﻿390 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



[Apr. 10, 



some years ago communicated to this Society. In 1855 Mr. A. K. 

 Isbister communicated to this Society a useful and concise recapi- 

 tulation of what had been written concerning the geology of the 

 Hudson's Bay Territories, without adding anything, however, to our 

 knowledge of the central district with which I have principally to 

 deal. It is to Mr. Hind alone, who was in command of the Cana- 

 dian Expedition to explore part of Rupert's Land, that I can refer 

 in confirmation of my observations in any part of the prairie-regions. 

 Mr. Hind in 1858 partially travelled over nearly the same ground as 

 that traversed by our Expedition during the previous summer, but 

 only as far as the elbow of the South Saskatchewan, and in regard to 

 all essentials our work agrees exactly*. 



Mr. Hind's report is valuable from his having had his fossils 

 examined by Messrs. Meek and Hayden, whose labours in the Upper 

 Missouri country and Western States since 1852 have given us most 

 of the knowledge which we possess concerning the classification of the 

 strata composing the northern part of the great American prairies ; 

 and to those gentlemen I shall have frequent occasion to refer. 



Concerning the mass of the country explored, consisting of the 

 prairies within the British possessions and the Rocky Mountains be- 

 tween latitude 49° and 53°, and of the country westward to Eort 

 Colvile, I am not aware of anything having been published, except- 

 ing a few general remarks collected by Richardson from the botanists 

 Douglas and Drumrnond or from the fur-traders. 



Concerning the geology of the Pacific Coast, in the neighbourhood 

 of the 49th parallel, there are very interesting notes scattered through 

 the various U.S. Senate-papers, by Mr. Gribb and Dr. Suckley, who 

 were employed in the survey for the Pacific Railroad. The former 

 gentleman is still working in that country, being attached to the 

 North-west Boundary-Commission. There is also a short notice of 

 the geology of Vancouver Island, by Mr. Bauerman, geologist to the 

 British section of the same commission, published in the Geol. Soc. 

 Journal for 1860. 



GENERAL PHYSICAL FEATURES. 



The prairie-country which I have principally to describe may be 

 considered as forming the northern portion of a triangular space con- 

 taining the plateau which occupies the central region of the North 

 American continent, having for its sides, first, the Rocky Mountains ; 

 second, the Laurentian axis or " intermediate primitive belt" of 

 Richardson ; and third, the Alleghany Mountains. 



A low indistinct water-shed 850 feet above the sea at its lowest 

 point, and apparently undetermined by any disturbance of the rocky 

 framework of this basin posterior to the deposit of its more uncon- 

 solidated contents, follows a line sometimes north and sometimes 

 south of the 49th parallel of latitude (which is the Political Boun- 

 dary-line), dividing the waters which flow to the Gulf of Mexico from 

 those flowing to the Arctic Ocean. 



* My first Keport on the Geology of this district was dated December 14, 1857. 

 See Parliamentary Papers, June 1859. 



