133 
On the left bank of tbe Burdekin,, opposite Dairy mplo, tlic strata are of a 
character essentially similar to those of Dotswood. They consist of reddish and 
Chocolate-coloured sandstones, which are often cross-bedded, and sometimes flaggy, with 
places they enclose little pellets of chocolate-coloured shale. 
- utt ferruginous spots are common in the interior of the sandstone. The shales are 
^ccasionally greenish, but the red and chocolate-coloured beds predominate. The 
’■ed and chocolate- coloured shales are dotted with white spots, and often weather 
spheroidally. 
The little hill called Mount Keelbottom consists of a pale pinkish porphyry with 
^ base of acidic felspar, crystal of orthoclase felspar, and water-clear blebs of quartz. 
® porphyry has a quasi-schistose structure which is specially noticeable on weathered 
Jirtaoes. The same is observable in the hill immediately opposite Dalrymple, where a 
_eries of escarpments coincides in direction with the outcrop of the sandstone beds. It 
more than likely that the porphyry is a metamorphosed volcanic tuff, but whether 
IS luterbedded with the sandstone strata, or is of older date, has not been ascer- 
tained. 
visit to the Tveelbottom River, in June, 1879, enabled me to include in the 
-called “ Dotswood ” (Star) Bods the greater part of the Keelbottom Valley up to tho 
iji 'I® of Speed Creek, and a cousidcrablo portion of the hilly region known as 
e-top Downs. Leaving the oastwai'd bend of the Keelbottom River, between tho 
^^nintiee Inn and Speed Creek, to ascend the hill on tho eastern side of the valley, 
^ veral low ridges are crossed composed of grey, greenish, and brownish sandstones, 
about 30° to B.S.E. The sandstoues are generally in not very thick beds, 
hard and tough, and occasionally weather spheroidally. Some of the brown beds 
■A-11 ^t***^^ recognisable as having been derived from tho waste of the adjacent granite, 
ailic ^'^’^dstones have a greater or less admixture of felspathic granules with the 
jjj ip Towards the base of the hill, the sandstones become more conglomeratic than 
pebbles being of porphyry, quartzite, quartz, and various metamorphic 
a slate, &c.) The steep slope of the hill is of conglomerate, Near the top 
doi conspicuous stratum of yellow cross-bedded sandstone, capped by amygdaloidal 
‘‘''flout ten feet in thickness. The doleritc is again surmounted by yellow 
out * strata, when followed in ascending order at right angles to their 
become gradually more and more mixed up with traphean beds (varying from 
Scar*^!^* porphyrites) , till, towards the Fanning, the intercalated sandstones are 
ove/^ ^ with. These ancient lava-bods, especially the porphyrites, are cupriferous 
^fine^ ^'^ide area. Large masses of native copper are found in the Keelbottom Copper 
Uorph I visited the range on the eastern side of the Keelbottom Valley, 
^^otn Plumtree Inn (Boolangalla Town Reserve). On ascending 
contjl ^ slope was found to consist of coarse, white, hard grit and 
40° To S.S.E. These beds are intersected by a sheet of 
the t porphyry which runs obliquely across the bedding. The porphyry forms 
V mountain, which has a double summit, tho two peaks being divided 
^°''med ^ which falls into the Keelbottom River. Below the scarp 
diyj^^j, y ^flo edge of the porphyry are some beds of grit and conglomerate, 
grgjij , y ^^ggy bods of fine-grained grey sandstones and beds of shale. The fine- 
Thil] • ®®''fl®tones yielded Spirifera hicaruiata, Eth. fil. ; Wiynchonella pleurodon, 
(c), ^honetes, sp. ind. (a), PI. 13, fig. 10, PI. 37, figs. 21, 22 ; Chonetes, sp. ind. 
*^^®trict numerous other fossils common to tho Star Beds in tho type 
