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MCROCOPV MSOIUTION TIST CHART 
 
 {ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No 2) 
 
 ^ APPLIED ItVMGE 
 
 '653 East Mom Stfwi 
 
 Rochester. New York '*609 uSA 
 
 (716) *e2 - OJOO - Phon* 
 
 (716) 288- 5989 - Fo. 
 
PART DO, ANNUAL RIPORT, VOL. XIII, 1000. 
 
 GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY OF CANADA 
 
 ROBERT BELL, M.D., Sc.D. (Cahtab), LL.D., F.R.8. 
 
 4 
 
 REPORT 
 
 GEOLOGY AND PHYSICAL CHARACTER 
 
 or Tu 
 
 NASTAPOKA ISLANDS 
 
 HUDSON BAY 
 
 A. P. LOW, B.Sc. 
 
 >: 
 
 OTTAWA 
 
 FRINTKD BY S. E. DAWSON, PRINTER TO THE KINO'S MOST 
 
 BX0Kia4SNT MAJESTY 
 
 1903 
 
 13— DO 
 
 hu. si*. 
 
 Price, Ten Cents. 
 
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 .rv 
 
 ■-/r* /%;-i^vi^-?,&fei i yj('iiL>]M-,i.v; -^ -J V ^-w- aejiy--^^^ 
 
liHiio i< \i. Si ii\ h cik r»i\i'\. 
 
 Vol, Xlll. I'\HI nil I'l Mt I 
 
 N.WrAI'oKA K.M.I. ON .MlAM..\M' 'il'IM^ITK t;"lll"lN 1«I..\M>. 
 
 Vri'KK Ikon Bkiw, ox Gillik.-) I»'..vxii. 
 
UEOLOfilCAL SUHVEV OK CANADA 
 
 HODKHT IIKI.U M It.. S..I). (Cantaii), Ll,.l)., F.U.S. 
 
 REPORT 
 
 (JKOLOCY AND PHYSICAL CHARACTKli 
 
 NASTAPOKA ISLANDS 
 
 HUDSOX BAY 
 
 IIT 
 
 A. p. LOW, B,8c. 
 
 r-\ 
 
 "Ni 
 
 OTTAWA 
 
 I'KIXVEl) BY S. K. DAWSON, PKINTKK To THK KINU. MOST 
 KXC ELI. KNT .\r A J KSTY 
 
 1"03 
 
 i;i nil 
 
 Nu. NIU. 
 
- /4 ^ 
 
 00933433 
 
Niivfiiil«M -.'It, |yii|. 
 
 T« I1..IIKKT HkU, Ml), 1,1, I). S. |». ,«JAMMl.), llt.S, 
 
 Sih._IIm.« tt. s.-ml vou li.Towith , \{ri«,Tl ..n tlie N.istii|...k» 
 islunilH of Hudson buy. .\ckn..wlwl8rn.nt ix <lun In tlif IV.'uMpn* 
 niul Uiiwtoniof (liP l>oiiii„ion l».N..l..priipnt Cotiipuny, for iillowinK 
 m.', whil.' in their , ..iploy, to cnll...-t Uio iimt..niil .•onMin-.l In tlij* 
 r*fHirt and to .send il to you tor tli.- I«n.'lit c.t tti« piiblic 
 
 TliPBurvpys rc(|uire<l in this connection niiil ih.-ii (l.iincation, ar« 
 the work of Mr. (i. A. Youn«, M.Mc, to wi>on. u. knowl^lRmfnt for 
 hi» ytliticnt unrl kindly a-itijttnnoe is h«rc niiidc 
 
 I h»U' the honour to he, Slt, 
 
 Your huiiibiit servant, 
 
 A. P. I/.W. 
 
 \i I.D-l] 
 
KEPORT 
 
 ON THK 
 
 GEOLOGY AND PHYSICAL CHARACTER 
 
 (IK THK 
 
 XASTAPOKA ISLANDS 
 
 HUDSON BAIY 
 
 Introductios. 
 
 The present report is based upon observations made by the writer 
 during the summer of 1901, while engaged in the location of mineral 
 claims for a private company. This work called for a close examina- 
 tion of the ore-bearing measures and associated rocks on the Nastapoka 
 islands, to determine the extent and value of tlie ores, and to gain a 
 knowledge of the relations of the ore beds to the surrounding rocks, a 
 matter of importance in connection with the laws governing the grant- 
 ing of mineral claims by the Dominion Government. These examin> 
 ations resulted in the securing of considerable detailed information 
 concerning the rocks. 
 
 The report is divided into two portions, the first part giving a gen- 
 eral description of the islands as a group and a general idea of their 
 geology, and the second part a detailed description of the physical 
 features and geological formation of each of the larger islands. 
 
 The report was written at Port Harrison in N. Lat. 58° 30' on 
 the east coast of Hudson bay, during the winter following the explo- 
 ration, and the writei lias had to depend, while writing it, wholly upon 
 his notes, and on the knowledge previously acquired of these and other 
 areas of similar rocks in the Labrador peninsula, as no written infor- 
 mation bearing upon the subject was available at the time. 
 
 The rocks of the Nastapoka islands were first reported upon by 
 Dr. Robert Bell, who examined them in 1877, and whose report was 
 published in the Report of Progress of tlie Geological Survey for that 
 
 
" "" HUDSON BAT 
 
 year. The islands were again ^ isited in 1.S98 l.v the writer, wl,o made 
 a hurried examination of them while passing southward along the 
 east coast of Hudson bay ; the results .,f the observations then made 
 are pubhshed in the Annual Report, tieological Survey of Canada 
 Tol. XTIT. pp. 29DeC*ey. 
 
 HHYSICAI, FK.VrUHES OK THE XASTAPOK.A ISLANDS. 
 
 The Nastapoka islands lie close to the east coast of Hudson bay 
 They extend northward from five railes beyond the mouth of Little 
 Whale river, to a point about twenty-five miles north of the mouth of 
 I^nKland river, or, from N. Ut. 50 ,V to N. Lat. 57 50', a distance 
 of one hundred and twenty miles. 
 
 From their southern end to White Whale point in N. Lat. 57' the 
 general direction of the coast and islands is due north, while beyond 
 that to the head of the chain the general direction is north-northwest 
 The islands form a chain roughly parallel to the coast and, with the 
 exception of the distance between tlie two most nortlierly islands 
 (which are nineteen miles apart) lieclo.se together, the distance between 
 island and island rarely exceeding a mile and usually l,eing much les.s. 
 
 Nastapoka sound lies between them and the mainland, and varies 
 from one to three mile across, the average width being somewhat over 
 u mile. The sound so formed is like a broad river, and, except when 
 the wind blows directly up or down, it is safe and easy to navi-ale 
 with the smallest craft ; while the uepth of its channel will allow^the 
 largest ships to pass throu,<jh it without danger. When the winds 
 follow the channel, the strong currents caused by the tides raise an irre- 
 gular sea. 
 
 The inner or eastern sides of all the islands are formed of abrupt 
 chflFs with deep water close in-shore, while breaks in the cliffs form 
 small bays with safe and unobstructed anchorages, easy of approach 
 by large vessels. Towards the mainland the sound is also deep, but in 
 places, especially about rocky points, reefs lie off the coast ; and in the 
 neighbourhood of the mouths of rivers there are shallows caused by 
 the sand brought down by the streams and deposited outside. No safe 
 or commodious harbours are found along the mainland, the mouths of 
 Nastapoka and I^ngland rivers affording the only places of shelter for 
 small craft on that side of the sound. The channel leading to Nasta- 
 poka river is narrow and crooked, and must be entered about a mile to 
 the northward of the river and about half a mile from shore. It runs 
 southward and gnuiually approaches the land until opposite the mouth 
 
liKOLOLUM. Si (UK) IlK (;.\N.\|1A. 
 
 Vol.. Mil. Pun l»l>, I'r.MK Ml. 
 
 I'i'I'KH lllON (»KK BkIih on CHHLHTrK IsL.VMi. 
 
 Lan(;i.a.mi F.M.L.S on M.uni.anh opiwitk linoi ..hton I.si.,\ni,. 
 

 ""J IXTRODUCTIOK 7 do 
 
 of the river. The channel is from nine to twelve feet deep, with broad 
 sandy shoals on both sides, where the wat«r is less than a fathom deep- 
 Inside the mouth of the river is a small, safe harbour in a busin below 
 the rupids, which extend about one hundred yards to the falls, where the 
 nver descends perpendicularly one hundred feet. The entrance to Lang- 
 land river is more dang.Tou^, as the channel is less than fifty feet wide 
 find very crooked with a bar across it at the mouth of the river, covered 
 by less than four feet of watar at low tide. The harbour inside is small 
 out thorouKhly protected and the only ditticulty is in j-etting into it 
 The average rise and fall of the tide along the sound is about three 
 feet. 
 
 The islands of the Xastapoka group vary in size from small wave- 
 washed islets to one thirteen miles long and nearly three miles across 
 in Us widest part, known as Broughton island. (Jreat u.id snull, they 
 number sixty-five in all, including the following larger islands in order 
 from south to north : Flint, Belanger, Kass, Anderson, Lutit, Clarke, 
 Uilhes, Taylor, Miller, Gordon, Mowatt, Christie, Davieau, Xioholsou, 
 Broughton, McTavish and Cotter. The islands were named after offi- 
 cers of the Hudson's Bay Company who are or were connected with the 
 company's posts situated on Hudson bay, and whose many kindnesses 
 and willing aid extended to visiting members of the staff of the Geolo- 
 gical Survey, have in a great measure ensured the success of the various 
 explorations undertaken in the past through the vast northern regions 
 practically under their control. 
 
 The physical character of the islands is similar throughout the chain • 
 they are all formed from beds of stratified rocks, sometimes associated 
 with flat sheets of trap. The rocks, although faulted, have a general 
 dip towards the west ; while, on their inner or eastern side, they are 
 broken into sharp cliffs. The configuration of the islands conforms to 
 the attitude of the rocks and consequently they all present sharp clifls 
 towards the sound, while on their western sides they slope <rently 
 and have low shores. Tlie cliffs on the larger islands reach, in places, 
 an elevation of upwards of 350 feet, but, as a rule, are between 100 
 feet and 200 feet high. They are broken into many small irregular bays 
 and headlands, and the eastern shore is, as a rule, quite rocky, except 
 in the bays where the lower cliffs are largely masked w h sandy drift. 
 
