BROWN ON THE GEOLOGY OE CAPE BRETON. 23 



December 13. 1843. 



The Rev. Thomas Image, M.A., was elected a Fellow of this 

 Society. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. On the Geology of Cape Breton. By Richard Brown, Esq.* 



In a letter to Mr. Lyell, dated Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, Oct. 

 20. 1843, the author stated — 



" I have made a survey of some forty miles of coast on the 

 eastern side of our coal-field ; and have since devoted a few days 

 to the examination of the shores of the Island of Boularderie, which 

 is four miles wide, and twenty- six miles long, and exhibits natural 

 sections on both sides from end to end. Nothing can be more defi- 

 nite than the position of the masses of gypsum in this island. I 

 have examined them this summer in four different places, scores of 

 miles apart, and find the following, with little variation, to be a 

 section of the accompanying strata : 



Section I. (Ideal). 



General sequence of the Coal Measures and Gypsiferous Formations near 



[Sydney, Cape Breton. 



S.W. ?K\ N.E. 



c d e f g 



f ff. Coal measures. c. Soft red shale. 



f. Coarse sandstone with coal plants b. Coarse concretionary limestone 



— Shale. and shales. 



e. Limestone in thin beds — Fossils. a. Coarse conglomerate, highly 



d. Gypsum. inclined. 



" Wherever I have had an opportunity of making observations, 

 they have confirmed your views as to the relative age of the 

 gypsum." 



Subjoined is the Memoir received from Mr. Brown. 



The following is a sketch of the north-western end of the 

 Sydney coal-field. On the W. side of Sydney Harbour, the coal- 

 measures can be traced transversely, without interruption, for 5200 

 yards, dipping to the N. E. at an angle of 7°, which gives a thick- 

 ness of 1900 feet. The coal measures, generally speaking, are 

 very free from faults. 



* This paper and the next (Mr. Dawson's on Nova Scotia) are both illus- 

 trated by the map of Nova Scotia appended ; but the map was originally prepared 

 by Dr. A. Gesner to illustrate the paper of which a notice has already appeared 

 in the " Proceedings," vol. iv. p. 186. One portion of the map is repeated, and 

 coloured according to Mr. Brown's survey. 



f These references are continued throughout the paper in the other Sections. 



c 4 



