pressure from the direction of the ocean 
was approximately proportional to the extent of the oceanic basin. 
Lateral pressure and other earth movements commenced early in 
the earth’s history, and continue to the present day, but since 
the older rocks have been subject to these influences for a longer 
period than the younger ones, they are more likely to be tilted 
up, contorted and altered. 
The spurs of the Bethanga ranges tend to run in the direction 
of 60 deg. to 70 deg. west of north. Now, on referring to the map 
of Victoria, although the coast in these latitudes runs parallel 
with the main ranges, still, at the south-west and south of 
Victoria, the coast takes a turn 50 deg. east of north, and 80 deg. 
west of north respectively ; so the pressure of the ocean in these 
parts would also influence, in a minor degree, the formation of 
our mountain system. There are, besides, other varying factors 
to be considered, e.g., the shifting of the coast nearer or further 
from the ranges, the pressure of accumulated rock, the contrac- 
tion consequent on the cooling of the globe, &c. Lateral pressure 
coming from two or three directions would tend to cause a 
tortional strain which would rupture the rocks and otherwise 