 The surface of the island-s, as before mentioned, has always a gentle 
 slope westward, but this general slope is by no means regular, as the 
 rocks have been thrown into roughly parallel ridges, similar in charac- 
 ter, that is, each with a low cliff towards the east and a gentle slope 
 westward, so that many of the islands are traversed by several low 
 
8 DD 
 
 iiUDsoir BAV 
 
 rocky ridgeH, running north and south, each ridge somewhat lower 
 timn that next to it on the east. Narrow shallow valicys occupy tlie 
 intervals between the ridges, their bottoms usually filled with sandy 
 drift and dotted over with small lakes and ponds. 
 
 The drift on the islands is formed into terraces and old beache* at 
 dilTerent elevations from the present sea-level to the summits of the 
 highest islands, marking the various levels at which the islands rested 
 during the uplift of the land at 'he close of thfi glacial period ; and 
 showing that during that period thi present islands were below sea 
 level. Similar 'evidence oti the adjacent mainland shows that the 
 total elevation of the land since the ice i.ge has been upwards of 700 feet . 
 
 The outer or western shores of the islands are low, with rocky points 
 and outlying reefs separating wide bays with sandy or boulder-strewn 
 shores. A number of small harbours occur along the outer shores, but 
 their entrances are usually obstructed by reefs and the whole of the 
 outer shores are dangerous of approach to large ships, owing to shallow 
 water broken by submerged reefs which extends a considerable distance 
 from this side of the islands. 
 
 The channels between the islands are usually deep, but they are 
 ill places obstructed by reefs. An entrance to the sound with large 
 ships should only be made between the larger and higher islands, as, 
 where the islands are small and low the water between them is gene- 
 nilly shallow and the bottom lui"py. 
 
 A few stunted spruce trees grow on the western side of Belanger 
 island near the south end of the chain. These are the only represen- 
 tatives of the forest, the islands being elsewhere barren. 
 
 Small, northern willows grow a foot or so above the ground in 
 protected gullies and everywhere else the sandy soil is covered with 
 arctic lichens, mosses, sedges and flowering plants, which never rise 
 more than a few inches above the ground. Notwithstanding the 
 absence of tre«iS the surface of the islands has far from a desolate 
 appearance in summer, when it resembles a highly cultivated region 
 in broken country, whos- face is beautifully di\ersifitd by the flowers 
 and foliage of the.se arctic j.Iants, while little lakes nestlinj; tween 
 low ridges of barren rocks add charm to the picture. 
 
 CENKRAL CKOLOr.y OF THE y.\ST.VPOKA ISDAND8. 
 
 The Nastapoka islands are formed from unaltered sedimentary rocks 
 consisting of dolomites, sandstones, shales, jaspilytes, cherts and 
 
low] QENEKAL OKOLOliV !) UD 
 
 ferruginous hIiiiIrs. Assoc'iate<l with thexe rccki are sheets of dark 
 grupii trap, which have t)een injected between the VKsddiiig of tlic 
 stratified rockH or have been Kurface-flowti conteu)p3ruiieou8 witli 
 tliP formatiou of the sediments. A giaywiicke slate, whicli appears to 
 have been formed by the deposit of voleimic aslies, is also associated 
 with tliesu rocks. The following is a general s<-ction of the rocks 
 forming the islands; iind is made from the measured .section'', given in 
 dotoil later in the report. 
 
 Descending order. 
 
 Felt. 
 
 1. Kusty wcatht-i'inif, ilaik i.'imv. sili'icam nick cniitaiiiing 
 
 ttnki'rite lcarb<muti' >>l irnn aihl inii^'iu'.ii:t| uml iimfrix'tit)'. 'JO tii lUO 
 
 2. I)ark-(fray nilicicnw iiick containiiig iiiiiKii'tito witli »iiiiill 
 
 quantities of ankrrite "lO to 150 
 
 3. Kfd jadpilytn licli ill Imiimtittj lire 10 tii IfXl 
 
 4. Ki'd jatiiilytr joir ill ht'iiiiititi' «ir "i tip 20 
 
 .■|. I'urpU', (ir jrriiiii.tti\viatliuriii(r, dark trn-'in. gtaywacki' 
 
 HlialfH 10 ti) 70 
 
 11. Ri<i jaBiiilyti' pii..r ill liiiii.itite (in- U to .1 
 
 T. Linlit )fri-,iii-ili KT'iv siiKl»t in' and nholi' 10 to 30<l 
 
 J*. Vine graiiiwldiiliiiiiitr O to DO 
 
 The rusty weathering, (iiu k-gray silicious rocks of the first division 
 (1) are found on all the islards from Flint to McTavish, being wanting 
 only on Cotler island. 1 he typical rock is a dark gray chert made up 
 of finely divided silica showing under the microscope small grains of 
 ((uartz tilled in by later aioessiuns of that material in a finely divided 
 state. It contains minute crystals of magnetite scattered through the 
 miss, and also patches of crystalline carbunates. At the southern end 
 of the chain it is cherty and sometimes light green in colour. The»e 
 rocks are u.sually in thin beds, the parting between the beds filled 
 with brownish ankerite, which also occurs in flat lenticular masses 
 inclosed in the cherts ; many of these nia.sses are several inches in 
 thickness and several square feet in area, so that the rock usually con- 
 tains from twenty to fifty frcentoi ankerite. These ores are too much 
 broken and too intimately mixed with the cherts tor profitable nining. 
 The rusty character of the rock is due to surface decomposition of 
 ankerite to linioi.'te. The lieds increase in thickness as the islands 
 are followed nor. b..ard, and reach theii" maximum development on 
 Davieau island and northward to McTavish island where they have a 
 thickness of fifty feet. These measures can bo traced southward from 
 the Nastapoka chain in the outer islands lying along the coast for 
 upward of 150 miles, being lost seen on Long island just north of Cape 
 Jones, where tliey are overlaid by a considerable thickness of trap. 
 
10 r.D 
 
 IICbHON UAV 
 
 The Hecontl iliviaion of ilie section in an arWitrary one, ami wr» miide 
 to cinbrac.' uil the \>inh contiiiriing iiiipiirtanl d«po.sit.-* of m(i">ictite. 
 The upper Infiisi of the division gitulo into those of division I, while 
 the lower piis» jfradually into division III. 
 
 The typical rook of these nieasur-s is n dark gray, tine graiii.-il 
 variety of ijuartzite ihert, contjiining consideialile magnetite scalterol 
 through it in minute crystals ; it also containn small «|ua'!titins of car- 
 bonates (if iron, magnesia and lime. The beds are usually thin (from 
 one to tw..lv,! inches) and the piMtings between them an- filled with a 
 mixture of aili.a and magnetite with small iiuantilios of ankerite. 
 These partings vary in thickness, but are generally thin between the 
 upper beds of the division, and i|uite thick (six inches to forty-eight 
 inches) towards the bottom, where they form importimt ores of iron ; as 
 the beds of chert are often, (|uite thin between two or more thick 
 partings of ore and might easily be neglected in mining. The mixture 
 of silica and magnetite in the ore is an intimate one, with the silica 
 usually in a finely divided -state. 
 
 The proportion of these substances is not constant, so that the ores 
 vary from a lean ferruginous chert, to a rich ore containing upwards 
 of sixty })<r i-ent of iron. Large quantities of the better ores occur in 
 the lower beds of the division. The occurence of these ores between 
 the beds of gray siliciou.s rock, and their intimate as.sociation with 
 finely divided silica point to their deposition and enrichment from the 
 infdtrations of waters carrying solutions of iron and silica which were 
 deposited by the watfers in cracks and between the l)e<lding of the 
 already-formed silicious rocks. This mode of formation has been des- 
 cribed by Van Hise for similar ores in the Lake Superior region. 
 
 On the three southern islands of the chain, there is a gradual change 
 in the nature of these measures. Tliey pass into a brownish-black, 
 silicious shale, rich in iron and containing eonsiderable carbon as small 
 scales of graphite. This is the form in which they tire found to the 
 southward of the islands as far as Long island. The thickness of the 
 division is very constant on the islands northward to McTavish, but it 
 does not occur on Cotter island. 
 
 The rocks belonging to the third division, as lx;fore stated, grade into 
 the division above them and the line between them cannot be drawn 
 sharply. 
 
 The typical rock of this division is finegrained and very silicioun, 
 with minute particles of silica coated with red oxide of iron, forming a 
 coarse impure red jasper. 
 
■ KMKHAI. (iKol.illiV 
 
 11 III) 
 
 • 
 
 The*., j.wp,.!' r..,.k^ UMully occur in thin l.r..k.-n Un.tii with tl.n 
 partinKs helut-.n lluu. lilled will, a linelyiJivide,! mittur- ..»' 
 hciimtitc, miiijMetite und lasper. Tho h..-hmtiu> i» grratly in excesM ,.f 
 liie niiiKnutit.-. Tho ii«s(Ki,Ui...i .,f the ir..n ores and thr jasper is inti- 
 mut« and they must hav,.U«n.lt'pf.sitf.d simultumHuisly from aMUfons 
 Molution* probably leached fn.n. tho cher.y carU.nate m.^surcs alK>u. 
 .Microscopic sections from these rocks are ahnostithnticai with those of 
 j-ispilyte (iifurod l.y Va„ Hi,,. i„ his monograph on tlic iron-hearing rocks 
 of tiiH r.ak.- Superior re-Ion ; and they must have had tiie same nriKin 
 as he has as«igne,l to those rcK^ks, namely ; enrichments deposited l,v 
 water subse.,uent to thn formation of the be.hh-.i rocks in wlich the'v 
 are found as partin!,'s, md tilling the most minute cavities. 
 
 The amount of ore in this admixture of hematite and jaspier varies 
 greatly ; where the ore is p.Mjr, the jaspery rock j.redominate.s and 
 incloses lenses of hematite, while where the hematite is most plentiful 
 K incloses similar lenses of jasper. The detailed descrij.tion of these 
 rocks, given later, shows that the measures of this divigion contain an 
 immense amount of hematite. The rocks of the division do not o<cur 
 on all the islands, being wanting on Flint, Behinger and Ross On 
 Anderson they are repre.sented by a few thin beds not rich in ore, 
 while on Clarke they form the summit of the section witJi a thicknes' 
 of eighty feet. They reach their ma.vimum development on Gilli, s 
 and Taylor where their ores are richest and most concentrated : farther 
 northward they become thinner and poorer in ore, being twenty feet 
 thick on Davieau and only eight feet thick on McTavish, where they 
 die out. No trace of these measures is found underlying the upper 
 rocks on the islands south t.f the Nastapoka group. 
 
