146 QEOLOGY. 



complete account of his geological observations made in 

 Egypt, the Eed Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Adel country, 

 and in Shoa. He describes the prevalence of volcanic 

 rocks, and of recent cones in the southern portion of 

 the Eed Sea ; also at Tajurra, and throughout the Adel 

 country. He found the basement rocks of Shoa to con- 

 sist of granite and other associated crystalline rocks, 

 upon which rest cones (?) of trachyte and basalt, some- 

 times of great height and vast extent. He especially 

 describes the hill above Angobar (or Ankobar), on the 

 slope of which the town is built, as a crater of elevation, 

 the mass formed of trachyte, while basalt covers the 

 sides ; Angolala, the second capital, is built on a hutte 

 de soulevement, of which the principal element is basalt ; 

 whilst at Debrabrame, between the two, zirconiferous 

 syenite is found. He also describes a great ravine, 

 fourteen leagues north-west of Angolala, 1,254 metres 

 deep, and only 800 broad. The sides are of volcanic 

 tufa, resting on primitive rocks. 



It is probable that the traps of Shoa are precisely 

 similar to those to be presently described, as occurring 

 near Antalo, Ashangi, Magdala, &c., and that the 

 trachyte of Ankobar really is superior to the basalt, and 

 rests upon it, the rocks being probably bedded, as they 

 are further north. 



Messrs. Ferret and Galinier, two staff-officers of the 

 French army, were in 1839 entrusted with a commission 

 from their Government to explore portions of Abyssinia, 

 and they remained in that country nearly two years, 

 from October 1840 till August 1842. A short notice 



