H. 8. POOLE ON THE GOLD -LEADS OP NOVA SCOTIA. 313 



much of the " throw " or detached pieces of the rocks but a short 

 distance, it has removed some pieces to very great distances. In 

 general the drift is from the north — though, some prospectors say, on 

 some hill-tops it is from the south, indicating the existence of counter- 

 currents in the shallow waters, supposing the drift to have been due 

 to a northern current and not to an ice-sheet. The angular shape 

 and size of the fragments show that the disjointing force was not a 

 comminuting one. It would further appear that the abrasion of the 

 surface due to the drift was not extensive. On the turn of the 

 Oldham anticlinal the surface is serrated, with the tops of the ridges 

 alone planed off, and the general appearance suggests that the 

 present contour was given before the ancient surface, broken by frost 

 and weather, had its fragments torn away and a new surface formed 

 by the attrition of blocks set in ice passing over it. In some cases 

 the very blocks apparently that made the strige have been turned 

 over and expose their under surfaces fluted in a similar way to the 

 surface of the bed-rock. Close to the Wellington railway-station a 

 narrow band of rock may be seen slightly elevated above the general 

 level and transversely crossed by strise evidently of later origin than 

 the displacement of the band ; for the striae are deeper in the band, 

 and their continuations on the undisturbed surface do not take in 

 for 2 or 3 inches from the elevated edge of the band. 



Gold in Carboniferous Conglomerate. 



At Gay's Eiver the Carboniferous conglomerate is worked in a 

 small way for the gold which is found mixed with the lower portion 

 of the bed. In the " runs " or hoUows of the slate the bed-rock is 

 also removed to a depth of 3 or 4 feet for the gold contained in the 

 backs or crevices of the slate. The gold is not very fine ; and pieces 

 weighing over a pennyweight are only occasionally found. Usually 

 the surface of the grains is rough, not as though it were fresh from 

 a lead, but rather as if each grain or piece of gold had been first 

 smoothed by attrition and afterwards had fine particles attached 

 to it. 



The Total Yield. 



Although of interest to the geologist and miner, the gold-fields of 

 Nova Scotia are not of great importance. The annual peld of late 

 years has only been about 13,000 ounces ; the largest produce of any 

 one year was 27,000 ounces. The gold obtained is noted for ita 

 fineness. 



Discussion. 



Mr. J. A. Phillips confiiTued the views of the author as to the 

 leads of Nova Scotia being true mineral veins. 



Mr. W. W. Smyth stated that he thought the author of the paper 

 had rendered a most useful service to geology in completely up- 

 setting the theory (based on imperfect observation) of the bedded 

 origin of the leads. 



Q. J. G. S. No. 142. T 



