Sketch of the Geology of the Arctic Regions, 9 



but the ridges are destitute of vegetation. On the west banks of 

 the river, red granite extends from the Copper Mountauis to the 

 sea, v^rhere it forms mural precipices on the coast. The main shore, 

 for sixty miles east of the Coppermine River is a low shelving grav- 

 elly beach. Eastward of this beach trap rocks re-appear, and 

 form an exceedingly sterile and rocky coast. The islands near this 

 coast abound in cliffs of greenstone and dark brown claystone por- 

 phyry. The whole country is barren, one ridge of rocks rising 

 above another, with stony vallies between, without a trace of vegeta- 

 tion. Red and grey granite rise occasionally into acute and craggy 

 peaks fifteen hundred feet high, alternating with low naked ranges of 

 gneiss. In one instance a vein of galena was found enclosed in the 

 gneiss, which is often intersected by perpendicular precipices of trap 

 rock, claystone porphyry, iron shot clinkstone, porphyry and earthy 

 greenstone. 



Continuing east, light red sandstone and bluish grey slate appear. 

 Iron shot amygdaloid, and a reddish amygdaloid, enclosing beautiful 

 pebbles of chalcedony and carnelian, with imbedded masses of jasper, 

 are found on Barry's island. On the coast, gneiss re-appears at short 

 distances, with occasional lofty pinnacles of granite, frequent beds of 

 granite and hornblende gneiss, and hexagonal crystals of hornblende 

 imbedded in the gneiss with scales of mica. 



According to Dr. Richardson, the new red sandstone formation 

 prevails on the Arctic sea coast, from the mouth of the Coppermine 

 River in W, long. 116° eastward to Cape Turnagain, which is in W. 

 long. 109°, N. lat. 69°. The gneiss formation is next in extent, and 

 runs parallel and within the red sandstone, extending from the sea to 

 Fort Enterprise in 65° N. lat. presenting the genuine ^^ Barren 

 Ground''' with its dreary precipices and hills. 



The average direction of the strata, just mentioned, is north west 

 and south east always inclined towards the horizon, the mean angle 

 exceeding 45°. Granite, sienite, gneiss, mica slate and clay slate 

 occur throughout this tract, with their usual relations and positions, 

 as in other parts of the globe. Gneiss is the most extensively distri- 

 buted, always attended with a scanty vegetation, and generally the 

 most desolate sterility. The bowlders which crown the summits of 

 the hills on the " Barren Grounds" are generally a variety of granite.* 



* Are not these "Barren Grounds" a continuation of the desert which ranges at 

 the foot of the Rocky Mountains, south of Athabasca ? 



Vol. XVIL— No. 1. 3 



