118 HONEYMAN ON THE LONDONDEEEY IKON IMINES. 



and New Glasgow, furnishes a noble section of the band of 

 strata which we are now considering. Leaving the West river 

 station, on the way to Truro, we see on either side of the road 

 fine specimens of argillite which flank Mount Tom on the w^est, 

 succeeding the basal felspathic rocks. These exposures continue 

 for several miles. The argillite of these cuttings appear to be 

 very little, if in any degree, altered, and it it quite possible 

 that fauna might be found in them which may more directly 

 indicate the age of the altered or imaltered pre-carboniferous 

 strata of the band, than even the Earltown group, already re- 

 ferred to. When we leave the section of argillite strata on the 

 Truro side of GeorgetoAvn, there appeared to be some obscurit}' 

 for some distance, and then succeeding are magnificent cuttings 

 of carboniferous strata, showing a dip apparently synclinal to 

 that of the older strata. Somewhere in these strata must be 

 situate the manganese limestones of Salmon river. Succeeding 

 these carboniferous strata cuttings are cuttings equally imposing 

 of triassic sandstone, which reach nearly to the town of Truro. 



I would observe, in conclusion, that the lines of railwa}^ from 

 Halifax to Windsor, and from Halifax to Truro, now reveal ahd 

 make accessible to the observer the great geological features of 

 the Province. Proceeding from Windsor to Mount Uniacke, 

 w^e pass through the granite which may be regarded as the basal 

 rock of the Province ; passing on to the junction of the Windsor 

 and Truro lines we rise into the quartzite and argillite of the 

 metamorphic lower silurian, which includes Mount Uniacke 

 gold field. Proceeding from the junction to Truro, we pass 

 from quartzite through argillite and quartzite, all lower silurian. 

 Leaving Elmsdale, and approaching Shubenacadie, we reach the 

 lower carboniferous limestones with their gypsum. Leaving 

 Truro for Pictou, we pass through the series that I have already 

 described, descending geologically through triassic, carbonifer- 

 ous, devonian and upper silurian, this last being, in all proba- 

 bility, the immediate successor of the auriferous lower silurian. 

 Prom West river station to Pictou harbour we probably ascend 

 through the extension of the silurian scries of Springville, East 

 river, through the lower carboniferous of Hopewell, tlien the 

 middle and upper carboniferous. In various localities avc pass 

 through drift and alluvium, and thus we hav<^ a synoptical 

 representation of the Geolog}- of Nova Scotia. 



