22 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [XoV. 20, 



that this is the result of the metamorphic action to which the whole 

 of the series has evidently been subjected. 



At the foot of Lake Shabendowan, 47 miles from Prince Arthur's 

 Landing, these Huronian slates are finely exposed in a series of low 

 ranges, which run E. and W. along the strike of the beds, separated 

 by little swampy valleys. All the tops of the ridges are moutonnee 

 in the most magnificent manner, and are deeply scored with regular 

 striae having a southerly direction. At one point, about half a mile 

 to the N.E. of the Government station, the slates come into contact 

 with an intrusive trap of a highly crystalline character, consisting 

 of a mass of crystals of dark green hornblende mixed with a little 

 yellowish felspar. In the immediate vicinity of the trap the slates 

 are greatly indurated, and have developed in them numerous spots 

 of flesh-coloured felspar and small crystals of hornblende. 



Lake Shabendowan is about 28 miles in length, with a width 

 which, though variable, rarely exceeds 2 or 3 miles. Its general 

 direction is E. and W., gradually trending round to the S.W. 

 towards its head. The sides of the lake are for the most part 

 exceedingly rugged and rocky, though the elevation of the hills and 

 ridges is very trifling. The rocks are generally very thinly covered 

 with soil ; and the timber is small and worthless, at the same time 

 that it is so dense as seriously to impede locomotion. Here, how- 

 ever, for the first time since leaving Prince Arthur's Landing, I 

 noticed a few examples of the white pine. At various points along 

 the margins of the lake are considerable deposits which, if not truly 

 alluvial, are at any rate referable to the later portion of the glacial 

 period. The deposits in question consist of coarse sand without 

 boulders, but containing small rounded pebbles, and sometimes 

 indistinctly stratified. The thickness of these sands is sometimes 

 very considerable; and they contain a good deal of magnetic iron 

 and a minute quantity of gold. 



Leaving the foot of Shabendowan, we pass over a succession of 

 trappean rocks, which continue without interruption to a point 

 about 15 miles up the lake. Whether these traps are interstratified 

 or intrusive I was unable to determine with certainty; but the 

 occasional occurrence of thin courses of a slaty nature would lend 

 support to the former view. Under any circumstances these rocks 

 appear to be greatly metamorphosed, and in many places they 

 become genuine syenites by the development in them of a sparing 

 amount of quartz. These traps are likewise penetrated by a series 

 of veins which run N.E. and S.W. ; but the latter are of small size, 

 and do not appear to contain any minerals of any value. 



From a point about 15 miles from the foot of the lake up to its 

 head, a distance of 13 miles, the entire country is occupied by 

 Huronian slates, having a vertical cleavage and a strike "which 

 varies from E.X.E. and W.S.W. to N.E. and S.W., or E. by N. and 

 W. by S. These slates have in many cases glossy surfaces and a 

 soapy feel, apparently from the presence in them of a certain 

 amount of talc, whilst they are sometimes so soft as to be scratched 

 readily with the finger-nail. I am, however, of opinion that 



