E. Chalmers — P re-Glacial Decay of Rocks. 277 



Hence the occurrence of these sedentary beds, locally, in 

 greater thickness here than in most other parts of the region 

 under review. It is, however, chiefly in the form of deposits 

 which have been assorted and re-assorted from the original 

 sedentary material that they are found in the ancient river 

 bottoms. Sections of these have been exposed in the banks 

 of the Chaudiere, Du Loup, Ditton and other rivers from 

 which a knowledge of their character and relation to the other 

 deposits, as well as to the solid rocks beneath, has been ob- 

 tained. 



At St. George, on the east bank of the Chaudiere River, a 

 tunnel was run in 800 or 900 feet in search of the pre-glacial 

 channel of Slate Creek — a small tributary — passing through 

 bowlder-clay and other beds beneath to the rock surface. The 

 beds inferior to the bowlder-clay, which is here about 60 feet 

 in thickness, were found to be in descending order, — (1) strati- 

 fied sand and clay (locally called by the miners quicksands and 

 pipe-clay) ; (2) coarse stratified gravel with pebbles and a few 

 bowlders; (3) a local deposit of coarse slaty materials, appar- 

 ently decomposed quartzose slate, thrown down probably as 

 talus at the foot of a slope or bank, though at present forming 

 a compact bed ; (4) fine-grained, yellow sand with ochreous 

 streaks. The stratification of this is obscure, but it is evidently 

 parallel to that of the next bed beneath wherever it is seen. 

 (5) The last graduates into rotten rock in situ, the stratifica- 

 tion of which is quite distinct, dipping southeastward at a high 

 angle ; (6) slates and sandstones, decaying, fissile, and non- 

 glaciated. 



This section it will be seen, exhibits in descending order 

 three different kinds of deposits beneath the bowlder-clay, viz : 

 (1) transported and water-worn material, (2) talus, and (3) 

 sedentary beds passing into the solid rocks below. 



Another section of the pre-glacial deposits is shown in an 

 old hydraulic pit in the valley of Riviere du Loup, about a 

 quarter of a mile from its junction with the Chaudiere. 

 The succession here is as follows, in descending order : (1) 

 bowlder-clay, with an intercalated, stratified band, — thickness 

 of the whole 75 feet ; (2) tough, dark gray, stratified clay, 1 to 

 3 feet ; (3) gray, ochreous sand, stratified, (quicksands of the 

 gold miners.) 12 to 14 feet ; (4) compact unstratified clay, (pipe- 

 clay of the miners,) 6 feet; (5) gray stratified gravel, with 

 numerous pebbles and a few water-worn bowlders, 5 feet ; (6) 

 hard, yellow, oxidized gravel, stratified, with an abundance of 

 worn bowlders from two feet in diameter downwards, con- 

 taining alluvial gold in the bottom, 2S to 30 feet. None of 

 the materials are glaciated and all are of local origin. The 

 foot of the bank was covered with tailings, but near by the 



