J. R. Dakyns — Geology of Snoicdon. 267 



Furthermore, in this book several plates are inserted, one of 

 wbich, opposite p. 23, shows Churchill harbour, and Munck's ships 

 moored near its western side, one Danish mile (=: 4^ English 

 statute miles) from its entrance. The ships lay on the tidal flat^ 

 which was "nearly 900 fathoms across," and were "not farther 

 from the shore than about 12 or 14 fathoms." They evidently lay 

 a short distance above a high point extending down to the shore of 

 the harbour from the west, and their position was therefore some- 

 where in front of where the Hudson's Bay Company's Trading Port 

 is at present situated. 



The plate represents a bird's-eye view of the harbour, and shows 

 it very much as it would aj)pear in a similar view at the present 

 time, and not at all as it would appear if the laud had been rising 

 since then at any such rate as from 7 to 10 feet in a century, or say 

 in all 19-25 feet, for much of the surrounding land is so low that 

 with such a difference in elevation large areas, which ai'e now dry 

 land, would have then been submerged. 



Mosquito Point, a low rocky point at the head of the harbour, 

 is distinctly shown on the plate, and Fort Prince of AVales or 

 Esquimaux Point, which projects beyond the moutli of the harbour 

 on its western side, is clearly seen to be connected with the more 

 southern portion of the mainland, as it is now, and there is no sign 

 of a channel across the connecting neck of land, though the land 

 is there so low that a depression of a few feet below its present 

 level would cause the existence of a wide and distinct channel here. 

 Had this channel existed in Munck's time there can be little doubt 

 that it would have been shown on his map. 



As these are the oldest historical records obtainable of the former 

 character of Churchill harbour they are of considerable geological 

 intei'est, and they are clearly in line with the arguments which 

 I adduced in a former paper in this Magazine, that during the 

 historical period there has been no determinable change in the 

 relative levels of land and water on this portion of the western shore 

 of Hudson Bay. 



IX. — FlRSTFRUlTS OF A GEOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF SnOWDON. 

 By J. E. Dakyns, Esq. 

 A BS longa, vita hrevis. This is especially true when one reaches 

 the age of 64. I therefore commit to paper some of the results 

 of a geological investigation of Snowdon on which I am engaged. 

 I stait of course from the work of Messrs. Kamsay and Selwyn 

 embodied in the Geological Survey Map of Snowdon and Ramsay's 

 memoir on North Wales. To make what I have to say clear I may 

 state that the rocks of Snowdon are by Eamsay and Selwyn divided 

 into three principal groups, viz. : A, an upper felsitic lava ; au 

 intermediate band (B) of bedded fossiliferous rocks of Bala age, 

 containing much volcanic material, called the calcareo-felspathio 

 ashy series ; and a lower mass (C) of felsitic rocks. This lower 

 mass is in some places divided by sedimentary bands consisting of 

 slates and grits. Below C come blue slates and grits, with 



