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NOTES

ALFRED R. C. SKLWYN, LL.D.,F.R.S.

ON THK

LIFE OF SIR W. E LOGAN."

IIY

B. J. HAIiril.NGTON, B.A., Pii.L.

WITH AN APPENDIX O.N

THE QUEBEC GROUP."

HY
PRINCIPAL DAWSON, f'.M.G., F.R.S.

1883.

The following brief remarks on this wuliv are submitted by the
writer for the eon.siderutiori of American (reologists. They aie
written solely in the interests of truth and impai-tiality, and with a
desire not only to place the faels coiu'ernlnijj the (Quebec j^roup of
Lojjan, and other (piestions refei-red to, in their true light before all
those who are interested in the mattcu-, but also to correct the errone-
ous impressions on these questions, which, it seems to mc, the statements
in the Appendix to the work referred to, are calculated to dis-
seminate : —

On page 21H we read: " The four groups into which he then (1844)
divided the strata met with, in the main hold good to-'^biy." Of II. , III.,
IV., this is correct, but can in tio sense l»e said to be so of I., the whole
relations of which have since been changed, as is in part shewn in the
succeeding pages 218-219, and must now, as I have elsewhere shown, be
still further moditied. The Pillar Sandstones are not Middle Silurian, they
are inter-stratitied with Levis graptolitic shales, and they themselves hold
graptolites, crinoid joints and other fossils. They are mainly below and

not above thi- coni^lomoratc limostones. And thev uro certainly not on
the sanu' horizon iis (he Norpontincs of the Shieksliock Mountjiins and
the Kastern Townsliips, or as the granitoid fi'ncit^ses of Sutton Mountain
on the Vermont iHtiiinhiry, all of whieh ai-e pro-Cambrian. In review-
ing liie Ap))en(lix I shall have oeeasion to refer again t<. tnis matter.

A better reason than frieiKlship might be given (page U7S^) for a(lo])ting
the Silurian insteail of the New York nomenehiture ; viz. : identity of
the torniations and j»riority of the li^rmor, 181^5 auti 18.'{7, resjieetively.

On page 3 It.") 1 rind: "Mr. Selw^-n, Sir William's suceessor, when he
first eame to ( 'anada, atlopted the views of his j)re<leeessor, A«^ ';/(
further xtwhj rfuini/t'd his o/iiiiions, and now believes in the Pro-Cambrian
age of the rouks under consideration," This, though to a certain
extent true, is a misleading statement. Instead of "■ fiirfhrr .sfwly" it
should read"/"/^ on stuihiimj the qiirsfi'itt himsflf.'' The ditference is
apparent: it is obvious that at the time mentioned 1 could not have
studied the subject, and could therefore have had no opinion about it,
except such as might arise from faith in the conclusions of my pre-
decessor. The whole history and circumstances of the later in-
vestigation of the (Quebec (iroup, are fully stated in my [)apei' com-
municated last Afay (1882) to the (Jeological Section of the Koyal
Society of Canada. The result of the investigation, as it proceetled
from ISTti to 188ii, was also fully and fr»H'ly communicated to and
discussed with the authors of The Life of Sir W. E. Logan, and the
Appendix on the Quebec (rroup. I now })ass to the Appendix.

The Queher Group.— By Fruiripal Dawson, C.M.G., F.B.S.

On page 404 n-e read : " Those who wouUl detract from the work of
Sir AV. Logan, if there are any such." I am not aware of an}- one who
has ever done this; but I su])pose the sentence I'efers to mc, because 1
have been opeidy accused of doing so, and the aciusation has been
published in a Canadian scieiitirict journal, while my re]>ly to the
accusation was tacitly declined publication by the Editor who published
the accusation. If I am j-ight in thiw sujjijosition, then I can otdy say
that the present authoi', like my accuser in the journal referred to,
seems to conlbund siippletiientiny and diffei 'uy in opinion with dctractiny.

