No. 50.] 
the intersection of this road, the river descends for 3 miles from the 
great falls, in a series of rapids ; furnishing at many points, safe and 
convenient mill sites. 
SECTION XXXIII. 
Sand, 
Accompanying the clay, or in near connexion with it, there occurs 
Sand, both in a fine and coarse state. Its appearance leads me to 
conclude, that it is formed from the decomposition of the hypersthene 
rock. It is composed of grains of dark coloured labradorite and 
quartz. The latter predominates greatly, and may, therefore, be con- 
sidered as a sihceous sand. It is scarcely necessary to enter upon a 
detailed description of the beds occurring in this vicinity, though the 
fact of their existence is of great importance. From experiments 
which have already been made in bricks, it is found necessary to add 
freely of the sand to the clay, in order to form a mortar, which shall be 
of a suitable composition. The close proximity of the two substances 
is a circumstance worth noticing in this region, inasmuch as it was for- 
merly quite doubtful whether they existed in sufficient abundance to 
become articles of importance to the settlement. Those doubts are 
now happily removed, by the discovery of both in sufficient quantity to 
meet all demands which can probably be made for them. 
Fire Clay. 
In a note to page 295, it will be seen that the clay, which is there de- 
scribed as a fire clay, has not been confirmed by experiments which 
have been made with it in a porcelain furnace. It is proper to re- 
mark, however, that no doubt exists in relation to the origin of the 
clay, viz : that it is a product which arises from the decomposition of 
a felspathic rock, but which has not undergone a perfect change. It is 
still a valuable clay, but as it contains portions of lime and soda, it is 
fusible at a high temperature. Though the particular locality from 
which the specimens which have been subjected to trial, and that a se- 
vere one, has failed in proving the correctness of our former conclu- 
sions, still we are not to suppose that a fire clay does not exist in this 
region, and it is highly probable that when the surface clays have been 
removed, at some localities, clays highly refractory will be found. 
However this may be, we have to state that a ferruginous clay does 
exist in abundance, on the banks of the Opalescent river, which may 
be considered a true fire clay : I shall speak of it, however, as a yel- 
low ochre. 
