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 Includas supplamantary matarii 
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 McLMinan Library 
 McQHI Univarvity 
 Mofltraal 
 
 quality 
 lofllbliity 
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 Tha imaflao appaaring hara ara tha 
 poaalbia conaidwing tha condition 
 of tha original copy and in Icaaping 
 filming contract tpacif ioationa. 
 
 Orlf^nal copiaa in printad papar eovara ara fllmad 
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 Tha laat raoofdad firsma on aaah mksrofloha 
 shaH contain tha symbol — ^ (moaning "CON- 
 TINUeO"). or tha symbol ▼ (maankitf "UNO"). 
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 McLannan Library 
 MeQill Univanity 
 Montraal 
 
 Laa imagaa suKrantaa ont 4H raproduitaa avae la 
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 la damlAra paga qui comporta una taNa 
 amprainta. 
 
 Un daa aymbolaa suivanta apparattra sur la 
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 caa: la symbolo "-^ slgnifla^A SUIVfll", la 
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 entirely included In one expObure ere filmed 
 beginning In tite upper left hend comer, left to 
 right and top to bottom, ae many framee as 
 required. The f o i lBiwdm d itraiw i MlMHW»lf thf 
 
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 Loraqua la document eet trap grand pour Atra 
 raproduit en un soul oNoM. il eet fHmf A partir 
 da I'angle supArleur gawehe, do gauche A drolte, 
 et do haut en bee, en premint le nombre 
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 illustrent le mAthode. 
 
 
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 OF MANITOB/e. 
 
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 TRANSACTION NO. 20. SEASON 1886. 
 
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 , °^^ V'"^ ', -k'" '"* .{j^t^f--' *■i^""'1"^«•fI•'S.»^^■r■^^:iJ?-^g1^4|-r 
 
 IfOTES ON THE aEOLOGY OP SOME ISLANDS IN 
 
 LAKE WINNIPEG. 
 
 —BY— » 
 
 • J. HOTES PANTON, M. A., F. O., 8., Onelph, Ont. • ^ 
 
 )n ft fdrmer occasion, I had the honor of reading a paper 
 before the inembers of the Historical and- Scientific Society, of 
 Manitoba, on "Outcrops of Silurian Stiata^ in the Red River 
 Valley. " Tornight I purpose directing your attention to some 
 exposures of rock on the islands in Lake Winnipeg, 
 t When Prof Hind undertook his geological investigation 
 a^out the year 1857, he visited some of these ; but ay atten- 
 tion to them was chieOy directed in the summer of 18«4. The 
 hesults of his researches I shall to some extent embody in this 
 paper, along with those of my own efforts in that locality. 
 
 „Lake. Winnipeg may be said * to commence about 40 miles 
 north orthe eity of Winnipeg and forms an outlet for the Red 
 River, whose muddy waters exercise a coloring influence upon 
 it for nearly 160 miles; beyond this the water of the lake is 
 comparatively clear. The Jake is naturally divided into two 
 parts ; the lower about one hundred miles in length and 36\n 
 width. This portion narrows in the upper end until the op- 
 posite shores approach each other within three miles and form 
 a strait for the distance ot 8 miles, where the narrowest space 
 is reached ^ Dog's Head ; here the passage is only two miles- 
 in width. At this point you pass into the upper division and 
 main portion of the lake. 
 
 This is abput 200 miles in length and 60 in width. Con- 
 sidered as whole the lake may be said to be 300 miles long 
 and 60 at its widest part, embracing an area of 8,500 square 
 miles and not exceeding 65 feet in depth. The islands scat- 
 tered over this body of water will afford n^any intei-esting lo- 
 calities forffeological visits by the energetic members of this 
 society. Here we find opposite shoi-es presenting rocks be- 
 longing to entirely different systems ; the east side Laurentian, 
 the west Silurian; here too i^re- excellent lessons of the denu- 
 dating effect of water on limestone in striking cnntwst with 
 the slow disintegration of rocks belonging to an oldw series 
 under the same conditions. 
 
 The shallowness of this comparatively large body of water, 
 ftooonnte for its treache^rous^ nature and exj)lain^ many 
 
 
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 occasions it has proved a disastrous waterway to the freight- 
 ing boats of bye-gono days. 
 
