Geological JStotices of Barbary, 



273 



GEOLOGICAL NOTICES OF BARBARY. 



Abstract of M. Rozet's Geological Notices of Barbary, originally published in 

 the "Journal de Geologic," for September, December, 1830, and January 1831. 



Our object being to lay before our readers that kind of trans- 

 atlantic information which is most curious in itself, and which is 

 the least likely to be within their reach, we have thought they 

 would be pleased with an account of the geology of that part of 

 Barbary which the conquest of Algiers by the French, has made 

 known. M. Rozet is a distinguished geologist, and is one of the 

 joint editors, with M. A. Boue, and Jobert, of the " Journal de 

 Geologic." The French government, which omits no opportu- 

 nity to cherish science, when it sent the expedition to Africa, 

 gave M. Rozet an appointment as Geographical Engineer, that 

 every advantage might be taken of the expedition, in favour of 

 geological science. M. Rozet has sent some very interesting me- 

 moirs on this subject to France, from the three first of which we 

 have made the following abstracts, and have accompanied them 

 with M. Rozet's sections. Ed. 



M. Rozet, after saying that the French army landed 14th June, 

 1830, states, that " Algiers is built on a talcose schist, like that 

 on the French coast at Toulon, and is traversed in its mass by 

 veins of white quartz ; that it passes in the upper part into mica 

 schist ; contains beds of white feldspar, subordinate masses of grey 

 sub-lamellar, stratified lime stone, more than 100 metres thick, 

 (328 feet English) — the strata thin, and separated by partings 

 of talcose or micaceous schist, beautiful pyrites of copper in the 

 mass. Near the suburbs of Babaloued there are some beds of 

 white marble, worked for public buildings. This schistose groupe 

 exceeds 500 metres in thickness (1640 feet.) The strata are 

 irregular, and dip to the south, at an angle of from 20° to 45^. 

 The mountains are 400 metres (1312 feet) above the level of 

 the sea. (Mt. Banjareah.) The tops of these hills are rounded, 

 and their sides very steep. They are separated from each other 

 by deep valleys, through which small rivulets flow. The in- 

 habited part of the country presents a magnificent vegetation ; fo- 

 rests of orange, fig, and olive trees, separated by majestic palm 

 trees, and tall hedges of the agave or aloe. This schistose for- 

 mation is well developed around Algiers ; at the east it rises to 

 the summit of Mount Banjareah, and stretches along the coast 



Vol, I.~35 



