OUR STONY RECORD. 



OLDER GEOLOGY OF RED RIVER AND ASSINIBOINE VALLEYS. 



Bryce's Lecture Before the Historical Society. — Explanatory Diagrams, 

 ence of Salt, Petroleum and Coal. — City Water Supply. 



-Occur- 



The Historical and Scientific Society of 

 Manitoba met on Thursday evening, Novem- 

 ber 26Dh, 1891, ia the city council chamber, to 

 listen to a lecture on "The Older Gleology of 

 the Red River and Aseiciboine Vallyys " 

 The lecturer of the evening was Rev. Dr. 

 Bryce, who said : 



Last year the writer had the honor of lay- 

 ing before the Hisoorical Society many 

 facts connected with the " Surface Greo 

 logy " of these valleys. To night it may 

 serve a good purpcse to bring before the sicie 

 ty, with as few technical details as possible, 



has not been a stranger. Milton hits oil this 

 oendenoy with keen sarcatm in his description 

 of Mammon : — 



"Mammon, the least erected spirit that fell 



From Heaven ; for e'en in Heaven his look and 



thoughts 

 Were always downward bent, admiring more 

 The riches of Heaven's pavtmeLt, trodden gold, 

 Than aught divine, or holj' elf e enjoyed 

 In visions beatific ; by him first 

 Men als , and by his suj^gestion taught, 

 Ransaolted the centre, and, with impious hands. 

 Rifled the bowels of their mother earth 

 F'or treasures" 



Fig. I. — Nortli America: The Original Laurentian Island. 



the characters of the underlyine: rocks. Oiir 

 object is to de'crioe, not so much the mineral 

 or palaeontoloftical features of these rocks, as 

 to give their general relation to the contour cf 

 our prairies, the nature of the soil, and to the 

 economic products of the precious metals, 

 building stone, salt, petroleum, coa), na- 

 tural gas, and water. There is a craze 

 in some quarters for diverting capital 

 into mad speculations, and for organizing 

 companies to ransack the rocks for hidden 

 treasure. To this even Winnipeg in the past 



There is of course another standpoint than 

 that of Miltoa. We need to know the powers 

 and resources of the good, new countiy in our 

 popsessior, and we are bound as Western Can- 

 adians to make the most of our opportunities. 

 At the same time we ought to examine and 

 develop our land intelligently ; and the geolo- 

 gist may often prevent useless expenditure 

 and prick the bubble of wild speculation. 



THE LAURENTIAN ISLAND. 



Below the drift or soil, with'whicb our 

 former lecture dealt, there are lime- 