 As you sit upon the deck of the steamer, threading its way 
 amon^ the islands, you are surprised at the tortuous course 
 made, |v<r hen water seems on every side and no shore near. So 
 shallow is the lake that many places miles from land are not 
 covered with more than six or seven feet of water. It is only 
 safe to experienced captains, thoroughly acquainted with the 
 concealed channels that afford a safe course at a distance from 
 the shoie. Captain Duncan, of the steamer Princess, informed 
 me that there is a greater tendency for the west JXiasi to as- 
 sume a shelving condition than the east ; this is likely on ac- 
 count of the rocks on that side being limestone in thin layers, 
 while those of the east are more or less of a granitic nature. 
 
 The tMn layers of the former split' up readily and by the 
 action of ice soon break up and form large shallow areas 
 bordered'^y immense piles of shingle, which in time disinte- 
 grate, gradually wash away and the waters encroach upon the 
 land. An examination of the map shows there is a tendency 
 for the lakiB to work westward, while there seems to be little 
 advance made in the disiiitegration of the rocks along the 
 eastern shore. ' 
 
 This fact seems to~faave4>een overlooked by some in account- 
 ing for the northwest position of the lake by attributing it to 
 glacial action. While this may have done something in giv- 
 ing the lake this direction, still much of its present outline on 
 the west coast is due to more modem agencies. 
 
 Tw.o or three hours' sail from the mouth^ of the Red River 
 up the east coast and the Winnipeg River is reached, well de- 
 fined in striking contrast to that of the Red. Its banks are 
 comparatively high, especially the north ; the waters maintain 
 their clearness for considerable distance out in the lake, until 
 they become thoroughly mixed with the muddy water which 
 characterizes the li^e for nearly two thirds of its length. 
 Their clearness is due no doubt to the fact that the latter flows 
 over a i*odky channel and gathers but little sediment from the 
 exposures of Laurentian rock which in many places forms its 
 )>aiiks. , . 
 
 An interesting fact in connection with the river is that on 
 the south side for some miles from the lake the limestone 
 formation ends, while on the north the Laurentian begins. 
 Passing up the lake from the mouth of this attractive nver 
 and sailing north-westerly yon oome to several jslande wor^y 
 
 
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 of more than passing notice, viz. : Big, Big Bjack, Deer and 
 Punk Islands. ' ' -"^ 
 
 BIQ ISLAND 
 
 has already been a source ^t considerable interest to some in- 
 vesti^tors who have discovered upon it valuable beds of iron 
 ore. It presents a striking peculiarity in possessing outcrops 
 of both the Laurentian and Silurian systems ; the latter is 
 characteristic of all the other islands except those very few 
 close to the eastern shore, whei-e Laurentian rocks are com- 
 mon On the east side of Big Island the beds of iron ore are 
 located from which many excellent specimens have been ob- 
 tained that present physical character common to rich ores 
 and also under the crucial test of the analyst have proved to 
 be of more than ordinal y value. On the west side an exten- 
 sive outcrop of limestone occurs. The proximity of limestone 
 to these large beds of ore is of great practical importance 
 and gives a value to the irbn deposits jbhey otherwise would 
 not posse^. 
 
 A short distance from this, Deer Island is situated. It was 
 visited by Hind in 1858, who made geological examination of 
 its rocks and reported upon them as follows : — 
 
 DEER ISLAND. 
 
 Commencing at the water edge. 
 
 1. The beach covered with shingle resulting from worn 
 fragments of the limestone of the island. 
 
 2. Four feet ot dark green ai^Uo-arenaceous shale with 
 thin layers of sandstones. Fucoids very abundant in this 
 layer. The sandstone becomes reddish brown on weathering; 
 but a fresh surface is white or gray. Iron pyrites (iron sulph- 
 ide) in the form of disk shape nodules and some shells also 
 occur. « 
 
 Fossils of the genus modiolopsis are common in th^ shale : 
 this genus I may add is well represented in the limestone 
 along the lake shore west of Toronto and generally accepted 
 as belonging to the Hudson River group of Silurian rocks. 
 
 8. Resembles the preceding ; the sandstone layers are from 
 1 to 4 inches in thickness and predominate over the shaly 
 portions. Its thickness is 6 feet and some parts of the forma- 
 tion vary considerably. 
 