On the same page, 404, we tind the following setitcnce : " And much
examination of the ground which he explored, enables me to atttrm
that no one will ever be able permanently to over set the general
leading sulxlivisions of the Jiaurontian and Jluronian which ho
established." And in tiie same connection, on page 415, wo road :
" In the typical lluronian area of Lake Huron it unquestionably rests

unconformaMy on the Lativontiun." Tlio nieiinirii,' of the tirst ot the
ahovo ((iiotatioiiH is i-iitlier va<;iK', and it is certainly not apparent how
the author, never havin<i; workeil out or niapj)e(l the stratii;;raj>liy (»f
these ancient Ibrniations, is in u p(;sition to nialie any attii'uiation on
the subject. 1 hesitate to do so niyselt', notwithstjjuding that f have
examined much moi-e of the ground than the author has. Examina-
tion such as that referred to l\y tiie author, is wholly insufficient to
warrant such a decided expi'ession of ()]>inion on his part, though it
may enable lum to understand and adopt or reject the conclusions of
others. Even 8irW. Logan navor attirnied the unconformity mentioned
in the second quotation ; and while he designateil the Laurentian a
S^'stem, he called the Huronian a ,s*7/<>, and he says the Laurentian
_t!;neiss is followed by a slate conglomerate and nowhere does he say
the Huronian series /ri<ls uinvmfi/niuthly on the Laurentian. l)v. Robert
Bell, who has studied these formations over a fai- widei- geograjthical
range than perhaps any other Geologist, does not think it is so; and
I have myself never been able to find satisfactory evidence of it,
thougli I have examined the shores from Bruce Mines at imei-vals to
Thunder Bay, and have travei'sed and examined the country thence to
Lake Wiiuiipcg. The mere occurrence of red gneiss and granite
pebbles in the Huronian conglomeiates only proves the pre-existence
somewhere of such rocks; but it is no proof that these pebbles were
derived from the adjacent Laurentian rocks, which we now see at the
surface. I am aware that Dr. T. S. Hunt has in 1858, and since,
assumed the existence of this unconformity, but so far as I can make
out, on equally hasty and j)artial examination of the region ; thus,
neither Pi-incipal I'awsons nor Dr. Hunt's conclusions on this matter
can be said to be based <m oi- aci-ord with the stratigraphical obser-
vations of either Logan, Murray, Bell, oj- myself.

We tind, pages 105-40(J, a very good general statement of various
geological agencies, and included in it a tacit acceptance of that very
impoi'tant one — contem])oraneous volcanic action — never i-ccogni/.ed or
alluded to in eastern Canada geology by Sir William, nor by the
author, till pointed out by me, and we find it again referred to (page
414) as a " third suggestion," and applied without acknowledgment
in the same tacit manner, Siijiplcment to Acadian Geology, 18T8.

On page 407 we read : "It is ditlicult — impossible would be more
correct — withoui personal examination in the field to realize the actual
character of the (Quebec (Jroup rocks, as exposed on the south side of
the St. Lawren(!e, between Point Levis and Cape Eosier ; " this should
bo between Cape Eosier and Vermont. And herein probably lies the
explanation why I can realize these characters better than those who

like the untlioi' have not oxaminofl tlio whole of lite reu,'ion art I
have.