 The fourth division, c.msisting of red jaspilj tes is an arbitrary one 
 of use only as a subdivision of the iron bearing rocks. Wherever the 
 jaspilytes are well developed, the ricl,er beds nre underlain with lean.r 
 measures, unfit for working and these poor.i ores constitute this divi- 
 sion. On Clarke island these beds nie twenty feet thick ; on (Jilljes 
 they vary from ten to twenty feet in thickness, on Taylor ten feet 
 while to the northward, they merge into the overlying, liWsion, all poor 
 •.u iron ores. 
 
 The rocks of tlie fifth divisio., dilTer from those of the rest of the 
 section, in that they are of volcanic origin, probably trap-ash rocks 
 contemporaneous with an outHow of trap, which, on the northern and 
 southern islands, occurs nt the same horizon. 
 
 The rock is a purple or greenish-weathering, dark green, fine "rained 
 Rraywack", with a horizontal shaly cleavage. It is formed from finely 
 
12 OD 
 
 HUlMOIf ttAX 
 
 dividtHJ nnd partly mumled trniftMntit of yi]auM']atte, bi^ilicaU-s (largi-ly 
 d'-c-ompcMed f<> chlorite) nnd roiindpd grnins <rf i|Uitrtz. which indicnte 
 • .tediuiPiitary charuoter, while iu otlier conitituentu point to an 
 ignw)u» origiii, proiiably the .mIioh of n volcanic outhurnt deposited in 
 a Nhttlldw sea. 
 
 [n pln<-eft the shalex contain xm.tU partingK of hematite ; and at 
 timeH portinnK of them are coited on the Hurfaee, lo aa to reieiuhle 
 metallic iron. Theie nre not rich in iron ore. 
 
 Tliew mr- rfures were first noted on Clarke island, where th^y have 
 a thickne of seventy-five feet. On Uillies they are nixty feet thick ; 
 nn I'hristie eigiity (ivf foot ; on Davimu lesH than titty feet ; on 
 Biou>;hton thirty feet ; and on .McTavish Hfty feet. They disappear 
 in the interval of nineteen miles separating McTavish from Cotter, 
 lieing rcpresentetl on the latter island by twenty feet of Hne-grained 
 trap, overlying the sandstone of the seventh division. Twenty five 
 miles northward of Cotter, the trap is agai^i seen in the Hopewell 
 islands, where it overlies similar sdndstones and attains a thickness of 
 upwards of a hundred feet. On Belanger, Iloss and Anderson islands 
 sheets of traps, wholly or in part, occupy the horizon of the graywacke 
 .shales on the other islands. On Belanger thirty-five feet of graywacke 
 shales rest upon three feet of trap, which latter overlies twenty feet of 
 gray-wacke shale, resting upon twenty-five feet of trap. 
 
 On Iloss and Anderson the trap underlying the iron-bearing rocks 
 only rises slightly above sea level and its thickness ii unknown. On 
 Flint island, fifteen feet of trap rest upon lieds of arkose sandstone 
 which probably was largely formed from volcanic ashes. 
 
 The rocks of ti. six divi.sions are limited to Gillies, Davieau and 
 McTavish islands This jaa{)er rock ia in thia l)edg or Hags without 
 hematite III' s On McTavish island the jasper splits into thin tiags, 
 is nicely mottled and would prove < ffective for interior hou.se decora- 
 tion. 
 
 The sandstone .ind associated siliciousshaie-sconstitutini; the seventh 
 division are found in the lower portions of all the prominent eastern 
 points of the islands. The sandstone is always light coloured, with 
 generally, a greenish or pinkish tinge to the gray. A number of massive 
 beds occur in the measures, but as a rule, the sandstone is thin-bedded 
 and flaggy with the surface of the flags ripple-marked. It is essen- 
 tially composed of ijuart/ grains, but often holds considerable quanti- 
 ties of tl' rbonates of lime and magnesia, especially on the northern 
 islands, '• it is difficult to determine whether some of the lieds are 
 
LUW ] 
 
 nKNKKAL (1K0L0(>V 
 
 13 Ul> 
 
 Hilifiouu liinostone or calcarooua itanilruck. Mmiy ,,! tin' Uni* ountiiin 
 nuiaII •plotchM of •nkeriti- ; and at timeN •iimll jjHrni-N »re found in 
 the upptr, luoxiiivu Mm. Thi- shali-ii (orin pitrtinyii U'tw.K'n the winds- 
 tone hetli, imlicatinff that the whole of the luemture^ were (IPfMMited 
 in »h»Ilow water. The shalen are very Hilicioua and unually of • li«ht 
 green i:olour. 
 
 The dolomiteH forininni the eighth and lowent division are only met 
 with at the eaatern point of Helanger inland. They are very much 
 contorted and broken where »e<n ; and theconUot \ jen them and 
 the overlying cu.idstoneH in comejled by drift, ho that it i» im(H>Mibl« 
 to lUte whet'^er or not they uonfornial.ly underli,, the nnndiitone. The 
 sandstone where last seen alwvo the drift is undiiturb.-d, in markeil 
 contrast to the dolomites below, and there may be a line of fault Ijet- 
 ween them. 
 
 The rocks formiiiK the Nustiipoka islands have ii general dip to tht' 
 westward, or towards the seu ; the angle of dip i.s ginorully lowfrom 
 y to 15 . This generid westward dip is by no means uniform iind 
 regular, us the rocks are thrown into roughly parallel ridges running 
 north and south a. ,i separated by intervals varying from a few t.-et 
 to several hundred yards across. These parallel ridges are the result 
 of U'.throws along lines of .ault, the upthrow being alwayx on the 
 western side, and consequently the neks on that side are always 
 higher and have stasper faces than those on the opposite side of the 
 fault. The amount of displacement at any nf these faults is gi-nerally 
 small and rarely exceeds one hundred feet. As a result of the displace- 
 ments caused by t'lese faults the surfaces of the islands always give 
 one or more repetitions of the upper measures. 
 
 The stratigraphy is further complicated by another series of faults 
 lying transverse V> the tirat system. These two series of faults have 
 broken the measures into huge blocks more or less recUngular in shajw, 
 and the unequal throw of the transverse faults has tilted these blocks 
 so that they often dip diagonally to the northward or southward of 
 west, resembling, on a gigantic scale, ice piled along shore by pressure 
 from seaward. Tin' present condition and position of the rocks must 
 have been due l orae such pressure acting from seaward, which 
 forcefl them agaii the inert mat^ses of granite and crystalline rocks 
 forming the mainland, causing them to buckle along lines parallel to 
 the coast and forcing huge cakes of rock to over-ride one another. 
 
 The buckling at these parallel faults, on the islands, represents on a 
 smaller scale what took place along a great line of fault which extended 
 fully three hundred miles along the east coast of Hudson bay, from 
 
It fl> 
 
 ii(-mo<( luY 
 
 Chiw .loncn to Purtlinil priniioritiiry, iinil «iiii".'«l ilie uplift i.f lx)nB 
 UlmiiJ, th« (iiiior itluruN hrtwfi-ti it nntl thi' Nu»tu|M>kn ialitmU »ri<l tli» 
 Nn«ti»pok« niwl HopowHI i«lnnti«, nil of whiili (.pUina I., tli*- "■amn 
 Kfolonicitl horiziin. Th«i uplift nUmn lliii fiiult htir iiiu'<t hnvn Ix'ni 
 Hj'Vf'm! hunclrrd fiwt, whilftlit' hori/ontnl mo\i<mciit of ilir rocks wtt» 
 much KrcHter l)mn tho uplift. A ■••cornl ifretkl liiu' of fiiult and ov#r- 
 thrunt ii4 iixlii'itt^l by tliK ixMition of ntlisr unnltcr««J im'kt of thin 
 •iitiiiiition wliich lio u|><m thn j{riiiiil<>* Mini ntlicr iocUh of th« inninlnml, 
 froiii the north fiiil of Uichmoml Kulf to (lie vioini^y of Ciipt- .lonen, ii 
 ilintuncw of nenrly two liurulr.-d inil<"<, The rocki of tliia division alwi 
 exhibit » K«ri(<H of minor pitritllt'l (iiuUh likt> thima (UnoriU'd iibovc. The 
 ll<>lcner ami ot'ii-r iMiuucU stretch in linns piirnllel to tlia const, from 
 Morihward of t ii|i« .lon.«» U> Ixsyond I'ortliind pronioMt<iry, and »r« 
 from forty to »ev.iity miles olV the land. The»«< islamU resemble in 
 pliy«ic«l ihnrocter to thoxo lyinjj cloni" to the count and hH>e probably 
 Ijeen thrown up fnmi the m-n Itottoni oy h Kimiliir ^rt-ut owrthrust 
 ulon^^ corresponding lines of fault. The riK-ks ..f the Nnstapoka inlands 
 are not only faulted, but nn^ iils(» thrown into uitiilinol and synclii.al 
 folds. ThtMe folds ore always gentle and only on McTavish island does 
 the unglo of *uch a fold excifd 20 on i-itlier side, and even thi.s 
 mmlerate fold is broken olong its crest. This slight folding liefore the 
 l)iickling of the rocks shows ihul at the time the pressure, causing 
 luovemontH in them, was exerted, the r.H-ks were at or close to the 
 surface, rind the Inck of pressure from super-iiuposed strata allowed 
 them to break rather than fold, as they would have done had they 
 Ix'en deeply buried beneath newer formations. 
 
 The geological position of the rocks of the NastajKikn group is ditti- 
 ciilt to determine, owing to the great and minor faults which have 
 di'iplaceil them and other measures of the formation to which they 
 belong. The mainland, from opposite Flint islond to Anderson Island 
 is occupied by a .series of similar unaltered rocks belonging undoubted- 
 ly to the same formation. They are largely dolomites, limestones and 
 -andstones, senerully resting unconformably upon be<l8 of arkose and 
 arkosc sand.stone, but opposite Anderson island lying immediately 
 uj, jn granites. A great thickness of bedded trap overlies these strati- 
 lied rocks. The.se unalten-d rocks of the mainland dip gently west 
 ward, and if no line of fault followed Nastaj'oka sound, the rocks of 
 the islands would est conformably upon them, and consequently 
 would be newer and higher in the incisures of the formation than the 
 r(K!ks of the mainland. 
 
