BERKELEY LIBF ARY UNIVEfSITY OF CALIFORNIA EARTH SCIENCES LIBRARY REMINISCENCES AMONG THE ROCKS IN CONNECTION WITH THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA BY .,.,. THOS. CHESMER WESTC'N, F.G.S-A. M TORONTO PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BY WARWICK BRO'S & RUTTER 1899 Wf EARTH SCIENCES LIBRARY Entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year one thou- sand ei^ht, hundred and ninety-nine by Thomas Chesmer Weston in fche office^ Ihe^Minister of Agriculture. PREFACE AT the request of my children and several of my friends, I have endeavoured to record some of the incidents connected with my explorations while in the service of the Government Geological Survey of the Dominion of Canada. I have also set down a few details of the geological formations in'\\*hich I have worked. I have prefixed to these writings some autobiographical particulars which may not be without interest to the reader. It is a very plain tale, without the slightest striving after any of the literary properties that generally accompany a story. T. C. W. 237 Daly Avenue, Ottawa. May 7th, 1898 A* CONTENTS CHAPTER I. PAGE A few autobiographical particulars Proposal that I should come to Canada The voyage First im- pressions of the land of the maple A matrimonial joke My introduction to the rocks 1 CHAPTER II. Eozoon " The Dawn of Life " A remarkable geologi- cal controversy Discovery of tubuli structure Unlikely that the extensive Laurentian system would only contain one kind of organic remains That the Huronian system has not yielded any fossils . . 20 CHAPTER III. A visit to the United States Journey to the Island of Anticosti My assistant proves forgetful and un- fortunate Description of the island Its geologi- cal formation Some queer inhabitants I sight a couple of bears Further misfortunes of Jackson Departure for Quebec 28 CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. The South Petite Nation River The Trenton forma- tion The calciferous rocks of Ontario We lose our way in the bush The Chazy formation A Guelph freethinker An adventure with a bull Visit to Point Levis An odd mistake at our boarding-house The Eozoon controversy 46 CHAPTER V. The field season of 1869 Journey with Mr. Richard- son Lost in the bush The primordial rocks in New Brunswick Arisaig, Nova Scotia, and its coast rocks Retirement of Sir William Logan Field season of 1870 The rocks of Quebec Another visit to the United States Visit to Stan- fold, Que. Field work of 1871-2 The coast of Labrador 59 CHAPTER VI. Lord Dufferin visits the Survey I assist Sir William Logan in the Eastern Townships Another visit to Arisaig Some of the pioneer photographs of the survey A storm off Cape Gaspe A visit to Newfoundland Lake Temiscouata Work at Hespeler, Ont. The conglomerates of Bic Death of Sir William Logan The Philadelphia exhibi- tion The Eastern Townships again Distribution of rocks and minerals Ethnological branch of the Survey 79 CHAPTER VII. The south shore of the St. Lawrence Some good fish- ing Camping by the river Ascent of the Shick- shocks A poaching expedition : we catch a fine salmon The lonely Mount Albert Photographs and fossils Coast rocks between Digby and Yar- mouth, N.S. "The Ovens" Fishing at Spindle Cove Lost in the fog 107 vi. CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII. Baie des Chaleurs and adjacent districts A fossil fish and a pious critic A list of tithes Removal of the headquarters of the Survey from Montreal to Ottawa The Joggins Coast, N.S. Campbellton and the Restigouche River A trip to Sault Ste. Marie The Cypress Hill and the North- West A three months geological exploring tour 127 CHAPTER IX. To South Joggins, N.S. Palaeontology of the carbon- iferous rocks Journey to Manitoba and the North - West Maple Creek and the Cypress Hills Vertebrate remains A herd of wild cattle Belly River and the prairies Some Indians Selkirk and its attractions A pelican The Red River Winnipeg and its miscellaneous stores 176 CHAPTER X. Excavations at Quebec Eozoon again A collection of mammalian remains Work on the Quebec group The black limestones of Quebec Supposed coal deposits Evading the Scott Act With Mr. Fletcher to Cape Breton Arisaig, N.S. The coal mines of Sydney 208 CHAPTER XI. Explorations on the south shore of the St. Lawrence Fishing for cod A pleasant stay at Mr. Richard- son's A journey to Grimsby A trip to the North- West plains Maple