Tlie statement, pa«i:o 40>S, that Sir William knew that, iwks even u])
to the Carl)onit'ero\iH had heeii " i)i'ofoiiii(lly altered." may perhaps bo
questioned. In any case 1 have never seen even Devonian strata in
eastern Canada, to wiiieh such a term could he correctly applied —
and tlie succeeding sentences respectin*;" the pi-oi^iessive alteration
of the Quebec rocks to the south and southeast, are also wholly
incorrect. The rocks are, as a fact, neither moi'c nor less altered at
Cape Rosier in (iasp^ than they ai-e at Philipsburff on the N'ermont
boundary, nor on the shores of the St. Lawrence, than they are on the
Atlantic coast. Throne-bout, tluMC are cases of local alteration, but
these are clearly due to local causes, whi(di can be pointed out; then
again that the fo/;siliferous slates in th(> Kastern Townshi|)S(f//fi/7(rt.V with
the crystalline rocks named is absolutely incorrect, as it is also that any
such crystalline rocks " seemingly represent the shales of Point Levis, if
not still newer members of the series." The fossils alluded to occur not
in nacreous slates, but in plumbaginous limestones, clearly of Trenton
age, and these have no connection with the chloritic and otherciystaliine
schists named, excei»t as unconformably ovci'l3'ing and foMed in out-
liers. Here again the autlior has '>ever worked out the stratigraphy
and is therefore not i?> a position to express an opinion. I have
worked it out personally, and more or less examined the facts on the
ground, from the Vermont boundary to the Gaspt? peninsula, and
from Maine, IS'evv Hampshire, and the Maritime Provinces, to the
shores of the St. Lavvrence. 1 am further prepared to demonstrate my
conclusions either in the tield or in the museum, where the whole
series of specimens, carefully collected and labelled, is available for
examination. These tacts are well known to the author, and it is
cei'tainly remai-kable under such circumstances to tiiid a note by Sir
William appended to Mr. Afuri-ay's report on Newfoundland of 1865,
quoted (page 40") as " presenting as cleai- a view of the whole matter
as we can give up to the present time," and one's astonishment is oul}'^
increased after perusal of the note quoted as doing this.

On page (409) we find a repetition of the statement already alluded
to, " that the Quebec group rocks become altered to the south," and
another tacit admission of the contemj)oraneous volcanic action. The
older metamorj)hic gi'oup, like the parallel ranging fossiliferous group,
is no more altered in the township of Potton on the Vermont boundarj',
than it is in the Shickshock Mountains in Gaspe, and the " wieqw'vical
superposition " in Newfoundland, mentioned, same page, will, I venture
to say, be found to be as equi ^ocal as is that of the Utica slates under-

',1:

-r

\ \

lyin«; tlio Levis at (^iiclicc ; ainl as we ii(>\v know. a( many otlnT ]»la('('M
on Uie south shoiv oI'iIh' Si. Lawivnc*-.

On tlio sanu! patjo (400) my nanu' lirsl appears, and I am rcjM'esonlod
aH boin;i^ tUxpoxfjl to rc';j;ard the altoriMl rocUs lyint,' to llu' soiilh-eiiHt of
the ti/pical (/iieliec sorios as heUnitjiML;- to two oMi'i- i^ronps. I wus not
disposed to i'e^ai'<l, which cxpivsx's uncoilaiiily ; imt after careful
personal examination I liavc distinctly statt'<| that they wer<' older,
not than th<' ////</(V// hill than ihc fossi/iffrnns (^uchcc i^ronp; the onl}'
nncertainty hein^ whether they should he considered as one or tin two
ijroups. And, apart from siipp(»s('d reversed di|»s, Sir William
Lo;j;an"s own descriptions, as I have elsewhere shewn, fully and eon-
elusively demonstrate these relations in ai^^e.

On ]»ai;e 410 my results are •' shortly " examiJie(l, and first in this
examination is a remarkahU' statement of an "inahilily " on my |)ai-t;
no reasojiH ai-e ;i;iven foi' the inahilily alliidetl to; this inahility,
however, did not onlv »'xtend as stated "eastward an<l westward
of Qnehec,'" hut over the whole extent of the Quehec ^roup. The
examination of my results is, liowevcr, undouhtedly as stated, shoi-t ;
as the whole of the i-emainini^ ))ai'ai!;raplis on this and on the followinii'
pa_i(e (411) ai-e devoted not to my results, hut to those of Sir William,
Dr. IFunt, Mr. Hillins^s and Mr. Itichardson, except an admission that
the author agi'ees with me in the very important lact, — indeed all
important in relation to the di.scussion, — nameh', that what has been
attempted to be done, and is in fact deseribe<l in the re]jorts, and depicted
on the maps, can not he done. Virtually an admission that Lauzon
and Silleiy have no definite or definable existence apai't from Levis,
and therefore that I am right, and Sir William and Mv. Kichardson are
wrong.

