ANNVERSABY ADDRESS. 11 



In the vicinity of the older limestone, not far from the junction 

 of the "Walsh with the Mitchell, Mr. Taylor recognized what he 

 considered to be a Carboniferous formation, and a range of that 

 character was marked upon the chart. The junction of the Lynd 

 withthe Mitchell was fixed m 16° 23'; that' of the Walsh was 

 found to be in 16° 24' 39". Conglomerates are common in the 

 area between the rivers, and signs of " coal " were noticed. 



In Mr. Taylor's report the existence of " Glossopteris " is also 

 mentioned. This cannot noAv be verified, as in the long travel 

 the specimens collected were destroyed, and all I could find in 

 the collection submitted to me for examination of this character 

 were a minute portion of coal and a piece or two of shale, which,' 

 in defect of evidence, may have belonged to one of the most 

 Mesozoic formations, as these, according to Mr. Taylor, were 

 found occasionally to be bedded in situ. It would be very in- 

 teresting to have determined that our own Carboniferous forma- 

 tion, however reduced in area, exists so far to the north.* 



Of other minerals, magnetic iron, agates, and a profusion of 

 garnet of a pale rosy tint, forming vast accumulations in some of 

 the water channels, attracted attention ; the former, no doubt, 

 derived from disintegrated amygdaloidal basalt, the latter from 

 decomposed mica-schist. Quartz drift and sand are also marked 

 features. 



On the Palmer Eiver which comes in from the east where the 

 Coast Eange seems to make a great bend in that direction, but yet 

 a westerly water, in 15° 49' 14", gold was first found. Below this 

 the country was on mica-schist, and barren ; but above, where the 

 bed-rock was granite or slate, gold was traceable for several 

 miles, generally '^in or close to the river on both sides. 



The slate country extends to the coast between Weary Bay and 

 the Endeavour Eiver, with quartz-ridges, basalt and sandstone. 

 There can be no doubt that the great masses of the latter and the 

 associated conglomerates may be connected with a Carboniferous 

 deposit, unless they belong to Daintree's "Desert sandstone" 

 which, according to the specimens I have examined, his descrip- 



* See Appendix A. 



