31 



King also mentions his having observed here reddish quartzose-sand- 

 stone, like that of the old red-sandstone formation of Europe : and he 

 remarks, that the soil over this rock is barren, while that above the slate 

 produces luxuriant vegetation ; beeches of great size growing there 

 within a few feet of the water-side. In general, the hills in this part 

 of Terra del Fuego appear to be of slate : they rise to the height of 

 3000 feet, and are covered with snow and ice. Mount Sarmiento, 

 however, which is more than 5000 feet high, appears, from the shape 

 of its summit, to be volcanic ; and was called by the navigator, 

 after whom it was named, "The Snowy Volcano." 



The specimens from the western branch of the Straits of Magellan, 

 collected by Capt. Stokes, all consist of primitive rocks : Cape Notch, 

 Cape Tamar, and the Scilly Islands affording granite ; Port Gallant, 

 and Cape Victory, gneiss and mica-slate ; and Valentine's Bay, clay- 

 slate much resembling that of Port Famine. These places are all on 

 the north of the Strait. On the southern side, in Terra del Fuego, Cape 

 Upright affords granite and gneiss ; and the latter rock is found also at 

 Tuesday Harbour, and in the neighbourhood of Cape Pillar : the co- 

 lumnar mass, from which that remarkable point was named, is com- 

 posed of mica-slate. 



Of the specimens sent home by Capt. King from this remote quarter 

 of the globe, it may be remarked, in general, that they agree perfectly 

 with the rocks of Europe and other parts of the world ; — the resem- 

 blance amounting, in several cases, to almost complete identity. 



The reading was begun of a, paper " On the Geology of Tor and 

 Babbacombe Bays, Devon 3 " by H. T. De la Beche, Esq. F.R.S. &c. 



Nov. 16. — The reading of Mr. De la Beche's paper, begun at the 

 last Meeting, was concluded. 



The coasts of Babbacombe and Tor Bays are composed of new red- 

 sandstone, carboniferous limestone, old red-sandstone, and trap- 

 rocks : and the sections presented by the cliffs exhibit various marks of 

 disturbance, which the author conceives to have been caused by the 

 intrusion of trap among the strata, subsequently to their deposition. 



1. The new red-sandstone here consists of red conglomerate re- 

 sembling that of Heavitree and Exeter, being made up of portions of 

 old red-sandstone, carboniferous limestone, shale, quartz, grauwacke, 

 and porphyry, with small crystals of felspar : — the whole cemented by 

 a red paste, and occasionally interstratified with red-sandstone and 

 marl. The conglomerate is regarded by the author as the lowest 

 part of the new red-sandstone formation, and as the equivalent of 

 the rbthe-todte-liegende of Germany : and the fragments of porphyry 

 included in it, are supposed to be the remains of pre-existing trap- 

 rocks 5 both from their rounded form, and their admixture with the 

 detritus of other formations inferior to the new red-sandstone. 



This red conglomerate occupies three small districts : 1. That of 

 St. Mary Church and Watcombe. 2. Tor-Moham. 3. Paington. — 

 The first extending along the coast from the Ness Point (Teignmouth) 

 to Oddicombe Sands ; with the exception of an insulated mass of car- 



