3 
nation?, and even within a short period in 
England, as a fire stone ; and in Assyria 
and India, it has been extensively 
used for sculptural purposes. If I 
mistake not, the celebrated sculptured 
bas-reliefs brought to light by Layard in the 
ruins of Nineveh and Persepolis are of this 
porphyritic stone, and they are as fresh now 
as they were when carved 2000 or 3000 years 
ago. 
It is stated in reference to trap districts that 
“ they are synonymous with amenity and fer- 
tility,” and I think that this fact taken into 
consideration with the prevailing geological 
character of this district — seemingly the 
new red sandstone, superimposed as 
is usual, on the carboniferous system, 
is the cause of the universally expressed ! 
opinion of the extreme natural beauty of the j 
scenery on the river Brisbane, its unusually i 
verdant and luxuriant appearance and of the i 
great value of the soil for producing vegetable 
products, when supplied with a due proportion 
of ammoniaeal ingredients in which it is gene- : 
rally wanting ; facilities of drainage through 
the natural fissures of the bed rock being not 
the least of the advantages possessed by 
trap formations ; the surrounding hills, on 
which rest the suburbs of Brisbane, being prac- 
tical illustrations of the rapid drainage of the 
soil, and the well-tended and manured gardens, 
sufficient evidences of its capabilities. 
I fear that, although my subject is exhausted 
in this short paper, I have gone over a great 
deal of old ground, and stated many stale and 
trite facts known to every intelligent reader. 
Yet if this attempt of mine, in the widest field 
of human research, be but an in- 
centive to others who have studied tho 
subject systematically, we may hopo 
to make a commencement in Queensland with 
the geological history of the colony, which has, 
yet, had but a cursory glance and an imper- 
fect and unfinished outline from only one or 
two known geologists. There is little doubt 
that were a good geologic map laid down of 
this colony, that no country could vie with it 
in the variety and value of its strata and of its 
physical conformation generally. 
The Essayist having concluded, many ques- 
tions of interest on this important subject were 
asked and answered, after which the meeting 
separated. 