 4. Ten feet of sandstone with green bands of a soft argilla- 
 ceous rock, from ^ to 4 inches in thickness. 
 
 The landstone is generally red. but sometimes white.' A 
 
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 green band, a few inches thick, filled with obscure forms re- 
 sembling fucoids, is very characteristic. 
 
 5, Eighteen feet of limestone, horizontal, very hard and 
 breaks off the 6litf where, the soft sand stone has been weath- 
 ered in huge rhomj^oidal slabs 8-25 feet' in diameter and 4-10 
 inches thick. The surface of the limestone shows silicified 
 shells and corals. 
 
 Among the shells an Orthoceras 9 inches in diameter was 
 observed, with fossils belonging to the genera Rhynchonella and 
 Tetradium. In the. shingle below the eliff Orthoceratites were 
 common and along with them a specimen of Maclurea and 
 one of Hialysites Catenulata and chain coral 
 
 Six miles north of Deer Island 
 
 GRINDSTONE POINT 
 
 is reached. Here the rocks are" similar to those on Deer Island 
 but the exposure is higher and the sandstone baQds more fully 
 shown. Beneath the layer which corresponds to No! 2 of the 
 island, a hard, yellow, compact sandstone is exposed for a space 
 of four feet above the level of the water. 
 
 No. 2 and 3 differ slightly ; the sandstone bands are thick- 
 er ; the green shaly portion more distinct as a separate band, 
 and two feet thick ; while above the hard yellow sandstone, 
 the. base of No. 2, appears in the form of a purple band of 
 very soft sandstone one foot thick containing many stains, ap- 
 parently caused by fucoids. 
 
 The rock for several miles around this point is much the 
 same. On Punk Island, in the vicinity, a yellow ochre occui-s 
 between the layers of stone and when burned gives a beauti- 
 ful red ; the limestone in which it occurs is comparatively 
 porous. ' 
 
 One hundred miles from the mouth of Red River, after pass- 
 ing through a narrow channel at Dog's Head and sailing some 
 four miles to the noi-th, 
 
 BLACK BEAR ISLAND 
 
 is reached. This is a beautiful spot, presenting many attrac- 
 tions to the tourist, and an excellent harbor to anyone over- 
 taken by storm on this treacherous lake. The steamer on which 
 we sailed up the lake^ lying here to take wood, afforded an 
 excellent op[)ortunity to examine the rocks of the island. This 
 is about five, miles in circumference and presents three good 
 exposures of rock, especially on the north-west side; each 
 forming the bhore of a bay, formed by the storms which fre- 
 
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 quenty beat on this side. But by fer the best defined bay and 
 most suitable for affcnxling a place of safety during storms is 
 that found on the south side of the island. ' « * < .^ 
 
 In this quiet haven many a boat has found pr6t6ctioh when 
 to continue a voyage on the lake meant certain disaster. 
 
 The inlets on the north shore are bordered by immense " 
 heaps of shingle, formed from the layers of rock as they break 
 up into fragments along the weather beaten ihore. 
 
 The largest outcrop is seen in the middle bay where the 
 rock 18 fully twelve feet thick, extending in great steps to 
 the shore ; the lower being covered with shingle. The steps 
 are usually about a foot in thickness, but each is made up of 
 thin layers about two inches thick. Fossils are not very num- 
 erous and those found restricted to a few species. 
 
 Fucoids are repreHented by innumerable impressions ; sev- 
 eral specimens of the genus Maclurea were found, "the largest 
 being 6| inches in diameter and the least 4. These forms 
 were more common in the upper layers than in the 
 Jower. Two obscure brachfopods were observed and two forms 
 belonging to the genus Pleurotomaria. The Orthoceras and 
 Endoceras seem to have been the leading types of life when 
 these deposits were laid down. These extinct members of the 
 cuttlefish family are represented by several large forms on the 
 shores of this island. One large specimen obtained here is^iiow:^ 
 in the Provincial museum. Some were observed five feet in 
 length and 4^ inches in diameter. No corals were seec ex- 
 cept a very obscure fossil which was so water woril that it 
 could not be identified ; in some respects it bears a strikinc 
 resemblance to an imperfect specimen of the doubtful genus 
 i Stromatoppra for which it was at fii-st taken. 
 