Creek Swift Current Big Jaw coulee A prize pig The bad lands Leth- bridge We launch a boat on the Red Deer River but afterwards give up our plan The Joggins coast once more 226 vii. CONTENTS. CHAPTER XII. Supposed fossil trees A visit of investigation to Kingston I start for the Red Deer River Mr. McKenzie joins me at Calgary Extensive coal seams Fine dinosaur remains Canada has done comparatively little towards restoring these deni- zens of a silent world Dangerous quicksands We celebrate Dominion Day A long river trip Another trip to the Cypress Hills Unpleasant experiences On the borders of Lake Superior 247 CHAPTER XIII. The "Quebec Group" controversy An interruption by illness I afford amusement to the natives The Montmorency rocks The gold-bearing rocks of Nova Scotia Improvements in the museum of the Survey A clerical geologist The pilgrims to Bonne Sainte Anne The geology of the Sainte Anne district Surrounded by the tide 286 CHAPTER XIV. Further geologizing at Quebec City Examining the rocks precipitated by the land-slide A victim of poison -ivy A search for a meteorite on the Ot- tawa River The Laurentian marble An artist's sketch is useful The Joggins coast, N.S., again Conclusion and thanks to my friends of the Survey. 311 Vlll. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS T. C. Weston Frontispiece Horace S. Smith facing page 4 SirW.E. Logan " " 14 T. Sterry Hunt " " 18 Eozoon Canadense Canal System " " 24 Eozoon Canadense Laminated Structure " " 24 James Richardson " " 34 E. BiUings " " 70 Alex. Murray " " 90 Shipping Buffalo Bones " " 144 Section of Miocene Tertiary Rocks " " 182 Concretions at Irwin Coulee, N. W.T " " 192 Tree-Uke Concretions at Kingston, Ont " "248 Huronian Concretions " " 292 Concretions, Cape Breton " " 292 IX. CHAPTER I. ..,..-, A FEW AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL PARTICULARS PROPOSAL THAT I SHOULD COME TO CANADA THE VOYAGE FIl'.ST IMPRESSIONS OF THE LAND OF THE MAPLE A MATRI- MONIAL JOKE MY INTRODUCTION TO THE ROCKS. MY first memories are of Birmingham, Eng- land, the "toy shop of Europe," the birth-place of Watt's steam engine, the source of " Brummagem " jewellery and Radicalism In this town of various manufactures it was not a city then I was born in October, 1832. My father was a self-taught natural philosopher in a modest way, who was enthusiastic in learning about science, such as it was in those days. He was particularly fond of optics, and constructed both magic lanterns and microscopes for his own use. His versatility and cleverness in handicraft led him ultimately into the manufacture of fancy ornaments such as women delight in. Part of his business consisted in dealing in and cutting precious stones. He also prepared micro- scopic sections of stones and minerals. It was this work that earned him the title of " scientific lapidary," and it was in this line of duties that I spent ten years of my early life. Amid the various ups and downs of a busy commercial life my father still pursued his scientific investi- A 1 REMINISCENCES and his optical experiments. One of my earliest remembrances is of finding myself in a large building in which were gathered between One and two thousand school children who had each paid a penny to come and see one of his magic lantern exhibitions a wonder in those days. The place was in darkness except for the light reflected from a white circle on an immense hanging sheet. Then a picture of the earth flashed on to this space with ships sailing around it altogether disproportionate in size. My father explained to his audience the rotundity of the globe, and concluded his elucidation by " giving out " the first verse of Isaac Watts' hymn : O Spirit of the Lord prepare, All the round earth her God to meet, Breathe Thou abroad like morning air, Till hearts of stone begin to beat. My father's science did not deprive him of his religious faith. I could linger long over his efforts to combine lecturing and natural philoso- phy with business, his teaching working men and women and children astronomy, natural his- tory and the like. My education, meanwhile, was not of the most regular kind. But I had a sweet and cultured mother who taught me much. I learned the art of the lapidary, and the time came when we were the most prominent firm in that line in Birmingham. In January, 1858, my father received from Sir W. E. Logan, Director of the Geological Survey 2 AMONG THE