On the same page (411) the author sa^'s : " N^oi- is it at all unlikely
they iiKty have been confoundetl with the Lauzon and Sillery;" no
indication is however given hoi-e that this also is one of my results,
and that the localities where it has occui-red have been pointed out by
nie. I must also take exce])t!on to the statement (Images 410 and 41J )
as Well as to the infei-enees attem])ted to be drawn from them, respect-
ing the sandstones and shales, etc., near Metis and Matanne, and to the
observations, having a similar import, respecting the series at Point
Levis. In these statements the author has omitted two veiy import-
ant facts, namely: that a large and very characteristic graptolitic
fauna showing undoubted Levis tj'pes is associated with the beds
holding the obscure forms named, as Stropolithon, .icolithus, etc.,
and that the trilobites of primitive type are, as at Point Levis, in the
pebbles or slabs of the conglomerates. Further I may say that the

litnoHtone ooniilonu'ratoH, at, I'uint licvis and on tlu^ Islan<l (tf OrleanH,
Itotli iiiiilcrli*' and ovcilio lliosliali's luddini;' LjrapUtliloH, while at Heveral
places alctnn' tlic coasl, a|i|>ar«'iM.ly (lip[)iiii;' iindor the Levis rod s, are
others holding a dislini-t, I'tica fauna, the relations bein;^ i-xaetly like
those which oritjinally misled Sir W. Lo^an at (iiiohec and on the
Island of Orleans. All these facts were distinctly pointed out to ihe
author l»y inj'self after my examinations of the retjion in 1876, 1877,
and IHTH.

Of evidence from Newfoundland (pjiges 401> and 411) I Hhall say
nothing. I have never heen there, and am therefore in no position to
express any opinion or make any affirmations of helief respecting it;
but Mr. Blllin«>s' i-en'.arks (pa<>;es (»4-G7 ; Paheo/oio KossiIh, Vol. 1.)
indicate j)lainly to me that the strati/^raphy on which Ids paheonto-
loi^ical conclusions were based was wron;^', and we need not therefore
be surprised at his concliidinj;; sentence us follows: "Judging from
tht lossils alone I should say that tht; Levis immediately succeeds the
Calcifei'ous, but the ph^'sical evidence seems to show that this is not
the case."

On page 412 we tind a repetition of the statement of my views made
on i)age 200 which, excei)t as regards the use of the wholly inapi)licable
term ttif^ixised to, is ct»rre«;t. I iiave distinctly demonstrated and
affirmed the fact, both from m3'own independent observation and from
a careful study of Sir William's descriptions of hia observations in
1842, 1844, 1848.

On the same pages microscopic fossils are mentioned in connection
with the oldei- series. This error I have explained ante in remarks on
page 408, Also a supposition is advanced that there " may be two
crystalline series, one below and one above the Levis." Well, we may
suppose anything however uidikely and improl)able, and this sup-
position, for which there is not one particle of *'viuence, can only be
placed in that class. To suggest it seems to iniply an entire want of
practical knowledge or appreciation of the structural geology of the
region.

To the summing up, on page 414, 1 must necessarily assent, as, though
it contains a repetition of certain errors already pointed out, it is in the
main a correct statement, and a tacit acceptance of my own conclu-
sions respecting the Quebec trroup ; but it can scarcely' be naid to
embody the views of my predecessor, which were, i believe, till quite
recently, likewise those of tno author.