 A few crinoid stems could be seen in some of the Akfrac- 
 ments. ^fT 
 
 The surface of , the solid ,rOck which skirts the first bay 
 shows excellent trace* of glacial action; the striae indicati^ 
 a n. ne. directioiUft^ome^places crossed by markings n. nw. 
 
 Boulders of Gn^ss are common, some of which are very an- 
 gular. On the east side of the island the rock is thicker and 
 more compact but comparatively fossiliferous below ; the rock 
 is a dolomitic limestone, harder than that at Selkirk and prob- 
 ably containing more magnesia ; portions of it present a mot- 
 tled appearance not unlike limestone of the Red River Valley 
 already referred to in my piipers on Silurian Outcrops in that 
 district. ^ 
 
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 Pavinghadariopporfcunity of yrsiting this island twice and on 
 both occasions sufficient time to examine ^e back of it, whei^ 
 the most characteristic outcrops appear, what I have written 
 may ^ taken as representing at least the most salient points 
 m its geoloj^. • , • ' >e. r • 
 
 I may add that the "bearings of the glacial atrial were taken 
 by Captain Duncan, of the jsteamer Princess ; he had a com- 
 pass with him on our second visit 4» this spot! J mention thii 
 because the marking^ here difter from some others in the 
 Red River Valley. On these islands in many cases the glaciated 
 surfade of the rock is very marked and glistens like polished 
 metal, wheii examined under tlie glare, of the sun at noonday. 
 
 Tliis varyiijg of directij^ iu the striae of the isUnds and 
 those of Stony Mountain is an important fact and opens up a 
 n^ost interesting question for'investigation by members of this 
 society, viz:— What was the course of the glacier which swept 
 over where Lake Winnipeg now is imd pushed it away down 
 the Red River Valley ? It may Have meandered considerably, 
 while it ground oufa basin for the lake and a coui-se for the 
 river; for we know in some cases among the Alpin^ districts 
 now, glaciers are moving ^lowly through ravines which indi- 
 cate a varied direction. Though no such irr^ulaiv course js 
 outlined by ravines in this lake region yet there may have 
 been a time in the topography of the district uoder considera- 
 tion .when it was very different from what it is now. How. 
 interesting and important it is that the members of this socie- 
 ty should collect all the data tjiey conveniently can i-egai-ding 
 these varying striae in the Red River Valley apd among the 
 islands of Lake Winnipeg. Keep a record of all information 
 secured and in the course of time from the collected markings 
 a fair outline of the'course over which this river of ice glided 
 can be made out out' 
 
 Without remarking further upon this interesting problem 
 than to advise the society to keep it before the members I 
 shall proceed to describe what I observed while examiping 
 Berens Island on the map, but bettef known tp those who cross 
 this lake as ' » > 
 
 " SWAMPY ISLAND. 
 
 .This plaee is sixty miles from Black BeAr llknd, in thb main 
 body of the lake, which here widens and forms a large ex- 
 panse of water. The-suspended mud of Red River h no longl 
 er seen coloring the waters of the lake, which are now^ cleat 
 and retain their purity throughout the whole distance to the 
 
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 north shoire. That the mud of Red River poliu(|es Uie waters 
 . of this lake for aMistanoe of almost 'loo miles is evidence of 
 
 the exceedingly fine condition of the suspended clay in that , 
 , river. ' ■ ' ' . - 
 
 The island is about 15 miles in circdmferenoe and presents 
 a mpre or leas irreglilar ^hape. Irregularitv of coast line is 
 » quite characteristic' of these islands whose i^ores'^show expos- 
 ures pf limestone in thin, layers/. 
 
