128 ROSS — ON PARALLEL LINES OF ELEVATION, 



the province, commencing at Minas basin, and extending to St. 

 George's Bay. 



Since gold has been discovered in this province, attention has 

 been prominently called to the fact that an important system of 

 lines of elevation in the gold bearing rocks, have the same general 

 direction — approximately east and west — and that the auriferous 

 quartz veins uniformly have this direction. Now, it is evident 

 to one even slightly acquainted with the Geology of the regions 

 referred to, that not only the fractures but the trap itself was form- 

 ed long after the east and west lines of elevation in the Cobequid 

 and auriferous rocks had reached nearly their present position. 



The only other system of parallel lines of elevation (and depres- 

 sion) in Nova Scotia, which now demands our attention, is well 

 illustrated by a basin with which all here are necessarily well 

 acquainted. I refer to our own Harbour and Bedford basin, and, 

 further on in the same line, the Avon River basin. An important 

 line parallel to this is the Strait of Canso. For further illustrations 

 of this system I may point to most of the river and lake basins 

 between Shelburne and Canso. 



Having thus briefly indicated the chief systems of lines of 

 elevation in our own Province and vicinity, I will proceed to 

 discuss the general subject to which they introduced me, viz. the 

 great zones of parallel lines of elevation in the earth's crust. 



More than two-thirds of the crust of the earth is covered by the 

 waters of the ocean. The more recent formations cover most of the 

 remainder. Again the later formations were necessarily formed of 

 the detritus of the older, so that these, where exposed to observation, 

 must have suffered immense denudation, as is also shown by their 

 metamorphic character, as they could only have become metamorphic 

 when at a great depth below the surface. These circumstances 

 tend greatly to obscure the lines of elevation in the older 

 rocks. But obscurity yields to investigation. The higher 

 summits of lines of elevation protrude themselves above the 

 level of the sea, and afford no uncertain indication of their 

 course beneath its waters. The more primitive formations 

 are similarly found protruding through the later formations, or 

 these last have been removed by denudation, exposing the former 



