of a part of the Saguenay Country. 181 
to these counterseams, into cuboidal masses and longitudinay 
frustra of pyramids, the latter sometimes resembling the blade 
of a stiletto. Whether you strike the rock on the edges of 
its laminz or across the surface, a fracture in the direction of 
these lamine is effected, accompanied of course in the latter 
case by the cross fracture. Above and in immediate contact 
with the clay-slate, is a remarkably fine bed of compact marly 
clay, to which cause the slight effervescence of the former i8 
probably owing. Fragments of clay-slate are abundant on the 
shore in this place, and those of any other rock are rare. The 
latitude of the Ouitchouan river at its mouth was determined to 
be 480-243-'5 4, 
Between the Ouitchouan and the Post of Metabitchouan we 
observed the same formation to continue fora considerable dis- 
tance, beyond which we again came upon the limestone, posses- 
sing the same characters as before, but dipping to the northward 
at an angle of 45°, Thisappears to bea further corroboration 
of our opinion, and to infer the additional conjecture that the 
two rocks alternate with each other, otherwise the limestone 
must suffer a violent contortion to appear in the interval, be- 
tween the two deposites of clay-slate, in horizontal strata at 
nearly the same water level, as has been described. 
This alternation with fetid limestone suits the habits of the 
shalee far better than those of the clay-slates to which they 
sometimes bear a striking, and to the eye an indistinguishable, 
resemblance, a fact which is remarkably exemplified in the pre- 
sent instance if this rock should prove to be a shale, which, af- 
ter consulting its mincralogical characters, we are strongly of 
opinion it is not, although it cannot be concealed that the case 
appears a doubtful one. That the reader may be better able 
to form his own opivion on this point we here introduce those 
characters ;—Colour, brownish black—opaque—structure real- 
jy «chistose, but apparently compact—cross fracture, uneven, 
some- 