 Having spent four da;p-8 onlihis lonely spot arapla opportu- 
 
 ' nity was afforded to examointe the rocks- along the cpast On 
 
 the south side of the island very little, solid rock is in view, 
 
 but immense piles of shingle form a sort, of breakwater along 
 
 the shore. ^ >^ , s/ . v ^ 
 
 ^hese fragments of stone are of all sizes from five iiyjhes 
 long to small pebbles ; the embankment extendsifor forty yards 
 inland and is fully ten feet high. It shifts with .^very storm ; 
 at one time a large portion of it is forced along the shore and 
 heaped inta immense piles ♦t one spot, where it remaips until 
 another storm sweeps them along to another on the doast. The 
 whole baiTierpfshii^le neverdisappeai^sentirely ^t the greater 
 part changes its position. A short time before my visit a violent 
 storm occurred, which had shifted much of the shingle~ west- 
 ward along the south shore. Behind, this wall on'the souUi- . 
 east side, is a large sv^amp, which no doubt accounts for the ^ 
 common name given the place; • the water of this is influenced 
 by^ the rise and falFof that in the lake, which shows that3he 
 centre of the island is about the same level as the lake. Some-* 
 times during a storm the water in'^the swamp lases. quite rap- 
 idly and subsides as soon as the wind falls/It is evident there 
 is communication between the lake and swamp through the/ 
 porous bank of shingle. Passing around, to the north-east you . 
 find solid rock which at this point reaches the surface but 
 farther inland it is buried beneath the shingle, the rock is 
 in thin layere as obseiVed at Black Bear Island. This ex-, 
 plains how such great piles of small, circular, flat ^tones, 
 (shingle) are formed. The upper thin layer becomes attached 
 to the ice during the winter ; when spring returns the floating 
 ice lifts this and pifshes it to the shore. Should a storm occur 
 at this stage, on6 can readily understand how this large thin 
 section of rock may soon be dashed to pieces and alterwards^ 
 by the lashing of waves be gradually broken up and rounded 
 into the shingl/e of the -heaps that line tfe shore.' ti may be 
 remarked here thi^t the Vi^i* in nNtny places along tbe snor^ 
 
 
 
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 is very shallow, so much so that even a row boat cannot be 
 lyought near the land without grounding upon the rocks. • 
 With such a shallow covering of water and rock in thin layers 
 in a climate where the winter is long and severe, all thecondi-. 
 tions are present to form n*titerial v^ry rapidly, which, expos- 
 ed to the storms that frequently and very suddenly appear on 
 this la'ke, will begroubd into rounded fragments of all size's. 
 
 The portions which have not been exposed to much grind- 
 ing; are! readily distinguished from those that have been 
 ■beaten about by the waves of many a storm ; their comers 
 have not become thoroughly i bunded and their size is much 
 lairger than those of greater aga The shingle of this island is 
 rich in fossils, but in many cases .the/ are Oauch water worn. 
 'They are much ihore numerous .both in indiViduals and species 
 than at any 'other place visited. 
 
 - The genus Maclurea is found , on every side; some very 
 fine tOrms, indeed, measuring Crequently five inches across, 
 and sonya over six. Excellent specimens of these can be seen 
 in the Provincial Museum. 
 
 * From the rocks in situ very few fossils were taken. They 
 could be cut out only with great diffidulty, and fneir appear- 
 ance usually much de8tro3^d. ' Some idea of the fossil wealth 
 in the layers of stone in this place may be^mderstortd when I 
 remark that in a space 40 feet by 10 I counted nine Oitlib- 
 ceratites; three Maclur^, one Reqeptaculites, and two large 
 forms of the genus IVfuichisonia. 
 
 , Along the east side — the most ifossiliferous part — of the 
 island, where the rock reachos "^the surface, and very little 
 water covei*.s it tor some distance, excellent exafnples of glacial 
 «^me are . visible. Here, too, the markings indicate a, 
 north-east direction. 
 
 The boivlders on thiw part of the island are very angular, 
 and seem to indicate that they have not travelled so fai' as 
 thoq^e we- uSualiy^lkave seen in localities^arther south. 
 
 The rock, resembling that of Black Bear Island, "weathcra' 
 • very distinctly, ^wl m many oases tiie fossils are in boKl 
 relief. 
 
 During my stay upon this somewhat desolate island I -suc- 
 ceeded in finding a krge number of interesting fossils, which 
 may be identified bm l>6longing to the followiug.jjpinera ; — 
 
 PLANTAB. 
 
 ♦ Innumerable obscure foirtns of plant life belonging to some 
 
 <„• ' 
 
.Jff,'sr:^E'?^S1^- 
 
 
 0. 
 
 genus of the Algae. In some cases these seaweeds were quite 
 prominent on the weathered fragments of rock. 
 
