338 ' Notice of a Scientific Expedition. 



ology and Mineralogy of this province, where he will find a delin- 

 eation of the scenery in the plates accompanying that work. 



Cumberland Bay. — Having seen as much of the trap formation as 

 our time and circumstances permitted, the party were ready to pro- 

 ceed to the coal districts of the Province. It was the original inten- 

 tion to visit Pictou, but so much time had already been spent, it was 

 now abandoned and we were obliged to be satisfied with an examina- 

 tion of a similar formation at the Joggins on Cumberland Bay. 

 South Joggins, the place where most of our time was spent, when 

 in the bay, presents to the sea a mural precipice of an uniform 

 height, for the distance of five or six miles. The height of this range 

 is about seventy five feet. The edges of the strata, stand directly 

 to the sea ; they dip at an angle of 30° to the west. The strata 

 are sandstone and bituminous shale, with some other subordinate 

 layers ; the whole of which are exhibited in the section of the coast. 

 The sandstone is grey and is made up of angular grains of quartz, 

 generally not larger than a mustard seed ; intermixed are a few scat- 

 tered particles of feldspar and spangles of mica. The texture of the 

 different layers varies somewhat, sometimes fine and sometimes 

 coarser than is represented. These gi'ains are united by an argilla- 

 ceous cement. It is proper to remark here, that the color of this 

 rock is different from that between Partridge Island and Cape Sharp. 

 There, the sandstone and shale is brick red in many places. This 

 difference must be ascribed to its proximity to the trap ; to the heat 

 which the latter rock communicated to the shale and sandstone at 

 some former period. Certain it is, if the gray sandstone and dark 

 shale are exposed to heat, they become red. The sandstone of 

 Cumberland Bay, is employed for grindstones, most of which are 

 brought to the United States. The best kinds are taken from the 

 deep-seated strata ; they are more easily wrought, as they are softer 

 when first exposed to light. 



The grindstones are sold at the quarries for 35. and 35. 6d. a 

 stone — a stone measures twenty four inches in diameter, and four 

 inches thick. There are few places where stratification* is so perfect 

 as at the Joggins. The lines of separation are perfectly parallel, 

 and as strait as if they were drawn with a rule. Fig. 4, exhibits a 

 section of the coast at South Joggins. The kinds of layers which 

 occur for four or five miles are brought into this sketch. One depos- 

 it of bituminous coal, four feet thick, is now opened. It yields coal 

 of a tolerable quality now, and its value increases the farther it is 

 explored. 