LU». 
 
 (IKWRNM. lillll.Ot.V 
 
 |-. 
 
 A «u.ly of th« m.Mi.iirr. diM|,l„y...| i„ th- «..it(>..rn rliff* ..f Uiol,. 
 inond «,,ir. .,p,K»ii,. lUOnriK-r i»lai..l. w«» ,„«,|,. i„ |f<u.j n^,, ,„ 
 .mbrolc^n ...rip« wm f.,ui..l rUinir, rn,,„ « c,K,i,e «rk.w rocH, ihr..u«|, 
 «rk.«,c wminon. H uml .hale. i„t., li^l.t ...,l..,m.,l pinkinl. »,ui „r.^.ni,h 
 -nndnon.. .„,| ,iiiei.,u, ,|„U,., v.ry lik« tb.«.- of il... tK.tto.n mr«,urrs 
 ..r th„ u|«,„N. H,H,i„„ c„nfo,„„h!y Oh the*, m^nU.m^ au,\ ,l.«l,., 
 WM „ con.i.J..r«blM thi. kno.» ,.< I..«,. j,,pi|y„, „,(,„,, „ i„, ^r.ivw,iok« 
 >l.«l,.» hav,n„ ,Urk „r.y »V.ru„i„uu, .h«, t, ..Ih.v.. tl,.,,,. whi|,.'on ton 
 were .lolonutr. linu»..„... „,„| ,nn.l«tone ,a,,,H..| w,tl. trap. Km,., ihrn 
 • I U .nf.rmi th.t th. N»,t,.p.,k« giou,, of r.. k, w„h thei.- important 
 
 ;^""- *''""« """''•- '"lonKto lhoi.,id,II„ ,K.r(io„of ti.e so cull.nJ 
 
 t «i« ,rmn for.,..ilKmof the |,^i,inKulu „. UL.wior. Co,.Hi..,u..n. Iv thry 
 .m.old.-r th»„ the ro-kn of the c-.K.Ht u.mI und-rlie .1.,,... Though 
 thru-t u,.hv a K.-»t fault. th.y .r..,„in«ly ov,. Hi., d. .s« roc-k. which 
 form lh„ ,umu.it of th.- fon,.«tiou «Io,.k the .««t co,t.t of Hudson l.ay. 
 Ur«o .r..n. of similar un»her,.<l »«liment«rv rocks occur throuKhoue 
 th. p,n,„,uU of Iwibrador. an.Ure prohahly the ...,uiv.h.nr« of ceruin 
 of the ,ron.lN...in,.K .erie, «l«mt l..k. .Su,«rior and of tho,„ to th,. 
 we«twnnl of Hud«m b*y. ».,u.d «,ecinien, f.ora the*.- locahtics Ihm.w 
 undiHtii.Kuwhahle, ho clonHy do they re.e.nl.K. one unotlu-r. 
 
 On former ..m,H of ,M.rtions of th,. peninsula <>t Ul.rudor, thr a.«as 
 of rocks l^longu.K to this formation have la-en c„lo„re,l an helonginK 
 to .„. Cambrian formation, ami in th.- earlier reports on this region, 
 the rock, were thought to !«■ a part of that .ystem. owing to heir 
 unaltered condition, in contrast with all the other rocks of thai vast 
 area that were either crystalline granites and other irrupte.1 rocks, or 
 crystalline schists and gneisses, so completely n.etan.orphosed as to 
 havelowf Ml trace of chcir original se.limentary nature, if any we.v 
 sediment, The.o highly crysulline rocks were classed «s l^ufentian 
 or Hu.on..n and were considere«l to be much older than the unaltered 
 rocks of the «..calle.l Cambrian an-as. More extended and clccr 
 study of both the unaltered and crystalline rocks an-l of their relations 
 to one another has changed the views of the writer; and he now con- 
 s.ders the unaltered, so-called Cambrian rooks to be the e.,„iv„lents of 
 many of the gneisse, and schists classed as Laureutian (Crenvill. 
 Series) and the Huronian areisof the Labra.lor peninsula to reprev nt 
 a portion of the unaltered r-.ls and their associaied Uaic eruptive^ 
 (traps, trapash, .tc..) alter, d by the irr.=ption of granite and rendered 
 schistose by pressure. The granites which have l,een cla.s8ed 03 typical 
 Uurentian. always cut and alter the U dded rocks wherever seen in 
 direct contact with them an.l are conse,,uentlv newer than the latter. 
 
16 uu 
 
 iiunaoN UAV 
 
 The above observed facts extending over large areas of the peninsula, 
 the result of several years study of the rocks, have led the author to 
 conclude that the term Caml>rian as applied to these unaltered rocks 
 is a misnomer, as considered in their relations with the surrounding 
 areas classed as Laurentian and Huronian, they are of similar or grea- 
 ter age than the rocks so classed : and the term Cumbrian is confined 
 elsewhere, to rocks of more recent formation than the Laurentian or 
 Huronian. 
 
 The age of these unaltered rooks is unknown, but is undoubtedly 
 very great. No fossils have as yet been determined from them, but 
 there appears to be evidence of low forms of life both animal and vege- 
 table in them ; as without them it i< difficult to account for the depo- 
 sition of the large quantities of carbon in the shales of this formation. 
 The taking into solution of iron and its redeposition wns possible due 
 to the action of organic acids. Certain of the limestones contain con- 
 cretions of alternate concentric layers of chert and limestone, which 
 resemble fossils of low animal organisation. During the past season, 
 very thin layers of carbon with some resemblance to organic forms 
 were found in the sandstones of Cotter island ; these have the appear- 
 ance of lowly organized plant life. If there are fossils in these rocks 
 they represent a low type of life, lower than the known fossils from 
 the lowest beds of the Cambrian, and consequently this formation is 
 older than the Cambrian. It is proposed, therefore, to class these so- 
 called Cambrian unaltered rocks as Laurentian, as they represent the 
 oldest, known sedimentary rocks in the North East of America and 
 probably in the world. 
 
 BETAII.KD DEaCRlHTIONS OF THE PHYSICAL FEATURES AND (iEOLOIiV OF 
 THE NASTAPOKA ISLANDS. 
 
 Flint island is the most southern of the Nastapoka chain of islands, 
 and lies about five miles to the northwest of the mouth of Little Whale 
 river. The island is roughly triangular in shape, with each side 
 nearly three ([uarters of a mile in length. The cojivex base faces north- 
 we-st, or towards the open sea ; the otliei- sides are concave with very 
 short angular points breaking the regularity of the curves. The island 
 is rockv with a few areas of terraced drift at the heads of the small 
 bays. The summit of the island rises less than fifty feet above the 
 sea. Tlic rocks dip at small angles towards the northwest and are the 
 cause of low and abrupt cli 's along the southern and eastern shores, 
 anil of gentle slopes towards tin -vest. 
 
"•'•I l'IIV8IC\L FEATURES AXIi (;EOI,0<;V 17 DD 
 
 The total tl.icki.ess of r.xk spcn on Flint island is al^ut one hiin- 
 <lr.d feet and is as given in the tollowing section : 
 
 , ^, H'"'t. 
 
 1. rmc >,'i:iiiif<l, ({iiriiiuli chtTt 
 
 •J. Kusiv vviith^rintf, B'->'i>i»li ^iml lir..»iii<li, ^ili(•i,^H, I,-iiii^ii„,ii< 
 shall-, iti |,latv»ciintainiii(f Kiiiiill ciiIh's. if ipjriti' .Vl 
 
 3. <',„„|„u.t, (fr«Miii.h trii|i-r.Kk, ooiitaiiiin>r,itV.vv veins ,,f ia-i»i- ami 
 inattii.titf. tiKi small fur w.irkiiiR i;, 
 
 i. I Viaisf. riwldUli (frcii, arliDse samlnick ;*, 
 
 Ti> «..a I.-v.-l. Total .,.-, 
 
 A vein of .|uartz rontaiiiinj,' a hisjli percrnta^'e of inan>;aiiifen.us 
 siderite occurs on th.- island, althoush its exact locality was not deter 
 rained. Fraa;infnts from the vein, show that it is from eight to ten 
 inches wide, and that about fifty per cent of its mass is ore. The ore 
 is valuable owing to the lar^je .[uautity of manganese carried by it, but 
 the vein is probably too narrow for profitable working. 
 
 Helanger island lies alwut a mile and a half north of Flint island. Its 
 nean'st .-ipproach to the mainland is just south of the entrance to 
 Kichmond gulf, where the sound is less than a mile wide. 
 
 The island is roughly triangular in shaj*, but uidike Flint i-'-md, 
 its northwest side is concave and the others convex, each side being 
 about three miles long. The rocks have a general, gentle dip towards 
 the northwest and the surface of the island conforms to the slope of the 
 rocks; conse(|uently, on the inner, or south and ea.st sides, steep cliffs 
 rise abruptly from the sea. These clitls at the inner angle have a 
 maximum height of nearly .'00 feet, and decrease gradually in eleva- 
 tion towards the west and north. On the outer or northwest face the 
 coast is low with wide smdy bays separate.1 by low rocky points. Deep 
 water is found clo.se under the cliffs on the inner side of the island 
 while on the outside a number of r.-efs lie parallel to the shore in the 
 shallow water, which extends a considerable distance from the land 
 rendiM-ing an approach from seaward dangerous. A rocky sprit just 
 south of the inner point forms a small boat harbour, good only for 
 north and westerly winds, as it is too small to prevent the sea fn.m 
 throwinj; a heavy swell when the wind is from the south or cast. 
 
 The surface of the island is broken by rocky ridges caused by minor 
 faults in the stratification of the rocks. There are considerable areas 
 covered with .sandy and coarser drift, esi)ecially on the western part of 
 the island. (J ravel and boulder ridges are seen at different levels, 
 Huite to the summit of the island, and indicate the rise of the land 
 since the post-glacial subsidence. 
 
 l.'i — DD — 2 
 
18 DD 
 
 HUDSON BAY 
 
 The surface of the drift and many of the rocks are covered with 
 arctic lichens, shrubs and flowering plants, which seldom grow more 
 than an inch or so, above the ground. Arctic willows grow to heights 
 of two or three feet in protected gullies, and a few small, stunted spruce 
 trees are scattered over tlie western part of the island ; on the mainland 
 the trees extend along tiie coast some fifteen miles farther north to 
 Fishing lake opposite Anderson island. 
 
