76 
REVIEWS. 
clay ironstone, partially converted into brown hematite ; pisolitic brown 
hematite, and a grayish-yellow sandstone, which was also repeated in 
high cliffs at Cape Hamilton, where the coal was found. With these 
rocks occurs at the Princess Eoyal Islands the remarkable Devonian (?) 
fossil, Terebratula asp era (Schlotheim), and eastward of this locality, in 
Prince Albert’s Land, Dr. Armstrong found coal-beds. 
“About this time, during my excursions into the interior of Prince Albert’s Land, 
while traversing one of the numerous gorges in which it abounds, I observed several 
slaty and dark clay formations on either side, more particularly at the angle of 
its windings, which were somewhat abrupt—the line of stratification inclining from the 
horizontal in some places to thirty-five degrees, the dip generally corresponding to that 
of the land. It was chiefly composed of dark laminated earth and shale; in the sub¬ 
stance of the latter, and intervening between its layers, which were easily separated, thin 
laminae of coal were discernible, and in some situations lines of it were observed in the 
formation at some distance—recognised by its well-known lustre. Sulphur in combina¬ 
tion with iron was also found, and numerous specimens were obtained. Similar appear¬ 
ances I subsequently observed in other parts of this land; establishing, beyond doubt, 
the existence of coal, had we only had time and means to procure it.”— Armstrong , 
p. 338. 
These coal-beds must belong to a group distinct from those of the 
Parry Islands, unless they be supposed to be merely outliers resting on 
the Silurian^Limestone of Prince Albert’s Land. 
The southern portion of Banks’ Land, rising into the promontory of 
Nelson’s Head, is probably composed of the same kind of upper Silurian 
limestones and shales alternating, which have given so peculiar a cha¬ 
racter to the shores of Lancaster Sound, as noticed by Parry and every 
subsequent Arctic voyager. 
“The appearance of this coast, when viewed from the sea, standing on a north-east 
course from Cape Parry, is bold and lofty; it gradually falls away on either side from 
its southern extreme, or angle, in lat. 71° 5' N., long. 123° W., extends in one direction 
to the north-west, and in the other to the east-south-east. The headland itself we esti¬ 
mated at 850 feet in height, but the summit of higher land could be seen in the interior, 
not less than 1000 feet; this presented a strikingly grand and imposing appearance, and 
to it the name of ‘ Nelson’ was given, in remembrance of a hero not hitherto honoured 
by Arctic discoverers in the bestowal of their favours. The altitude gradually decreased 
on either side, until it ended in a low beach, some eighteen or twenty miles to the eastward, 
and then rose again in an undulating background, forming a continuous amphitheatre of 
ill-defined hills, so close to each other as to establish an apparent continuity of surface, 
but which are really separated by tortuous valleys and ravines. ‘ Nelson’s Head,’ there¬ 
fore, as it is called, presents a bold, precipitous front, rising almost vertically from the 
water’s edge. It is of limestone formation, the lower third of dark brown stratification, 
above which it assumed a lighter colour of reddish-yellow, such as a ferruginous coating 
might impart. This was surmounted by a dark grey columnar formation, much resemb¬ 
ling irregularly-formed basaltic columns, with joints or fissures similar to what is usually 
observed in that formation ; the whole capped by a covering of soil. The line of strati¬ 
fication dipped about 10° or 15° in an E.S.E. direction, and became lost as the land de¬ 
creased in elevation. This dip was remarkable, and a prominent feature in the formation, 
but was less evident and more horizontal to the eastward, until finally lost in the dunes 
or low hills I have mentioned, where an abortive attempt at the same formation could be 
traced for some distance along the coast. A large quantity of debris had collected at its 
base.”— Armstrong , p. 211. 
