618 Mr. J. Y. Buchanan on Geological Work 



Lindite. These minerals are very plentiful in this part of the island ; 

 and when rounded by the action of water, they form remarkable white 

 pebbles on the otherwise dark-coloured volcanic sand. Up to the sum- 

 mit the alternation of beds of compact subcolumnar rock of amygdaloid 

 is pretty regular. The amygdaloid is of two kinds ; in one the cells 

 are small, very thickly disseminated, and completely filled up by a 

 zeolitic mineral; the other has larger cavities, less thickly spread, and 

 generally only coated with crystals, while seams filled with crystalline 

 matter are also frequently met with. The cavities contain generally 

 analcite, the seams heulandite. The ridge on the southern side is 

 higher than that on the northern ; and from it, on a clear day, a very 

 extensive view of the island towards the southward can be obtained.. 

 The coast on this side being much indented by fiord-like inlets, the hori- 

 zontal bedding of the rocks in w r hich they are enclosed can be dis- 

 tinguished, even at great distances, by the consequent terracing of the 

 hill-sides, which is especially conspicuous on the shoulders and promon- 

 tories. It is worthy of remark that, to the eye viewing as above, the 

 heights of the ridges appear to differ very little from each other, the 

 effect produced being that of a vast tableland quarried into deep inden- 

 tations running down to the sea. Out of this plateau rise many peaks 

 of considerable altitude, and often so sharp and steep in outline that at 

 first I never doubted they were recent volcanic mountains. A nearer 

 view of them, however, showed them generally to consist of the same 

 horizontally bedded rock found underneath ; and it was impossible to 

 avoid the impression that they might be the remnants of a higher plateau, 

 of which all but these peaks had been removed by the rodent action of 

 ice, of which there is abundant evidence. 



After leaving Christmas Harbour anchor was dropped in Betsy Cove, 

 a small bay near the eastern end of the island. Here the hills have 

 exactly the same structure as in the north, consisting of horizontal layers ; 

 but they are further removed from the sea, and from their base to Point 

 Digby stretches an expanse of almost perfectly level plain, broken only 

 by the remarkable Mount Campbell, which I regret I was not able to 

 visit. 



Prince of Wales's Foreland is an elevation formed by slender basaltic 

 columns, many of which were clustered together into what, if perfect, 

 would have formed spherical agglomerations. The basalt contained large 

 cavities filled with olivine. Behind this rocky point the usual fiat-topped 

 range of hills stretches inland, which consists of the same basalt with 

 much olivine, only not columnar, but in tabular masses with almost slaty 

 cleavage. 



Nearly opposite Prince of Wales's Foreland, and on the other side of 

 the entrance to Eoyal Sound, is a very remarkable hill of a castellated 

 appearance ; it was called " Cat's ears." I believe it belongs to the same 

 class of hills as Table Mountain in Christmas Harbour. The ruggedly 



