v 



536 APPENDIX. ~ [No. I. 



These primitive rocks are traversed by veins of felspar, quartz, and granite ; 

 and the granite of Cape Barrow was also intersected by veins of augite green- 

 stone of the same description with those met with in the granite districts of 

 Great Britain. The occurrence of the vein of galena, at Galena Point, is an 

 interesting fact, as connected with the geographical distribution of that impor- 

 tant ore. The Esquimaux, that frequent the shores of the Arctic Sea, make their 

 culinary utensils of potstone, but we did not discover the place from whence they 

 obtained it. 



The transition rocks were observed in situ, only on Point Lake, on the 

 Copper-Mine River, and, perhaps, at Wilberforce Falls on Hood's River, and 

 as far as our observations extended, afforded neither limestone nor lydian 

 stone. None of the transition slate that we examined contained chiastolite ; 

 and if any beds or imbedded masses of glance coal existed, they escaped our 

 notice. The transition rocks being principally clay-slate and grey wacke, bore 

 a strong resemblance to those in Dumfries- shire, my native county. 



The secondary formations, if examined by travellers more fortunately situ- 

 ated than we were, will doubtless exhibit many curious and highly -important 

 relations. The facts already stated, shew that the following formations of this 

 class occurred on or near the line of our journey. 



First, The old red sandstone, or that which lies under coal, and occasionally 

 alternates with transition rocks. This was observed upon the Copper-Mine River. 



Second, The coal formation, which did not present itself in the direct line of 

 our route ; but as it is known to occur in some districts in M'Kenzie's River, 

 and also towards the Rocky Mountains, placed apparently upon the old red sand- 

 stone, and under the vast deposit of secondary limestone, it is here mentioned. 



Third, The new red or variegated sandstone. This important formation is of 

 very considerable extent in several of the tracts we passed through, and pro- 

 bably lies over an extensive deposite of the coal formation. In some instances, 

 where the old red sandstone was wanting, it appeared to us resting upon gneiss 

 and other primitive rocks. Here, as in other quarters of the world, the new 

 red sandstone contains gypsum and salt springs that seem to issue from it, 

 implying that it contains beds of salt or of muriatiferous clay, which afford the 

 impregnating material to the springs. The springs on the Slave River afford 

 by spontaneous evaporation during the short summers, a very large quantity of 

 fine salt. 



