158 Mr Cormack’s Account of his Journey across 
the Fourth’s Lake, to St George’s Harbour, in the Bay of St 
George, on the west coast of the island 
About the centre of the island are several ridges of serpen- 
tine. Here this rock is seen in all its beautiful and numerous 
varieties ; and this occurs particularly on the shores of Serpen- 
tine Lake. The Serpentine Mountain and Jameson’s Moun- 
tain also abound in this interesting mineral. 
The west coast is by far the richest in minerals. There is 
coal of a good quality in St George’s Bay, about eight miles 
from the sea-coast, up the South Barrasway River. There are 
several salt springs : one about tw^o miles from the sea-coast, up 
another Barrasway River, some miles north of that where the 
coal is found ; another, a few miles still farther north, up what 
is called Rattling Brook ; and a third at Port-a-Port. There 
is a strong sulphurous spring, close to the sea-shore, about a 
mile north of the Barrasway River, where the salt-spring first 
mentioned is found, (apparently what is called the Second River 
by the chart). Gypsum and red ochre abound between these 
rivers and Flat Bay, at the sea-shore ; and the former is also 
found some miles within the country. There is a dark grey 
coloured marble found at Bay of Islands ; but, from report, in 
no great quantity near the coast. The soil of St George’s Bay 
is good, and not so rocky as in most parts of the island. 
There does not appear to be any good soil in the interior. 
It is almost invariable peat marsh, more or less wet, according 
to situation, the more elevated parts being rocky. The stunted 
woods almost invariably indicate its poverty. The short sum- 
mer does not allow the sun sufficient time to draw out, even 
from the more elevated slopmg districts m their natural state^ 
the wet of the preceding winter. The best soil in the island 
is near the sea coasts, particularly the banks next to the mouths 
of some of the large rivers. 
The eastern half of the interior is a low picturesque woody 
country, traversed northerly and southerly by successive ridges 
of low hills. The western half is mountainous, often rugged, 
* I have used the customary privilege of giving names to the lakes and moun- 
tains I met with in this hitherto unexplored route, and these are in compliment 
to distinguished individuals and private friends. The rocks I collected were exa- 
mined |)y Professor Jameson. 