 The following section was measured from the high cliffs near the 
 little harbour on the inner side of the island and shows the measur»»s 
 of the Nastapoka series from its Iwttom to near the summit. 
 
 111. 
 n. 
 li 
 ut. 
 It. 
 1,-.. 
 
 Hi. 
 17. 
 18. 
 lil. 
 2<>. 
 21. 
 22. 
 23. 
 24. 
 
 *'") 
 
 2ti. 
 27. 
 2".l. 
 
 2!l. 
 30. 
 31. 
 32. 
 3 
 
 Dark^ray, silicioun cloloiiiitf, ni>ty.«ciitli<riii(f fruui contained 
 
 irciii ; hcilds Inrgp lintiuuliir patclies and broken hand-, of aiik>rit.' 
 
 (a carUinatc (f imii aud magncnla) 
 
 (.'iinccali'd (|)r<il)alily Ni> 3| 
 
 Rinty weathering, dark gret-n, silicii. lis >liale, liijflily ferniffinoiin, 
 
 ani! ,i|.|iarcntly of ijyrurlasticori({in 
 
 Kin-- ifrained. dark trieiMi trap 
 
 Dart (treen, browuniuttled, ferru^'inous chert ; in flairs with thin 
 
 partings of o.\ide of in.n ; iirubaMy an ash rcH'k 
 
 Very fine grained, dark green trap 
 
 liight ,ind d.ark gray, handstjiie and ipiartzite. splitting int-,i 
 
 large flags 
 
 tJr.ay quart/ite 
 
 ti^eelli.^h, siliciiius .ihale 
 
 Light gray ipiartzite 
 
 Light green, silicioiis shale 
 
 White (piartzite.. 
 
 I iray ami greenish, shaly sand-ttine 
 
 White (piartzite 
 
 Light greeni.«li, silicioas shale and .sandstone 
 
 ( ireenish, silicious shale 
 
 Liglit greenish gray sand iie 
 
 I Jreenish, silicious shall 
 
 Light gray sandstone, with a few thin jiartini.'- of L'reen shale 
 
 Light greenish shale ami sandstont in tliin Uils 
 
 Light gray sandstone 
 
 Light greenish, ^ilicious shale 
 
 Light gray sandstone 
 
 Light greenish and reddish sliales 
 
 Light gray sandstone 
 
 Fine grained, light greenish, very silicious dolomite. 
 
 Light gray, friable sandstone i 
 
 Keet. 
 
 1.-.II 
 
 3.'. 
 
 (ireenishand pinkisii, silicious sliales 
 Light gray sandsti>ne 
 
 (ireenisli. sil 
 
 1 
 
 shale 
 
 Light 
 
 gray 
 eealed , 
 
 icioi 
 andstone. 
 
 light greenish weathering, ver\ 
 
 gi allied, greenish gray lime 
 
 stone or dolomite with thin jKirfiiigs of ipiartTiite holding gainets. 
 
PHYSICAL /KATIRES AVI. 'iKOI.OOV 
 
 19 bU 
 
 F.-.t, 
 
 .Some ,. th.. b.Ml, w,mld afford K,«Kllith.,;,rapl,ic.t.m.,l„„f„r 
 thf »(iitt<Ted (fraiiw of i,iiartz in th.Tii . •„, 
 
 34, YHll„w.„eatheri.,K. medium uruined dol„.„iu. ; with io„creti.m».>f ' 
 hm.rKra.n«ld„i„„,it., tr,.,u tw„ ,„ tweh.. i„cl„ ,. in di,.n,eter. 
 A-..^,ated and nnxed with band, „f li^htK^n. v.-rv finn grained 
 l.liie iiiiifHtdnf : all njiich cimtortwl. .^ 
 
 Til wa level 
 
 Total 
 
 Ii43 
 
 In the atK,ve section, :{, 4 and r, correspond with the rcx^ks of Flint 
 island, wh.l^ 1, :. and 4 are the .r,uivalents of th. iron-bearing rocks 
 of the ..land, to the norrhward. [n places ..n those islands other 
 members of the section are .net with ,0 within a short distance above 
 JJ which is nowhi.re seen excepting on B..langer ishmd. 
 
 Koss island lies immediately north of Belanger, from wnich it i, 
 separated by a channel nearly a mile wide. This channel. bei,.g oi.po- 
 site the narrow entrance to Richmond gulf (a tidal lake son-.e twenty 
 five ra.les l„„g > , twenty miles wide), feels the sweep of the currents 
 rushing in and out of the entrance. Consequently it is only during 
 ■e most severe weather, and long after the rest ,.f Nastapoka sound 
 •s trozen over, that this channel freezes. The Eskimos travellim^ 
 a^ong the coast during the early winter are obliged to pa.ss out.^ide 
 Belanger and Ross islands in order to avoid this open water. 
 
 The longer axis of Ross island lies nearly north and south • its 
 greatest length is two miles and its widest part never exceeds a mile 
 across. In shape it roughly approximates a half moon with the horns 
 directed westward. The island, on its eastern face, rises in steep cliffs 
 rom200 to 300 feet above the sea. with deep water close to their 
 base, so that .t is impossible to anchor along the inner side. The outer 
 shore forms a wide flat bay, ending in low rocky points, the mmain- 
 der ot the shore being sandy. 
 
 A small island separated by a narrow channel lies, as a continuation 
 of the cliff, off each end of the island. Jteyontl and close to the north- 
 ern islet are two others, lying at right angles to its dirction. Between 
 these islands is an excellent harbour open only to th. eastward. 
 
 The measures displayed in the cliffs are similar to those of Belan<.er 
 island from the trap G, upwards. Dark silicious shale predominates 
 with a thickness ot nearly 200 feet. A few beds of dark gray chert 
 are scattered throu.h the shales, becoming more plentiful towards the 
 top, where the shales pass into a cherty. ferruginous dolomite, or rather 
 a ferrugi„ou.s, dolomitic, silicious rock of a dark gray colour The 
 beds of shale are often highly charged with oxid. of iro'n ; and minute 
 
 1 .•} _DD— 2 J 
 
20 Du 
 
 iri'DSON HAY 
 
 crystals of magnetite arr rm t with throughout the iireasures. The dark 
 silicious rock contains considerable magnetite iind also concretions 
 and thin, broken bands of ankeritp. These measures, although ijuite 
 ferru},'inous can not be classed as practical ores of iron as the percen- 
 tage of contained iron is too lf)W. 
 
 Anderson is the next large island north of Ross. Its greatest length, 
 from south-west to northeast, is three miles and a half ; while in its 
 widest part it is about two miles across. The shape of the island iiears 
 a rough re.semblance to the outline of a ham with the shank pointed 
 towards the north west. 
 
 The southern and about half of the eastern shores are exceedingly 
 steep and rugged so that no landing can lie effected along them. The 
 cliffs r:se nearly perpendicularly to ieights varying from L'OO to 3.i0 feet. 
 Near the middle of the eastern shore the clifls end abruptly and the 
 land trends sharply to the westward forming a bag which is nearly land- 
 locked by two small rocky islands, and affords a very .-ecure anchorage. 
 The northern part of the inner or eastern shore is largely rocky, bui, 
 the cliffs are lower and less abrupt than those to the soutli-ward. 
 
 The island slopes gently towards the west; and a second ridge of 
 hills, the continuation of the northern cliffs, forms an escarpment across 
 its .southern h.df, a wide valley separating this ridge from that of the 
 southern coast. This valley is tilled wi'h terraced drift, and dotted 
 with small lakes. The outer or -.este coast is generally low and 
 .sandy with a few rocky points and - ... 
 
 The rocks of Anderstm ishin. o. long to the same horizon as tho<e 
 of Hoss island. Tliey differ from them in being more silicious so that 
 the shales are in a great measure replaced by the dark gray silicious 
 rock which occur> in thin beds with partings of shale very rich in 
 magnetite. Some of these partings h-.ve a thickness of two feet and 
 the percentage of contained magnetite is high. The dark gray silicious 
 rock also carries considerable magnetite scattered through it in minute 
 crystals. The lower beds of this rock are inter-banded with thin layers 
 of an lulmixture of Jasper, hematite and magnetite (jaspiltyte). They 
 are all of low grade. 
 
 Lutit island is separated frjm Anderson l>y a channel about 200 
 yards wide at its narrowest part. The island is a mile and a half 
 long, from south-west to north-east, while its greatest breadth is about 
 half a unle. It has low cliffs along its south eastern face and the 
 interior slopes gently towards its western shore, which is low and sandy. 
 The rocks exposed in the cliff 're similar to those of Anderson island. 
 
PIlVSIfAL KEATt.RES AND f;K.)l,0«iV 
 
 L'l i>n 
 
 Clarke island is next northward from Lutit, from which it is distant 
 three miles, the channel between l».inj{ broken by a few low, reef-like 
 islands lying outside the line Ijetween the larger island^s. The islun.i 
 is roughly pear-shaped. It is two miles I,«k and a mile and u half 
 acr<;ss at the broadest part, near the southern end. The inner clifTs 
 are not much over 100 feet in elevation. Three .snmll islands under 
 the clifl' form e.xcellent small harbours, while two other .small islands 
 Iving off the south west point afford another harbour exposed towards 
 the south. The island is rocky, but not very rugged ; the rocks slope 
 westward and are not much broken by small faults. 
 
 The following section was obtaim-d from the rocks exposed in the 
 clitis of the eastern and ■.outherii sides of the island :— 
 
 1. tWl,. .,tiv,ijus|,ilyt,.. n.u.-.ll.vlran, ll,,.,r. .,^•cul■^llL':.■.:l.nivtllr■.•,,f 
 llMllatit.• iiiKl inaKii.tit.-. ill fl;it l.nti.iilar im:is,,-.s in ii„. j,is|^i-. 
 Th.-..cni;i.-M>i)f..iv var.vU,tl.inricliii..,ss:iiiil thirku. -.,,, tli. tlii.k- 
 
 l-»t lllilH.H ill tllCKl' llll'ilSIUPS lifillK fnlir flTt M| 
 
 •J. Kwl i.i.<|»-r ill thin iH-ds. v.rv |k»,i- in in-.- •.„ 
 
 S. l!.-(lili-.li|uii|,loiui'lgnH„i,|, iwutluTing, (lurk Kie,ni,li.Krnv. tin.- " 
 
 prniiii,.it Ki;ivwack.. .hal..s. c..i„|,.,-,.-: laiv-ly ,.f fni>riii-ntal 
 
 lilak'i.nkw. with mica, rUl.nt.- an.l ..th.-i l,i.ili,at.- an.lal-. 
 
 oimtiiiiiiiiir-nialltfiaiii-ijf .|naitz, and ^in.ill crv^talsof nuiKiii-tit.-. 
 
