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elsewhere occurs underlying the limestone and gypsum 

 beds. 



The low area of the valley of the western branches of 

 Frederick brook which extends westward from opposite 

 the cliff of conglomerate on the road side, is occupied by 

 strata of the Albert series. The rising ground on all four 

 sides is underlain by the gently dipping red conglomerate 

 which near the area of the Albert series is, in many places, 

 of a dark grey colour from the presence of hydro-carbons. 

 Though no fragments of the Albert series have been found 

 in the conglomerate of the surrounding area, it seems 

 impossible to escape the conclusion that the surrounding, 

 gently dipping conglomerates unconformably overlie the 

 highly disturbed strata of the Albert series. 



The Albert series at Albert Mines outcrops over an area 

 about I J miles (2 km.) long in an east and west direction 

 and having a variable width of from i to f miles (0-4 to 

 I • 2 km.) . The strata are comparatively well exposed in the 

 eastern part of the area, along the various branches of 

 Frederick brook. The measures, in general, dip to the 

 south with angles varying from 15° to nearly 90°. On one 

 branch of the brook the crown of an anticlinal fold is visible 

 and it has generally been stated that the measures lie in an 

 anticlinal fold whose axis strikes east and west. The 

 strata as exposed consist chiefly of dark, thinly bedded 

 shales, and thin beds of dark limestones. At certain 

 horizons occur "oil-shales" heavily impregnated with 

 hydro-carbons. Two main varieties of oil-shales are 

 present. In the case of one variety — "curly shales" — 

 the rock is compact, splintery, and the bedding planes in 

 many instances are minutely crenulated. In the case of 

 the second variety — "paper shales" — the beds split into 

 thin, slightly flexible sheets. 



The mining operations at one time carried on in this 

 area and the extent of which is indicated by the large 

 dumps, were conducted for the purpose of winning the 

 substance albertite, fragments of which are abundant 

 in the mine dumps. Albertite, by many authorities classed 

 with asphalt and supposed to be a solidified form of 

 petroleum, is a black substance, having a conchoidal 

 fracture and a hardness of about 2 on the ordinary scale 

 of hardness. It is easily fusible and readily ignites in an 

 ordinary flame. It is essentially composed of hydrogen 

 and carbon with about 3 per cent of nitrogen, 2 per cent of 



