428 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [Mar. 28, 



It is remarkable that the Highlands of Scotland, taken as a whole, 

 have afforded so few opportunities for mining operations. Is it that 

 the rocks, having been so often disturbed, have not allowed the quiet 

 settling down of larger mineral deposits ? or have the mineral de- 

 posits been broken up and scattered about by those more or less 

 evident eruptions ? If such be the main causes, then a fair com- 

 parison may be drawn between these highlands and others on the 

 Continent, — namely, Switzerland, where, as here, a great variety of 

 minerals is found, but seldom in such abundance as to invite mining- 

 undertakings. 



Finally, in this communication I have studiously avoided any 

 reference to the details published about eighteen years ago by 

 the Highland Society. What I have here stated confirms in their 

 essential parts former observations. The additional facts brought 

 to light since that time, and some alterations in the conclusions 

 arrived at, help us partly to generalize, and partly to illustrate in 

 detail the views formerly published. 



Maece 28, 1860. 



The Duke of Marlborough, and W. P. Jervis, Esq., Northwick 

 Terrace, Maida Hill, were elected Fellows. 



The folio-wing communications were read : — 



1. Notes about Spitzbeegen in 1859. 

 By James Lamont, Esq., F.Gr.S. 



[With Appendix.] 



Having passed upwards of two months last summer (1859) on the 

 coast of Spitzbergen, and amongst the great fields of floating ice in 

 the surrounding seas, I beg to offer the few following observations. 



I left Leith on the 6th of June ; reached Hammerfest on the 23rd, 

 left Hammerfest on the 26th, and arrived at SpitzbergeD on the 2nd 

 of July. 



We found a large quantity of heavy drift-ice off the south-eastern 

 end of Spitzbergen and amongst the " Thousand Islands." At the 

 mouth of Stour Fiord (" Wybe Jan's Water" of the charts) we met 

 two small sealing-vessels, the masters of which told us that the 

 north coast was unapproachable this summer, on account of the ice 

 being jammed against the north-western corner of the island, about 

 Hakluyt's Headland ; and we therefore proceeded to coast around the 

 edges of the ice towards the east side of the country. 



On the 8th, during a dense fog, we passed the last of the Thousand 

 Islands, and lay-to off the S.E. corner of Edge's Land. The coast 

 from here to Ryke Tse Islands is frightfully barren and desolate, 

 and the mountains are quite destitute of vegetation ; these moun- 

 tains are limestone, and descend abruptly into the sea without the 