ROCKS. of Canada, an offer to come to Montreal as lapi- dary to the Suivey. For various reasons he could not accept this, and I was recommended as competent to fill the position. After some cor- respondence Sir William decided to engage my services. A sum of money was placed to my credit in one of the Birmingham banks to defray my expenses to Portland, where I was to receive a pass over the Grand Trunk Railway to Mon- treal. After a very stormy voyage on the Allan liner Indian, I landed at Portland on February 15, 1859. I left England with a " stove pipe " hat and a light overcoat, and almost my first experience of a Canadian winter was a frozen ear. Arriving at Longueuil, opposite Montreal, the scene was so different from anything I had seen the crowd of sleighs, the jingling of bells, the fur-clad drivers and the hundreds of people who had come to see the passengers of the ship which had been given up for lost, for we were many days behind time attracted my attention so much that I crossed the St. Lawrence without knowing that I was travelling over a great body of frozen water. The weather was so intensely cold that when I presented a letter of introduc- tion to Mr. Blackwell, director of the Grand Trunk Railway, he advised me to at once get a fur cap and other warm clothing, and directed me to the Geological Survey. I am much indebted 3 REMINISCENCES to the late director of the Grand Trunk Railway Mr. Blackwell for many personal favors. Arriving at the Survey and Museum, St. Gab- riel Street, I found Sir Wm. Logan had gone to Toronto to interview the Government on survey matters. I was however received kindly by Dr. Sterry Hunt, chemist to the survey, and told to rest myself till Sir William arrived, which he did in a few days, and exercised much pains in getting me comfortably settled in the building. I soon arranged my instruments for work, and through the kindness of the Rev. Dr. Wilkes of Zion Church, to whom I brought letters of introduc- tion, was soon at home in my adopted country and thus commenced what lengthened out to thirty-five years of active life in the office, in the museum, and in the field. On the 9th of June, 1859, (five months after my arrival in Canada) I was married to Matilda Allen, youngest daughter of Smith Allen, of Quebec. We were married by the Rev. Mr. Bancroft, at old Trinity Church. Mr. Horace S. Smith, artist to the Survey, acted as my best man. Horace was always fond of fun and here on this (to me) serious occasion could not help indulging in his " little joke." Just as we were arranged at the altar and the minister was about to commence the marriage service, Smith whisp- ered to me " I've forgotten the ring." I made up my mind at once that Smith should get out of 4 AMONG THE ROCKS. the matter as best he could, and the service went on; but when the time came for the ring Horace quietly took it from his pocket and handed it to the parson. Smith remained a constant friend and I attended him in his last hours of sickness and saw him safely conveyed to his last resting place. Many interesting incidents occured during my second year in Canada (1860) which have become historical. Among these I will only mention that of the Prince of Wales' visit to Canada, where at Montreal he opened the Victoria Bridge, that wonderful structure which spans our noble St. Lawrence River, and after- wards visited the Geological Survey and took great interest in the rocks and minerals of Canada especially in the seven pound weight of native gold from the Chaudiere valley in the Province of Quebec, which as on many other occasions passed through my hands, from the safe to the cases of the museum. Through the kindness of Sir William I was introduced to His Royal Highness and accom- panied him through the Museum. From Montreal the Prince of Wales went to Ottawa where on the 1st of September accom- panied by the Governor-General, Sir Edmund Head, and a brilliant staff of notables, he laid the foundation stone of the Parliament Buildings. A short time after my arrival at the Survey, 5 REMINISCENCES I found that my duties would consist of devel- oping fossils and reducing the rock in which they were imbedded, which was done by a thin iron disc charged with diamond dust. By this means hundreds of new fossils were placed in the already crowded cases. Microscopic sections of various rocks and fossils were made for study and I was constantly called on to assist