vanhise.]  THE    GREAT   NORTHERN   AREA.  213 
the  rocks  placed  with  the  Huroirian  are  lithologically  like  those  of  the 
Original  Huronian,  Bell  distinctly  states  that  in  the  main  they  are  quite 
different.  The  likeness  apparently  goes  no  further  than  the  fact  that 
occasionally  there  are  found  unmistakable  clastic  rocks,  and  some  of 
these  elastics  resemble  more  closely  the  fragmentals  of  the  Ottawa 
series  than  they  do  those  of  the  Original  Huronian. 
The  Manitounuck  group  on  Hudson  bay,  which  is  described  as  re- 
sembling very  closely  the  Mpigon  series,  is,  from  the  illustrations,  a 
comparatively  flat-lying  one  and  is  probably  newer  than  either  of  the 
series  referred  to  the  Laurentian  or  Huronian.  At  least  two  uncon- 
formities are  mentioned  in  it,  one  between  two  sedimentary  rocks  and 
another  between  a  sedimentary  rock  and  a  trap.  These  unconformities 
are  spoken  of  as  slight,  but  the  cuts  illustrative  of  them  represent  the 
first  of  these  unconformities  as  very  considerable. 
SECTION  II.      NORTHERN   CANADA.* 
LITERATURE. 
Steinhauer,11  iii  1814,  gives  localities  for  labradorite  on  the  coast  of 
Labrador. 
McCulloch,12  in  1819,  describes  as  coming  from  Baffin  bay,  70°  37', 
granite,  gneiss,  and  graywacke-schist. 
Eichardson,13  in  1823,  describes  clay-slate  as  occurring  in  the  north- 
ern arm  of  Great  Slave  lake.  North  of  Great  Slave  lake  the  granite 
formation  continues  for  a  considerable  distance  toward  Fort  Enterprise, 
but  contains  more  foreign  beds  in  advancing  to  the  northward.  In  this 
region  in  places  mica-slate  prevails  and  in  other  places  the  granite  con- 
tains beds  of  mica-slate.  Gneiss  appears  to  exist  throughout  the  great 
district  to  the  eastward  of  Coppermine  river.  About  Fort  Enterprise 
are  numerous  hills  capped  by  red  granite,  around  which,  on  the  acclivi- 
ties, gneiss  is  wrapped  in  a  mantle  form.  The  rocks  of  this  district  in- 
clude granite,  micaceous  and  hornblendic  gneiss,  greenstone,  mica-slate, 
and  clay- slate.  At  Point  lake  are  found  graywacke-slate,  clay- slate, 
and  transition  greenstone  slate,  as  well  as  transition  conglomerate,  the 
fragments  of  which  appear  to  consist  of  the  same  material  with  the 
bases.  In  the  first  part  of  the  region  of  Coppermine  river,  between 
Point  lake  and  the  sea,  are  found  granite,  syenite,  gneiss,  clay- slates, 
and  hills  of  trap.  North  of  latitude  66°  45' 11"  are  found  red  and  gray 
sandstones,  compact  feldspar  rock,  granular  foliated  limestone,  trap 
rock,  and  greenstone  which  constitutes  the  Copper  mountains.  In 
these  mountains  are  amygdaloids  which  contain  amygdules  of  pistacite 
and  calc-spar,  scales  of  copper  being  generally  disseminated  through  the 
*  This  section  is  largely  compiled  from  Geo.  M.  Dawson's  account  of  this  region  accompanying  his 
geological  map  of  it.  With  a  number  of  exceptions  the  original  reports  have  not  been  seen.  This 
unusual  plan  is  here  adopted  because  Dawson's  summary  of  the  geological  material,  widely  scattered 
through  the  many  volumes  of  Arctic  travel,  is  so  complete  as  to  render  unnecessary  the  labor  of 
going  through  them  a  second  time. 
