368 Our North Land. 



The great object of Dr. Bell's expedition to the east main coast 

 of Hudson's Bay in 1877, was, of course, to ascertain the nature 

 and geographical distribution of the rock formation in the region 

 explored, and to determine the probability or otherwise of the 

 existence of valuable minerals. But he also made a general topo- 

 graphical survey, and obtained in addition a large amount of 

 information in regard to the soil and general character of the 

 country, the nature of the rivers, coast, the climate, timber and 

 vegetation, fisheries, natural history and botany, as also the natives 

 and other matters of interest. First, then, as to the geology of the 

 coast, of which I shall have but little to say. From Rupert's Bay 

 to Cape Jones, on the east coast of James's Bay, the general rock 

 formation is that of Laurentian gneiss. There is a belt of Huro- 

 nian schists at Cape Hope and another at the Paint Hills. On the 

 extreme western point of Cape Hope (island), the rock consists of 

 dark grey hornblendic schist, with some lighter and more silicious 

 belts. Most of the schist is divided into small lenticular forms,' 

 each surrounded by granular white calcspar, which also occurs in 

 patches and short veins. The rock is cut by numerous straggling 

 veins of mixed calcspar and quartz, intercalated with schist. Some 

 of them are wide, but short. They run in various directions. No 

 metallic ores were obtained in any of them. The Paint Hills occur 

 on a point, with several islands lying off it, at a distance of about 

 thirty-nine miles north of Cape Hope. The most western or outer- 

 most hill on the point appears to be the highest. It has an elevation 

 of about one hundred and fifty feet above the sea. Here the 

 rounded rocks are in some places, especially along the north-west 

 side, stained reddish and brownish, and resemble smooth, oxidized 

 surfaces of metallic iron. In some parts they weather to a green 

 colour. On the outermost islands, several miles to the south-east- 

 ward of the extremity of the point at the Paint Hills, the rocks 

 consist of fine-grained dark greenish-grey hornblendic schist, with 

 fine-grained silicious portions. Small veins of whitish granite also 

 occur following the stratification. 



The outline of the land from Rupert's Bay to Cape Jones is 

 undulating and rather low. T^e coast is fringed with a great 



