Edinburgh Geological Society. 373 



portions of the years 1863, 1864, 1865, and 1866, and refer to the 

 Coal supply. Mr. Brown stated that the three North Pacific Coal- 

 fields extend from the borders of California to Alaska, and belong 

 respectively to the Tertiary, Secondary, and Palaeozoic ages — the 

 latter being situated, as far as yet known, only in the Queen Charlotte 

 Islands, off the northern coast of British Columbia, the exact age of 

 which being as yet undetermined, though the coal is anthracitic, and 

 in all probability Paleozoic. The Tertiary Coal extends from 

 California northward through Oregon and Washington Territory, 

 impinging the southern end of British Columbia and Vancouver 

 Island, and extending, with some interruptions, right across the 

 Eocky Mountains — the Miocene coals of Missouri being apparently 

 only a continuation of the same beds. The Secondary beds, on the 

 other hand, on the North Pacific are confined to the island of Van- 

 couver, though in all probability they are only a continuation of the 

 Cretaceous strata of Missouri. The Tertiary lignites of the North 

 Pacific are throughout of Miocene age, and are associated with beds 

 of sandstone, shale, &c. The coal burns freely, but leaves behind 

 much slag and ash. It has been wrought at various places on the 

 coast. 1. Monte Diabalo, California. — Here 69,257 tons were mined 

 last year from January to August, the coal selling for eight dollars 

 per ton in San Francisco. At Benicia it was also mined, but has 

 been discontinued. Its analysis is — carbon, 50 ; volatile bituminous 

 matter, 46 ; ash, 4. 2. Coose Bay, Oregon. — Its analysis shows 

 46*44 per cent, of carbon, 50-27 of volatile matter, and 3-19 of ash. 

 Its percentage of coke is 49-73 ; but this is dark, friable, and of little 

 value. It produces abundant gas, of a low illuminating power. It 

 is used to some extent in San Francisco, 7,759 tons having been im- 

 ported from January to August, 1868. 3. Clallam Bay, Washington 

 Territory. — Several attempts have been made here to get good coal, 

 but have failed to a great extent owing to the want of a harbour. 

 Analysis — Carbon, 46-40 ; volatile matter, 50-97 ; ash, 2-63. 4, Bel- 

 lingham Bay. — Here the lignite has been mined for some years with 

 success, though it is of no better quality than the others. From 

 January to August, 1865, 5680 tons were imported into San Fran- 

 cisco. Analysis — Carbon, 47*63 ; bitumen, 50*22 ; ash, 2-15. Coal 

 crops out at various other localities — Fraser Eiver, Burrard Inlet, 

 islands of the Haro Archipelago, Sanetch Peninsula, the northern 

 (Vancouver) shores of De Fucas Strait, &c. — but has not been 

 worked. Mr. Brown was of opinion that all these outcrops were of 

 Tertiary age, the secondary beds not appearing south of the Che- 

 mainos Eiver. There are Newer (Pleistocene, or perhaps Eecent) 

 lignites in the clifls of Useless Bay, Whidby's Island, associated with 

 remains of the Mastodon, a tradition of the existence of which animal 

 still lingers among the Indian tribes. (See the author in MM. 

 Lartet and Christy's " Eeliquias Aquitanicfe," Part VI.) This lignite 

 is in small quantity, and quite worthless for fi;el. The whole coast 

 of Vancouver Island on the east coast, north of Chemainos, is bounded 

 by a belt of Carboniferous strata, composed of sandstone, shale, and 

 coarse gravelstone conglomerates, interstratified with which are beds 