 This i.. pnihalilv an a^-h iiiok. l.nr in > ,ni.- places , n tho island.^ t.. 
 
 thr northwani it ha«tli.-,i|,|„.,iianc.-i.f a-inwz.d tra|. 7.-, 
 
 1. Rfd ja<iiil.vtBniiitaiiiiiiKii>iisid.-rai.I.!i..|j.atit»-nia»fii.titf,.r.-»ith 
 
 an assfrt'*r:>t>' thiikiif.^. cif priiLahly thi-c fi-.t |,, 
 
 •"1. l'nr|.li«h H.atht-i-iiijf jfi-aywaikc .khal.;> ,;,, 
 
 'i. Liifht (fray -and-ti.ni- 
 
 Tu s.-a l.v,.h 
 
 Total 
 
 The section shows a great increase in the jaspilytes, which on .Vnder- 
 island were represented by a few thin bands in tlie lower part of the 
 dark gray silicious measures. The amount of iron ore in the jaspilytes 
 i> very large and it is merely a quest ion of 'me Wore they are worked. 
 
 Gillies island lies four niik.s nor*>^ of Clarke, the intermediate space 
 being partly occupied by three small islands. It has a length of twehe 
 miles due north and south, but rarely exceeds a mile and a-half in 
 breadth and in two places narrows to le.ss than a quarter of a mile 
 acro.ss. The eastern shore-line is broken by wide bays which form 
 good harbours for all but easterly winds, the only perfect harlwur 
 being in a small bay about a mile from the .southern end. 
 
 This side of the island is generally rocky with cliffs more or le.ss 
 abrupt. The highest of these rise nearly 300 feet above sea level 
 though their general elev.ition is below 200 feet. Where the i.s'an/ 
 
32 DD 
 
 nvnaov bay 
 
 narrowi, the shores are quite low and sandy, and they have a similar 
 character alx.ut the heads of the bays. The western shore is low and 
 covered with drift, with occasional rocky ridges extending into the 
 »ea to form low points and outlying reefs. There are a few small 
 harbours so formed, but they are usually obstructed by reef-, across 
 their entrances and dangerous to approach in stormy weather. 
 
 The surface of the island i.s nearly half-covered with drift cut into 
 terraces with a display of ancient sea beaches at many levels extending 
 to the summit of the island. The drift-covered areas are dotte<l by 
 many small shallow lakes und pond.i, the resorts of numerous aquatic 
 birds. Several min.., faults have thrown the rocks into low, roughly 
 pniullel ridges, that run in broken lines the entire length of the island. 
 The iron-bearing mea.sures are well develope<l on Gillies island and 
 constitute at least four-Hfths of its rock-mass. At the southern end 
 the dark-gray, ferruRinous cherts, which towards their summit, contain 
 much carbonate of ire-, alone are seen. About a mile and a half from 
 the south end the l)eds of jaspilyte appear from below sea-le>el in the 
 eastern cliff. Northward for two miles, the srrata slowly rise above 
 the sea, and at the second bay, an east and west fault brings the 
 measures north of it about 100 feet above those on its south side, and 
 cause the lowest be<ls of jaspilyte to occupy the summit of the cliff on 
 the north side, while they are only sixty feet above the water to the 
 south of the fault. 
 
 The following section was measured down the cliff immediately to 
 the north of the fault : — 
 
 7. 
 
 8. 
 
 !). 
 111. 
 
 KeJ jaspilytH mixleratdy rich in orf 
 
 Red jaspilite leiin in iroii-ore 
 
 I'urplp and (frwnixh weathcrinK, dark tfraywacke slialps 
 
 Red ja«|)er, c<jntainin(f very little ii-on ore 
 
 I^iglit K'een, tliin-l)edded ailiciou.s shale 
 
 Liffli; green, very silicioua shales with thin iiartings nf flaggy 
 
 sundstiine 
 
 Li^ht greenish, medium textured massive sandstone 
 
 Light greenisli giay sandstone (npple-marked) in thin beds vtith 
 
 narrow partings of light-green silicious shale 
 
 Liglit gray, medium grain.-d (juartzite, containing some mica in 
 
 :*iuall scales 
 
 Light green sandstones and shales in thin beds (ripi.len'arke<l). . 
 
 Feet. 
 
 18 
 III 
 till 
 
 To sea level. 
 
 Total . 
 
 .212 
 
 Another section was measured on the south .side of the fault from 
 the summit of the cliff to the top of the graywacke shales (.3) which 
 
Vun- ,.V K.sr M„K T„,.0„ U,,s,, iKnX „„Ks ,.,K,„.,,N.. SaN„M„NK. 
 
 ClIKK ok .r.AsClI.VTK, KA^T MI.K (;iLLlKS IsuXI,. 
 
tow J 
 
 PIIYKICAL FBATUHM AMD OEOtO<iY 
 
 23 DO 
 
 •xcupjr the lower portion of the cliff »i»h .i. i . . 
 
 ju.t, bowing HbovVthe, on ^" ""''"'^'"« '^'"^"""••' 
 
 f'.-t. 
 
 r.t. . .«rv,„^ i„ >, , r, " <=»■■'""""■• "f iron (a,.k... 
 
 .i.rfacr,, ! ;' """""• '"'"''•''- "■ ""^••- with .. 
 
 •• I" "::».;"::;::!:,"•":" "-r- -^"^- ••"'«.-*- ..:^ 
 
 f f.w , „"'|, \'""^*-'' l'""'"«^ "' '.-rly ,„.r.. „„. «„ 
 
 '•■».. t.Thl """>■""'"""/' « n..arlv pur. I,..,„»tit. ,o 
 
 V.O l.»ur..l ;..,„,,„.„„„ „ f..„.,|,i„ ,,»r.i„«,,.fHcl.l,e,„a,„.: -^ 
 
 Totiipof m-iiywmk' Khiil.-. 
 
 Ti.t.-il 
 
 :.iiii 
 
 ^ luaii i|uantity ot iivs<H.'iated hematite. 
 A» mentioned above, the ore ;«.rl« f^..™ « *• i 
 
 The magnetite of the partines anoear^ m k iw 
 minute civstak .„ »» u , appearx to b<- different from the 
 
34 DO 
 
 IIIDBOX HAY 
 
 ml 011.1.. of iron. t.. which i, due thn chatiK.. from the ««> chert t.. 
 thH jwpiljrte. The r.K;k ttpp..HrN to h*ve Iwen origiimily coiiHtitutwl 
 UrKely of flnely .livi.l.Kl Hili... and itH pr-wnt c«rap.«.ition i, due to 
 intiltrntion ..f water, carrying .ilica and iron, l«,th of which h«v..»M,..n 
 dep,»ited in the Miinutent cavitie.. of the rook, un.l a^ Krowth-ring, on 
 the N.irfaco of the original flm-ly dividwl .,uart/. A. .» consequ.-nce of 
 th- ore. heing d.Ti*e<l \.y deposit from ..lioious waters, there is aiway. 
 pr.-sent, even in the bent ores. « .,uantity of intimately a.,.,ciuted mIuh 
 Th.. jaspilyte. in th.. secti..n are «*t, to grade fron. a nearly pure iron 
 o.e, ton ferruginous ohert, v, ry ,K)or in iron, a. is the case with the 
 l.eds of division 4 in the se-tion above. Where the rcK-k is jKx>r in 
 iron, the ja.per is .eparate.1 l.y thin parting, of enriched ore, and also 
 contains riatt..ned lenticular iiiasse. of hcnmtile. As the rock l>ero- 
 ines richer, these lenticular Unlie* U^coine larger and the ore partings 
 thicker, «o that in the In-tter ores the mass of the rock is largely 
 hematite, .ontaining thin, hroken !.«nds of the ja.sper and in the richest 
 ore, only small, flat, lenticular masses of Jas^«r which are quite unim- 
 portant in relation to the ma-s of the ore. 
 
 The Mi..asures l«low the iron-bea.ing series wcupy the cliff for two 
 luiles northward of the fault, the lower Ix-ds of jaapilyt.. being seen 
 along the summit. A second transNerse fault then causes the mea.sure« 
 on Its north side to 1« ab..ut sixty feet lower than those to the south- 
 ward, and, the cliffs lK>nding westward towaitls the direction of the 
 gentle Hip . f the rocks, the lower measures slowly pass U-Iow the level 
 of the sea. and a mile .H-yond the fault the lower jaspilyte appears on 
 the shore at sea level. From here to the north end of the island, with 
 the exceptio.. of the lower parts of a few prominent points, the clifls 
 are formed entirely of the imn-hearing measures. These measures 
 appear to thicken towards th,. north end of the island and to include « 
 greater amount of jaspilyte, reaching a thickness of over one hundre.1 
 feet, with an upper band of jaspilyte, rich in hematite and eight feet 
 thick, situated in the dark gray silicious rocks eighty-five feet above 
 the summit of the l')wer jaspilyt.-. 
 
 The rocks have a general westward. lip at low angles, s..|don. exceed- 
 ing 20 from the horizontal and usually much lower. This western 
 dip IS not regular, as the rocks are broken bv a number of faults 
 which -.re roughly parallel to each other and to the longer axis of thJ 
 islan.!. The disturbance caused by the.se faults is never very great 
 the vertical throw being from tlve to fifty feet, with a repetition of 
 pprt of the measures at each fault. Along with this parallel faulting 
 are several transverse breaks, the two largest of which hav« been 
 already mentione.1. 
 