As regards the use of tb«i name Levis leading to misconception,
while admitting this to some 3xtent, I can only say that having shown

the iiuii-t'xistonco o|' nilU'iy ami Iaihadu npari from Leviw, nnd huvinj;
oliniinati'd iVorn tlic i^ufhcc (ii-mip tin* nu'lariii»i|iliu olilor sorieH.
and also considt'i-aldo areas of Tifiilon, Tlica and lliiiI>oii K'ivi-i-s
hitherto ineliidecl in it, the eomse dc|»reeate(l sreius less o|ien to ohjcc-
tion than to iviaiii the name (^ueltee L!roii|>. Howevei'. names are, as
is justly i-emarked, ol very little imjiortamr in tliem>ejves, and I
cordially aj^ree in the neeessity of nut ' mi>a|)|ilyin:^- them or need-
lessly ehan;;in;^ them," espeeially in the dirt'ctiun of iuventin:', new-
ones.

I can not agree in the statement (puiro -I^^) of the •• main jioint in
dispute between Sir VV. Lo^an and his latei- erities," indeed not oidy is
it not the main point in ilispiile, hut il has ahsoliitely nothing whatever
to do with it.

The main points — there ai'e nutrv than one— at is^ue iu'tween my
predeeeasor and myself sim|tly un<l fairly stated, are: l^t. Is the
Qiiehee group sis defined hy Logan entirely pahi'ozoie or not. ilnil.
Are the crystalline Levis, Lauzon and Sillery the same formations as
the fossiliferous Levis, Lauzitn and Sillery as they are shewn to he
on the maps and in the leports. Hrd. Does the <^nohec (Jroiip represent
Caleiferoiis and ('hazy only as is clearly indicated on the maps and
Htated in the reports,-''- or does it inchide as I have pointed out it
does 8inco 187<>, large ureas of pre-Camhrian ro( l<s and poi-tions ot all
the formations of the New Vork system, perhaps IVoni Potsdam, and
even Primordial, up to lltiea and Hudson liiver.

Ff I am right then Sir William was wrong, ami if so it is useless to
vindicate his accuracy, when lurther and mtu-e detailed investigation
and the most distinct evidence shows he was mistaken. If I am wrong
no one will be better pleased than 1 shall he to have my eiror demon-
Htrated and to acknowledge it; but I must be excused if 1 am not will-
ing to accept as evidence every kind of theory, possibility, jtrobability
and supposition of what might be, mixei with much excellent advice
to students, on geological observation and induction, but scarcely
roquire<l in the present <liscu8sion, utdess as .serving to obscure the real
issues in the case under consideration.

In conclusion I would way that 1 much regret having been obliged
to make the foregoing remarks, because some will think them — and
perhapH represent them — as an attack on my predecessor, which they
are not. The work of my ])redecessor rerpiires no defender, but like
other mortuKs ho was not infallible. No one can appreciate more fully
than I can the great value of his work. I have myself been actively

• Page 20, Qeol. of Canada, lSti3.

and coiitiiiuoii^sly m^im'tMl in siniiliir work for thirty-oighfc yiiurw,
uiiiler similiir (litticiiltios and ImrdMliipH to thowo which he otu-ountortHl,
aii'l in which, ihoivHni'. my oxporicnci' when I cointnoncwl to study
the (^iiL'htf i;i(m|t was far i^ncai"'" than was Sir Williauj Loj^'un's when
his tinai contliisions wcio reachiMl in 18t;;{. ThiMvforc wiion 1 Hnd
my n>nflusiuns coverlly allatked in vindicatini; those of my pro-
deoessor. and at the same time ul'leii tacitly adopted, in somo chsoh
with no acknt»wiod,i,'niont and in others with the barest possible
albision to their aiitiior, while tiie w\u}\e subject is entirely misstated,
as I have shown it to have been, it will 1 think bo admitted by all
unprejutliced persotiH tliat the foregoing remarks are not under the
circumstances uncalled lor or out of place.

Ottawa, April, 1883.

644)(14
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I'J I