TRURO TO CAPE d'oR, 101 



a moderate dip to the southward. About three miles from the Great 

 Vilhige they terminate, resting unconformably on the edges of Car- 

 boniferous rocks dipping at high angles to the north. 



Economy Point, as well as a detached reef named the Brick Kilns 

 lying off tlie point, consists of New Red Sandstone, which here has in 

 consequence a considerable breadth. It has a slight dip to the south. 

 In the banks of Economy River, the red sandstone and conglomerate 

 which, near the coast, dip to the southward at a low angle, undulate 

 as they approach a hill of hard Lower Carboniferous rocks at no great 

 distance from the shore. Uehiud these they again appear with a 

 south-west dip, and are again succeeded by Lower Carboniferous rocks 

 which continue to the base of the hills. The ridge of older rock 

 which here divides the red sandstone, is probably a point or promon- 

 tory connected with the mass of the Carboniferous rocks to the 

 westward. 



In Gerrish's Mountain, six miles west of Economy River, the red 

 sandstone and conglomerate are overlaid by amygdaloidal trap, and 

 having been protected by it from denudation, rise into an eminence 

 nearly 400 feet high. At Indian Point, the southern extremity of 

 Gerrish's Mountain, the trap and red sandstone form a bold precipi- 

 tous cliff, and are continued along the picturesque rocky chain of the 

 Five Islands, in two of which the red sandstone is seen to underlie 

 the trap. 



The isolated trap eminences at this place are probably the remains 

 of a continuous lava current, and it is interesting that the direction of 

 the chain of islets corresponds with that of the great trap ridge on the 

 opposite side of the bay. To a traveller who has passed along the 

 level shores of Londonderry and Onslow, and toward the close of day 

 ascends the steep side of Gerrish's Mountain, the view which greets 

 him at the summit is of the most grand and striking character. The 

 rocky chain of the Five Islands, and the pretty inlet and settlement 

 on the shore within them, lie at his feet. In front are the waters of 

 Minas Basin stretching far to the westward. On the one hand is the 

 rugged and picturesque trappean shore extending toward Parrsboro', 

 with the Cobcquid Mountains ranged behind it. On the other, 

 Blomidon and Cape Split tower in the distance. I may I'emark here, 

 that for grandeur and beauty of coast scenery, this part of Minas 

 Basin and the Minas Channel are not surpassed by any part of the 

 eastern coast of North America. 



It will be seen, on consulting the map, that at the Five Islands 

 three great geological formations approach each other, so that within 

 a very limited space the Trap, the New Rod, the Carboniferous system, 