•1 
 
 •-"VMor. mriMti. a.vo «,oLo<iv 
 
 fr..m .a..ard. where I p^ ^1?" ' l'"'" '*' "''"^ P'— 
 
 fon,.J the outer oak.. Tie;.;' P'"""' '° "" »»— ■ -^ •- 
 fractures have broken h« 7 '?■""■ ""^' *''"' '•'••'•ve.se 
 
 'rreKulMr, !<,«• ridu.- of ,„..U .ii r • "'''''>' P'"-*""!. 1'. 
 
 lo«' -Cirpmenu towar.U the ea« Alf. L J " '''^'•'-""" *'"• 
 larg. l.|,KkK hy tra„«ver.e fa..l , "''''*' """ ^""^"'^ '•"" 
 
 Y<> ui,. whi,/..t::i;^;;;t::; ;z; iir^ ""r^ v^^^ " """"■ 
 
 t»..-cak..,ofic^pileHalonKaMK.r.. ""*''*""'• "'"-'.V r-^en.hli..^ 
 Till- repetition of the iii.a^urB^ l.v. »i, ■ ■ 
 
 to show always the . niiMr ..>;,» Ii„ . *^ ' "' '''* '*'''♦"'• 
 
 .eH. notwiti.and.^:r;;;:;:r:Lr;r::^ 
 
 ward dip. This fact wii, „„ ,„„,, ,, v. ,' „T; /"V^^^^^^^" ^'^''^ 
 con. a. the richer ores will In- found '';',"""*"■••'•""""« "Pera 
 directly on the .rfa. or at deptlXl^rS^ [^Lru"' '"''' 
 
 «>«tl.. oy amilo and a half broir^t t '..''" *' '"'" ""''' '" 
 the northern part tapering oij T^, 'jf ""' '""^ ^"-'-" "^"^. 
 
 a. Hix:!:: t:: "'" ''''r' '^^^^^^ *•"'« "- — side. 
 
 stretche's of'ow' a d/ hl/e ^" T:: ea?"""^" ""''' '"""" ■'•■^"""' -' 
 '.«|t- a n.i,e Wide. whicVn;:^ehJs'' n rjltus'.ir'^T' ''-^ " "^■^• 
 mile and affords a commodious and safH,!? T"^'' ^"^ """■'^' "* 
 
 The high cliBs of the south-eastern part of the ill- 
 
K.wer monU*M ,.1* «mii in thf wu ri and m«t«rn iliflh. whili- the 
 iron »)*»rin|i iirrirH upprnrt nioir ..„mit ..f th»nm cliff* and in tlin 
 
 WTOi^rn ri<l({»., thui cov^rin . ;{reater |«rt of th«< «urf«c <rf the 
 i.Unrl. Thi.p« iron Ix-nrinu "xk" tttnin .1 lonximum thiclin<>«>i 011 
 T»ylor iMund. kx ix «Nti rn.m tlii. following ••otion roe««ur«d«crn<Mi th« 
 Miuthrrri p»rl fnnn wwt to m-<i : — 
 
 1 u , •'•■" 
 
 I Kii-tv wtalh.-nnif, < m rty r.p.k : vi.iit4iih. miiili unk. ritf nii.l »|.l>t. 
 int.. ihin H..K. »itli thill |.,irtiiiK. .iml Hat i-..ii(T.li.ini. i.f unk. rit.- 
 |«rllv .l..iH,in|..«.,| i,,bi,.wii .„i.|,,,f iri.ii ,),) 
 
 '.'. hark if.vy .ilJn.Mi. r>vk, ..r rh.-it iii tlim I...I. »ith |.nrtiiiK> ..f ..rr, 
 11' ily 111 ih.' f..riii ..f iimKii.tii. .,l..iiu «iih «.iiir .uiki'nl.- Tlif 
 hi.i.r ili.^i|.|»'i,r> II. ilifiiiMi.iir>..ir. i|.«.ii.|..t, Tlifili. ti. In.lil 
 
 ■ iiiall ir.v»Ul« iif iiininiptii.. Ill th.iriiiiiw (jf, 
 
 It. It'll l.winlyti., Iii» 111 hfiiii«til.. ..rr ,, ,,.,...,,, JM 
 
 ». H'-'l J»«|Ml)ti, 111 h ill li.iiiaiit.. ..r. .. ^ 
 
 '•- U.'l Jtt-|iilyti, lii« in h.iimtilr ..r.. ^i|| 
 
 li. I'nrk »tr.v .liirl. with iMHiiiK. ,.f iiiapiKitr liMiiiUite .ir.. frmii I 
 
 111 tii;*! ill. ihi.k, . . .|„ 
 
 T. Ki'il i.».|.ilvli mllv rii'li in liHiiittitf ^ii .-.t) 
 
 »*. I^■.l i»»|.ilyt<- liKii ill tii.iii»tit.. ... Ill 
 
 '' I'liri.liKh H.Btli.Tiiiir, .Urk itr.»n (fraywmk.. >haU, |,«i ||mi|.. thnn 
 f..riii.ilyaiiil liamiifu n.iiKhly c«)limm»rcl»«ni«.- in thHi«.iitli.litf .'.ti 
 
 l<>. LiL-lit limy «ii.l.l uM.I liKlit Krwn .hul... The «ii(|»tciii.. h in 
 
 h^.• iiiamiVM ImU fr-.m a tn 10 f«.t (hick »ii<l niinipniuii thiiimr 
 '*''" imi 
 
 "•■""••"'•■"•■I- Total .•«l8 4at 
 
 A ehiiin of twenty (iv.- Mumll isIandH extt-nda northward from Taylor 
 inland thirteen miles to Mowatt inland. Theiie islnndn lie in roughly 
 parallel linos formwl from thi- rxpoKud portions of partly »ulimcrKed 
 rocky ridges. They are generally quitt- low ; and the rJcks seen in 
 their clifTs are usually the iiurplixli graywacke shale, or the oyerlying 
 jaspilytes. The two largest islands are named MilKr and Gordon, the 
 latter lieing the larger, and a little over a mile long by half a mile 
 wide. In its .south east cliff from twenty to forty feetof rich jaspilyte 
 is seen almv.- the gray waoke shales. Elsewhere the low cliffs are formed 
 of the dark gray cherts, never very rich in iron ore. 
 
 Mowatt island is roughly oval in shape ; its longer axis lies m^rth 
 and south, and is two miles long ; the shorter is slightly over a mile. 
 The island is broken by low rocky ridges, with considerable drift in 
 the intermediate valleys, which are dotted with small lakes and ponds 
 As usual, the eastern side has abrupt cliffs. 
 
 Aliout twenty feet of sandstone rises above the sea in the south-east 
 cliffs ; elsewhere the lowest measures seen are the purple shales or the 
 
■Mr, J 
 
 rMlmc *I. ►lATimn. 4MI» .IKiiLOftv 
 
 •-•7 i.r. 
 
 Ur. .. j..p,l,,*. Ih.. ir..n l«.ri„g «.n^ i. «« „„,,. u.i„„„ l,ut ,1... 
 
 . .ount „r ...,„,..„«l „,. „ ,.^ ,h,„ „„ .r.y,.,^ .,,^„- .r,^^ ,^^^ 
 
 > ... r... .„„ u,.,„ ,h. «rH, *a, ^,. .,..1., i, ,i, f^, th,,,. . ,„. „,„ ,/, ,.;, 
 
 r rh wh'r "**' ■ ''-" ;"•:• "'"-"^ ""- ''-""•«" ■•' ••"■'^"••'*'' 
 
 Z, * "■""' " "•' • » -•»"'•" »'.!.• tl.i.kMH,, (.V) f...t, of 
 
 ru,ty.w«th.n„« .M.rt ,.. .„....„,..« ...M.,i,].r«l.,.. ,„k,r.t« in l-nticular 
 
 .. tch... or ,. ,.„r..„«, ..tw..n U. .....y b...... M,.eh of „ rf 1 
 
 o.rlH.u«te h*, W„ ,|.....m,K.«.,| ,„ l.rown o.i.l.. of uo„. 
 
 .s only I w y«nl. ,u.r.«. .u ,U .mrn.w.H ,.,.r.. Two «„„| ha.U.urs 1,« 
 .m th« .«, ..I. of th,. ,„wn.w,, o„.. .„ thH Uy at th- norU-.TM ..„.| „f 
 
 MoWHtt tl..,ot..r,o,h..,uth of Cl.ri-ti... whc.e .Uo..k .|y p, „ 
 
 ,.r« u.»lv ,....,o.., a M„al y. Anoth.-r lu.ln.ur u fo...... M, . 
 
 ^n.Hl. .l..n.i ,y.„„ off U. w..„. ...t^„,„ ,.. „., ,,,„.^^ ,^.^^.„^ >, '' 
 
 h.. ,outh and .. two m.l.. an.l a half ln„. wl.ile from north to M.u.h 
 »hc. «reat.Ht e„g,h i. three mil... Th. ...u-.n cliff in n.l ' Zl 
 rue. upwunh. of m f.-et ,.bov. ,h.. .eu. The int.r.o, .u,Z Z 
 iM H rooky and tra^en.o.1 hy low ,carp.l ridK-, run„i,.« r. -1 ,' 
 
 ;:::.:uhr: ^'-"--"-^--'".-Hwith^;;;:;;;^ 
 
 The foliowir.g section wa. me«Huro.| from tl lirt at th« south .-.M.t 
 
 rnnnt o. U,e i.lan.l an.l ,iv. th- total thiekne. „f th. ull:; 
 
 II. 
 
 WhM- «r»y, r,»,y «,.,,,|,..ri„»el,..r. ; < ..nt«i,„„^c,.„-„l..r..„l..„„k. r *"*" 
 it^ l«.rtly .|.-c..i..|«»..,| ,„ li,„„„if 
 
 tdiuk fur wrft'kiii^ - 
 
 H-l jiMfilyt.., I.an i„ hfiuatit,. " ' 
 
 l>"rMr....„i,h „,„l ,.„r,,li.|..«..«,|,.n„» Kr.y«a, k.. .,l,.le, i' 
 
 J:S;z„::;;;i;r;:::;;::;:"--'"""">' 'i''K-....,u.„,..„,s 
 
 l.iffht ffrny Mn.Ntoii.. « itli partii-K. „f .hHl- ? 
 
 I'lRht );r»> naiiilatiin 
 
 l..«ht jrray ,M„l.,,,„e ,..,«n..e,l ,„to th,n H.,. by n.rn.w .^r.in^J ' 
 
 I.ilfht Krwni«li silicioiw .hale, with mi 
 Light (fr«y »aiii|at(inf 
 
 ly l.arting-.if -amUt..!,.. 
 
