IN NOVA SCOTIA ELLS. 435 



were left behind, so that the facilities for detailed careful 

 examination and comparison were rarely found. That so large 

 an amount of really valuable information was obtained in those 

 early days is matter for gratulation and clearly proves that these 

 early students of the earth's crust were not only careful obser- 

 vers but were imbued with the true scienti6c spirit. 



Probably the earliest description, from the scientific stand- 

 point, of the rocks found in Nova Scotia, is contained in a 

 somewhat lengthy paper, contributed to the American Journal 

 of Science by Messrs. Jackson and Alger, two leading American 

 geologists, in 1828-29. This paper was illustrated by a sketch 

 map of a portion of the province, which is probably the first 

 attempt at a geological map issued in Canada. 



Without going into details as to the points of structure which 

 are there described, it may be said that this paper contains much 

 interesting information relative to the trap formations of the 

 Bay of Fundy, and to their contained minerals. The gypsum 

 deposits, found along the south side of the Basin of Minas, also 

 received a fair amount of attention, and there is a good descrip- 

 tion of the iron ores which occur in portions of the South 

 Mountain range at different points. 



At that early date the long list of names now employed to 

 distinguish the many formations to which the various rocks 

 which form the earth's crust are now assigned was not formu- 

 lated. The use of the term Primitive for certain granite masses 

 was common, and these were supposed to represent the oldest 

 group of rocks. The term Transition was also employed to 

 designate certain altered sediments which are in contact with 

 the granites at different points ; but such names as Silurian, 

 Devonian, Carboniferous and Triassic were not yet invented. 



The terms trap, sandstone and slate are, in this early paper, 

 in general use, but details of geological structure are almost 

 entirely wanting. The article, however, is interesting from 

 its very full description of the trap formation found in the 

 North Mountain range, and to some extent valuable from t 

 description therein contained relative to tie mode of occurrence 



