PROCEEDINGS 



OF 



THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



Vol. II. 1834—1835. No. 38. 



Dec. 17th.-r-The reading of a paper, " On the physical and geo- 

 logical Structure of the Country to the west of the Dividing Range, 

 between Hunter's River (lat. 32° S.) and Moreton Bay (lat. 27° S.) ; 

 with Observations on the Geology of Moreton Bay and Brisbane 

 River, New South Wales," by Allan Cunningham, Esq., and commu- 

 nicated by W. H. Fitton, M.D., F.G.S., begun at the Meeting on 

 the 3rd of December, was resumed and concluded. 



This paper was accompanied by a series of specimens collected by 

 the author, who states that he had submitted it to the examination 

 of Dr. Fitton, and that he is indebted to the notes of that gentleman 

 for the geological descriptions embodied in the memoir. 



After alluding to the " Wingen or Burning Mountain," situated on 

 the south-eastern side of the " Dividing Range," the author states 

 that the summit of that range, at the point where he crossed it, con- 

 sists of greenstone slate, and the base of a quartzose conglomerate. 

 Having descended the range, he traversed thelowhills which form the 

 eastern side of Liverpool Plains and consist of a similar conglome- 

 rate j and afterwards the hills to the north of the Plains composed of a 

 very finely grained granite. Between the latitudes of 31° and 30° 

 the country gradually rose from the level of Liverpool Plains, or 

 840 feet, to nearly 2000 feet above the level of the sea, and pre- 

 sented a broken irregular surface, often traversed by low ridges of 

 clay slate. On the north of 30° the exploring party entered a fer- 

 tile valley, called by Mr. Cunningham " Stoddart's Valley." The 

 base of the ridges by which it is bounded, consists of serpentine, 

 and their flanks and summit of hornstone; and the hills at the head 

 of the valley of clay-slate. In the bed of Peel's River, which traverses 

 the northern extremity of the valley, the author noticed a thin ho- 

 rizontal bed of calcareous sandstone, between strata of indurated 

 clay or shale. The country for 50 miles to the north of " Peel's 

 River " exhibited a moderately undulating surface, covered in some 

 parts with fragments of cellular trap ; and the hills which bounded 

 the route on the westward, as far as the parallel of 29° 10', consisted 

 of a reddish coarse-grained sandstone, in nearly horizontal strata. 

 Beyond this point Mr. Cunningham directed his journey to the 

 north-east, and a little north of 29° he arrived at Mogo Creek, 

 the banks of which were found to be composed of a coarse fri- 

 able sandstone. Pursuing the same direction,4he country for 40 



VOL. II. h 



