8 District traversed iy the 



From the great sameness prevailing in the primitive 

 formation met with on the route pursued, but little can 

 be said on the rocks constituting the range which divide 

 the waters flowing into Hudson's Bay and the River St. 

 Lawrence, except accurately describing their occurrence ; 

 but it will be necessary to bring before the society one 

 concise and general view of the country bordering the 

 Rivers St. Maurice and aux Lievres, and also on the great 

 chain of lakes lying between those two rivers ; in order 

 to prove the probability of the area comprised within their 

 limits being of the same primitive formation, and covered 

 with the same description of silecious sand, as that found 

 constituting the shores of those waters. 



At Three Rivers there exists an alluvial deposit of 

 silecious sand extending about nine miles to the north- 

 ward, forming a moderate sized hill on the south side of 

 the St. Maurice. This hill abruptly terminates at the 

 village of the Forges, and a lower and more level track 

 stretches several miles farther to the north. This flat, 

 although lower than the hill, is considerably higher than 

 the river, and contains one or two extensive swamps ; 

 but the soil is of the same silecious sand as that found at 

 Three Rivers. 



Near the Gabelle Rapids, and on the south side of the 

 river is a formation of limestone, containing embedded 

 organic remains. At the Rapid Grais this limestone gives 

 place to a sandstone, apparently fit for mill purposes : 

 both these formations rest on the sienitic rock which forms 

 the bed of the river. Where the sandstone terminates 

 are large deposits of white clay bearing a thick covering of 

 pilecious sand. This clay ceases a little above Pigeon 

 Island ; and excepting at the Portage of the Shewanahegan, 



