208 Mineralogy and Geology of apart of Nova Scotia. 



Speculative geologists may perhaps consider the relations 

 of the bed of iron ore to this granite, as of some value, in 

 accounting for the origin of veins and beds in transition 

 rocks. They would doubtless regard the protrusion of the 

 granite from the central regions of our globe, as the cause of 

 the disruption of the strata of clay slate, which was thus 

 raised from the bottom of the sea, bearing with it the spoils 

 of the ocean. The layers would thus be broken, their edges 

 thrown up at an angle, and by the contraction of the subor- 

 dinate rocks, the superior strata being fixed, or the protru- 

 sion having carried the rocks so far as to poise the strata in 

 a perpendicular position, a chasm would be formed, into 

 which the ore of iron was afterwards poured from above by 

 a second submersion. From the similarity of fossils, we 

 should think the bed of iron ore, must have been immediate- 

 ly formed, after the disruption of the strata. 



The granite might have been, nevertheless, much older 

 than the clay slate, and constituted the base upon which it 

 was deposited in a horizontal manner. The formation of 

 rocks beneath the granite, by oxidation of the metallic bases, 

 of the earths discovered by the illustrious Davy, according to 

 the views of that excellent geognost, Daubeny, (if we do 

 not misconceive them,) may have caused this protrusion of 

 the granite against and through the overlying transition 

 slate, which was thus raised from its horizontal position. The 

 Wernerian and Huttonian theory thus united and modified, 

 appear to account for so many facts in geology, we could not 

 refrain from adverting to it on the present occasion, and sug- 

 gesting its application to American geology. 



The granite above described, is the only primitive rock 

 which we discovered in Nova Scotia, but there can be no 

 doubt of its existence in other districts of the South Moun- 

 tain range, as we are credibly informed of its occurrence in 

 the southern part of the province, which we did not visit, and 

 which is left colorless on the geological map. This district 

 remains unexplored and invites the attention of geologists. 



Whether the great bed of iron ore following the clay slate 

 comes in immediate contact with, or is cut oflT by the granite, 

 we are unable to decide with certainty. From the direction 

 of the bed at Nictau, we were led to suppose the latter to be 

 the case. It is obvious, however, on reflection, that no argu- 

 ment can be drawn from this fact, there being an interven- 

 ing distance of nearly twenty miles, and the mountains wi- 



