Geology 



We were informed that the navigation of this part 

 of the river was slow and difficult, as there were 

 dangerous rapids to be negotiated, and, as the steep 

 sides of the valley gave promise of clear exposures of 

 the strata, we decided to go on foot, rejoining the 

 steamer above the gorge. There was no need for us 

 to hurry, as it would be necessary to replenish the supply 

 of coal at the town of Red River, and as we were told 

 that there were several villages where we could obtain 

 food and lodging en route, there was no necessity to 

 encumber ourselves with any baggage beyond our 

 hammers and instruments, but as we should possibly 

 collect numerous specimens, we took one of our men 

 to act as porter. 



On entering the valley we found that it was even 

 more narrow and gorge-like than we had supposed, and 

 it was the sudden check in the velocity of the stream, on 

 emerging to the more open country below, that had 

 given rise to the great deposits of sand which we had 

 examined on the previous day. 



At first the sides of the valley were not very high, 

 and were seen to consist of chalk, with a few nodules of 

 flint, dipping to the south at an angle of 5. Many of 

 the flint nodules were hollow and contained a white 

 powdery substance, which, from an examination with a 

 pocket lens, appeared to contain minute fossils. As 

 much as possible of this material was collected for sub- 

 sequent examination. 



A mile farther up, the cliffs reached an altitude of 

 80 feet, and at their base a bed of reddish sand cropped 

 out beneath the chalk. In this we found numerous 

 fossils, including Pecten asper and Exogyra columba, 



no 