 PROTOZOA. 
 Reeeptaculites. 6 specimens comparatively obscure.*' 
 Stromatop«ra. 3, one specimen well marked. 
 
 COCLENTERATA. 
 Holysites. Common, "but much weatltered. 
 Columnopora. 1, smalJ/Tform. 
 Zaphrenutis, Several.* 
 
 AXNtJLOIDA. 
 
 The only representatives of this sub-kingdom are innumer- 
 able? sections of .the stems of Crinoids. 
 
 . ■ ' ANNULOSA. 
 
 A" iipecimen jf an ahnost complete trilobite, resemblintr in 
 some respects, the genus Calymene. ; , 
 
 / MOTJAISCA. 
 
 .This sub-ki/ig(l(,m is well represented by the higher forms 
 . ^Urthoceras. Abundant and large. 
 
 Phraginoceras 3; in which the body segments are distinct 
 Cyrtoceras. Several ;'no large forms. 
 Lituites. One obscure specimen. 
 
 Emloeeras. Common, with position of the siphuncle indi- 
 cated. ' 
 
 Maclui^a. Exceedingly common and large. -One fragment 
 of rock H inches by^G showed four spodmens. This ge^.u« is 
 characteristic of the limx)stone north, and seems to indicate a 
 jower ly)rizon than the deposits of Selkirk where Mr Mc- 
 Charles and myself have found several 
 
 Hhynchonella. 1 ; small form., ' ' ' 
 
 Strophomena^ A few obscure forms. 
 
 Mur.'his(mia. 2; one \i^ry wiill marked. 
 
 With such a display of extinct forms of life before us the 
 «|i.esti.»n naturally presents itself, to what formation do they 
 nelong ? • "^ 
 
 They are, no .loul.t, fossils of the' Silurian system. .Regard- 
 ing the (orinat.on. one lu'sitatos to state their po.sition but 
 thev seem to belong to a lower horizon than tiie rocks at'Sel- 
 kirk. which w,> have seen tit to plae» as Trenton. This beini/ 
 the ease, th.^ f..ssils of the islnnds- in I.ako Winnipeg may bo 
 considered as belonging to a fornwition near the base of the 
 lower Silurian system. 
 
 1 
 
 © 
 
 f 
 
 if 
 
 V' 
 
 1,1 
 
' \ 
 
 • : —10 — 
 
 beren's landing. 
 
 Before concluding this paper, permit me to direct your 
 
 attention foj a few moments to Beren's Landing on the main- 
 
 and. almost directly east ot Swampy Island. As you enter 
 
 this pkce you are struck with the tortuous nature of the cban- 
 
 ?.^U 5?K .K u"" n *PP,^' *^*^"« ^^^ «^«^«« i" striking con- 
 trast with the shallow places on the west side of the lake 
 
 This may be accounted for as follows :— 
 
 The limestone, if left as an outlier, soon wears away and 
 shallow water remains ; while on the east coast, which is' hard 
 crj^stalline rock, if through long years of denudation it be- 
 comes cut off from the shores, it does not wear away readily 
 but remains as an immense rounded rock separated from^he 
 mainland. This recalls the appearance of the' islands in Lake 
 Muskoka and others in the district of the JLaurentian system ' 
 studded with islands upon whioh time exerts but little influ- 
 ence Hence the scarcity of islands in Lake Winnipeg, who^e 
 
 hot m anTshl^ '''''' ^^^^"^ ''''' ^^^^"^ ^ '^^-'onl 
 Near the Hudson Bay iPost at this place on the rocks which 
 form the north bank of Beren's River, are excellent illusCm- 
 tions of glacial 8</ia«. . 
 
 Immediately })elow the Fort they are north-east, but a short 
 distance west they are north -north -east. Several observations 
 were made, and all indicated a noith east direction tE 
 rocks are very smooth with rounded surface, and afford ffood 
 examples of the so-called Rt>che, Moutann.e^ of glaciated di^- 
 tricts. This concludes a report of my investigation^ on' Lake 
 Winnipeg; if what has been written proves of interest to the 
 Society, ami adds to the already valuable information in its 
 possession beanngupoi, the geology of the great Northwest 
 the writer has been amply repaid for the time and lab^r his 
 work has entailed. " 
 
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