268 C. H. Hitchcock on the Albert Coal of New Brunswick. 
ing oil to the ton. The greater portion of the shale will sus- 
tain a fire without the aid of other fuel. Other layers are more 
bony, and others still highly ferruginous. It contains immense 
numbers of fossil fish, almost enough to make one imagine they 
gave the shale its inflammable character. The surfaces of many 
layers are glazed. e rock is very weak and abounds in sm 
contortions of the strata. It appears in three localities. The 
largest has the Albert shaft in its centre; being exposed a mile 
or so in length, and showing best in the low ground. Small 
=) 
patches of shale may be seen on Peck’s and Stinking Oreeks, be 
sides an unknown amount farther west at the oil-works. This 
series cannot be less than one thousand feet thick, as it has not 
yet been cut through by the shaft, and the general inclination of 
the bedding is very small. 
The second group of strata is a conglomerate, separated from 
the first by a narrow bed of sandstone. Bits of Albert coal and 
shale constitute component parts of certain coarse sedimentaty 
strata of this group, and render them oleaginous. The thickness 
is unknown, probably from 100 to 200 feet. Between the Albert 
shaft and the Petitcodiac, from three to four miles, this group 
prevails at the surface, except it be a small area of shale ina 
deep valley. 
Th 
ere appears to be an anticlinal axis passing through this Te 
ticlinal structure is shown in three ways. First, the testimony 
is unanimous that there is an anticlinal in the Alber 
tions in seven 
equi-distant localities examined over this area, but thes at : 
small. Third, the rocks succeed one another on both poe a : 
the supposed anticlinal line in the ascending order men 
above. On the north, we find above the shale, eonglomera 4 oe 
westerly from the Bay of Fundy, crushing them up nis 
The shale was not strong enough to sustain - bending: te - 
its layers were much twisted and fissured along a ce? 
; 
te ae) eg ey mS Face Rg ee 
Pee Sr iiee Pe 