 10 
 I 
 
28 r>n HunsoN bay 
 
 13. Mglit urei'iiish nilitioiis »tiale with |»»rti;ig;B iif HaifK.v "andntom 
 
 (ri|i|ilf iiiiirkcrl) ,s 
 
 U. Liffht pinkisli and ioeeni»h suiHUtoiie in Ix-dn fnuii (i in. to .'SO in. 
 tliick \n 
 
 T.p».-a lev.-l. T.itiil x\r, :> 
 
 At the summit of the outer cliff there is a .sharp syiiciiiial fold, the 
 rooks dipping W < 4.j on ono side, and E ■: 30' on the other. The 
 rocks at the axis of the told are badly shattered. This is one of a few 
 cases noted where the rocks of this series have folded, as in nearly 
 every case where folding might have taken place the rocks have bro- 
 ken and .slid over one another, before the fold was completed. 
 
 Between Davieau and Christie islands lies a channel nearly a mile 
 wide, with straight walls of cliff on both sides. Tiie cliffs lower gradu- 
 ally towards the western entrance of the channel where they die away 
 in rocky points. The channel is called Tuksuit or " The Throat " by 
 the Eskimos. It is a favourite stopping place for these people when 
 travelling in winter owing to the number of seals frequenting the chan 
 nel whore they are killed with spears through holes or cracks in the ice. 
 
 Davieau is one of the larger islands of the chain, hi iiig ten miles 
 long and in the widest part, two miles across, with an average breadth 
 not exceeding a mile. Its longer axis, like that of the islands to the 
 northward, lies north-northwest, or parallel to the general trend of the 
 coast which changes from north to north-northwest at White Whale 
 point opposite the southern end of the island. 
 
 The eastern coast is rugged and broken into a number of small bay.s, 
 none of which afford good harbours for easterly winds. 
 
 The interior and western portions of the island are largely covered 
 with drift and these areas are dotted with many ponds and small lakes. 
 
 Xear the .south east end of the island the following section of the 
 iron-bearing series was measured : — 
 
 Feet. 
 
 1. Kusty weatherinc dark gray chert, containing cunoideraMe 
 
 ankerite. ... -y, 
 
 2. J)ark (fray chert, lean in magnetite, and with thin iiartings of 
 
 magnetite ore j j - 
 
 ;!. KbcI jaapilyte, [KKir in hematite o,, 
 
 4. Iminire red j:m|iei ruik -, 
 
 'i. Two purplinh graywacke shales. cumi)aet with green splotclien, 
 
 towards the npin-r i>art containing thin bands (1 in. to .'> in. thick) 
 
 rich in hematite, which stains the sh.iles and gives them the 
 
 :ip|»iiraiK'e of |ioli»hed metallie inm. 
 
<! Kill,..,. I, ,1, Sl]HK> MK Cw.u.A. 
 
 ^'"1 Mil. l'M;i Id.. I'lviK 
 
 CUKKS ON KASIKII.V >I|,K OF HlioClinoN l-I.AM.. 
 
 Cliffs of Limkstonk am. Sani.stonk on Cottki. Islam.. 
 
Fv^w^n-^gFy yTMiy - 
 
 PHYSICAI, FKATl-RES AND i.KOI.Oi;V 
 
 2;i 1)11 
 
 Towards tlie northern end of' the island the dark j;iay cherts l>econie 
 thicker, especially the upper rus v portion carryini; ankerite, while the 
 underlying' jaspilyte conUins le.s> hematite. aii<l graduallv thins ..in. 
 The toUl amount of iron ore in these rocks appturs to he less than in 
 those of the soutliern islands and to be more evenly distrihuted 
 lirou'jh the measures, so that no ptrt is sutllciently rich and conren- 
 trated to permit of the ore hein;; mined protitaMy. 
 
 Nicholson island is separated from Davieaii hy a channel only a 
 iiuarter of u mile across at its narrowest part. It is two miles and a 
 <|uarter Ion;;, by nearly a mile across at its widest part. The south- 
 ern third of the island forms a Ions; narrow point, lar^'elv covered with 
 drift. Lyin^ offthis portiim are tliiee sm:ill rocky islands. The cliffs 
 be;,'in on the east side near the northern end of thi.s point and con- 
 tinue to the north end of the island. The interior is hui^eiv drift- 
 covered and dotted with ponds, and the western shore is low. A 
 very good boat harUiur is situated (m the east side about a mili' fn,m 
 th» south end, in a small bay behind a ro.ky islet. 
 
 The locks are displayed in the cliffs from the greywacke shales 
 upwar.l.s. The dark gray cherts have a thickness of about two hun- 
 dred feet, and the .jaspilyte beds have nearly disappeared. The amount 
 of iron in the measures ha.-, decreased and is nowhere sullicicntly 
 concentrated to ailord workable deposit-. The carlionate ores descend 
 much lower in the measures than they do t.. the southward and th.re 
 appears to have been but little redistribution and con entration of the 
 iron. The summit beds of the dark ".•,-. chert contain considerable 
 ligh* green chert in lenticular mass v are overlaid by ten feet 
 
 of a leddi.sh-weathering basic rock eiiisli colour, arran-cd in 
 
 thin horizontal layers. It is usually ...grained, but .^metimes is 
 .sufficiently coar-e to show crystalline faces of [.lagioclase, of whicli it 
 is largely composed. The rock appears to bo a very fin.'-,rrai.ied trap 
 injected between be; md foliated by \ertica! pressure. 
 
 Broughton island is the largest of the Xastapoka chain, bein- thir- 
 teen miles long, and upwanis of two miles across, to the northward of 
 its mid-length, where it attains itp greatest breadth. High cliffs rise 
 at its northern and .southern ends with a long stretch of low sandy 
 shore between them on the eastern siH Tw„ good harbours are 
 situated on the east .side near the southern end of the island, where 
 shelter is affoided in small bays covered by small islands lying a few 
 liundred yards off shore. The northern part of the east shore is deeply 
 indeiite,' by small bays, all of which afford e.vcellent harb<iurs. The 
 interior ■,( the island is mostly covered with drift with many lakes, 
 
30 DD 
 
 HI U80N HAY 
 
 some of which are fairly large, and are the breeding places of 
 nuMierous duek8 and geese. 
 
 The southern part of iho eiistein cliff is largely fornied of the d'.rk 
 gray iron bearing cherts resting upon a thin band of gray wncko shales 
 which in turn are underlaid V-y beds of sandstone. The amount of iron 
 ore in the dark gray chert., apparently continues to decrea.sc in <iuan- 
 tity, tho riche.'it bandit of magnetite seldom exceedhg sit inches and 
 never attaining eigrteen inches in thickness. Tli^y are always sepa- 
 rated by wide Ijeds of barren rock, so that two or more bands of ore 
 could not lie worked to advantage at the same time. The northern 
 cliffs give a more e.Mended section with a greater thickness ot the 
 underlying sand.stone. 
 
 .McTavish Lsland lies two miles north of Hroughton with a small 
 island in the channel about midway between the large islands. McTa- 
 vish is a long narrow island, its length being eight miles, while it 
 rarely «xceeds half a mile in breadth. Its eastern shore is nearly 
 straight and consequently without harbours. The highest part of the 
 eastern cliff does not attain an elevation of two hundred feet, and 
 rarely rises more than one hundred feet aljove the .sea. The interior 
 surface is like that f)f all the other islands— largely drift and lakes. Low 
 rirlges of roik outcrop in places and there is a general easy slope 
 towards the eastern shore. 
 
 The following section was measured down the eastern cliff near the 
 middle of the island : — 
 
 1. Kusty wi>ntlieriiis. ' ,'ray chert, lioldinffooiisidcraMcnnkt rite. . 
 
 2. Ked jiis|iilytf, iKxjr ill iienmtite ore 
 
 3. riark (rrtcn. uraywacke shale, showing, on weathered surfaces a 
 
 semblance to metallic iron 
 
 4. Dark |iur|ileweathering graywacke shale containing a few thin 
 
 bands or veins of bright red hematite from one to six inches wide. 
 
 5. Impure red jasper 
 
 6. Massive, light gray sandstone 
 
 7. Light gray sandstone in beds froiu two to six inches thick se|>«rate<l 
 
 by much light green si'icious shale, all containing a small quan- 
 tity of dolomite 
 
 Keet. 
 ."ill 
 
 To .sea level. 
 
 Total 
 
 Cotter island is the most northerly of the Nastapoka chain ; it lies 
 nineteen miles beyond McTavish and is twenty-six miles south of the 
 Hopewell chain of islands, and so constitutes an intermedi: ■ link be- 
 tween them. The island is four miles long and a\ erages half a mile in 
 breadth. It is lower than the islands to the south and its eastern cliff 
 
PHYSICAL FKATIKKS ASU OKOLdOV 
 
 31 UU 
 
 rarely attains an elevation of one liundied feet. Vhe sliore-linex are 
 nearly straight and afford no harboura. The surt'ac-e of the islam! ix 
 generally rocky with a few pati-hes of drift towards tiie southern end, 
 while the northern end is covered by a sheet of trap. 
 
 The eastern cliff is formed largely of a light hluish, calcareous siind- 
 slone which is split into huge l)locks by vertical cracks ; many of these 
 cracks are wide and form deep caves near the sea level and give to the 
 cliff a very picturescjue castellated appearance. 
 
 The following section was measured down the eastern cliffat a point 
 about one naile from the north end of the island : — 
 
 Highly dft(iiii|H.»'M(l, tine gniined tiii|; 20 
 
 Light gri-enish ahalew, with iiartiiigs iif light hliiinti, arenai'wm.-. 
 
 limestime -i; 
 
 Light grwnish and bluinh calcarw.iis r.iiiid!<tim>-»(ri|i|.lein:irki-.li. 
 Same (if these lie l» have (in their surface., oiiridiiii irregular mark- 
 ings, made hy \ery thin de|N,»itH nf lilack carlKmaceoiis matter 
 which may lie the fdnsil remains uf simie low (irganism 'ilt 
 
 T(i .sea level. 
 
 'I'otal 105 
 
 The iiiea.sures given above appear to represent tliose underlying the 
 iron-bearing series of the southern island.-^, the shales and sandstones 
 being very similar to those of McTavish island, except that they con- 
 tain a larger quantity of limestone, or dolomite. The overlying trap 
 may be closely related to the gray wacke shale, as the latter contains much 
 igneous matter, and, as before stated, was probably a trap-ash. These 
 rocks are also continued in the Hopewell islands to the northward, 
 where the trap attains a much greater thickness and overlie.- .sand- 
 stones almost identical in appearance with those of Cotter island. The 
 trap caps all the Hopewell islands and conseiiuently the iron hearing 
 series is not represented in the rocks of those islands.