Mr. E. Billings, palaeontologist to the Survey. This work occupied my whole attention till the early part of 1863 when I commenced my field explor- ations by accompanying Mr. J. Richardson and Mr. Bell, both members of the geological staff, to Drummondville. Here I was to assist in the examination of the rocks, and collect, if possible, fossils from certain members of what Sir W. E. Logan had termed " The Quebec Group," a series of strata I shall often speak of in these rambling notes. This was my first experience in field geology, and also my first insight into Canadian country life. As these pages are to contain beside geological notes, incidents " by the way side," I shall com- mence here by relating one boarding-house experience. Our home for a few days was situated on the bank of the St. Francis River, Province of Quebec. It is a dear old homestead looking out over the falls of Drummondville, and was kept by an old man and his wife, two AMONG THE ROCKS. thoroughly Scotch bodies who had reared a large family, had seen much of the hard pioneer life of the back woods of Canada and had become somewhat doubtful of one another's veracity as the following narration shows. j Mr. Richardson was a thorough Scotchman, and like many of his class delighted in his glass of toddy before retiring for the night, so before commencing field operations, he provided himself with a stout bottle of Scotch whiskey (his favorite beverage) and having no safe place to keep his bottle, decided to trust it with the old man of the house. The first night, after a hard day's work among the rocks of the river, he called on the old man for his bottle, but on taking his usual "nip" found that the strength of the liquor was not what the label represented it to be. The second evening it was still weaker, and Mr. R. asked the old lady whether her husband was to be trusted with the bottle " Ah man " she replied " ne'er trust the old man wi' yer whuskey for he will help himself and then fill up wi' water,' ' gi' me the bottle and it will be all richt." So the bottle was given to the old lady for safe keeping ; but alas ! on the following night the whiskey was still weaker, so the old man was then interviewed as to his wife's honesty, " Ah man " he replied " you should na trust the auld woman wi' the whuskey for she helps her sell and then waters the bottle." So concluding 7 REMINISCENCES they were two of a kind Mr. R. decided to hide the bottle in our bed-room and from that time the strength of the whiskey was preserved. The rocks of the St. Francis River in the vicinity of Drummondville are chiefly greenish sandstones, forming in places high walls, and showing beautiful examples of stratification and folding ; they are underlaid by dark shales and limestones holding a few graptolites and obscure bivalves among which the following genera and species were found : Dendrograptus simplex, Walcott, Dicranograptus sextans, Hall, Ccenograptus gracUis, Hall, Climacograptus Dicornis, Hall, Leptobolus insignis, Hall. These sandstones, limestones and shales are cut by a variety of diorites and amygdaloids, some of which are porphyritic ; they form the rocks of the falls, giving a rugged aspect to this portion of the river. It was here among the dark colored shales and limestones of the St. Francis River, I learned from my friend Mr. Richardson who afterwards during our twenty years of almost constant companionship taught me much of the knowledge I have gained of field geology the importance of fossils regarding our researches in stratigraphy. While wending our way home in the dusk of the evening, after a hard day's work, we came 8 AMONG THE ROCKS across a man diligently engaged picking a deep hole in the black shales. On enquiry as to what he expected to find, he informed us that he was prospecting for coal. Mr. Richardson told him he would never find coal in those rocks for they are thousands of feet below the coal formation. But the next day when we passed the same place the man was still working away and had employed another man to assist him. A right knowledge, as I afterwards learned, of the vari- ous formations which constitute the " crust " of our earth and its fossil remains, would have told this man that coal could never be found in those rocks. Coal occurs in many formations. It has been mined for over a hundred years in Beven, Suther- landshire, in rocks of the Oolitic epoch, in other countries in the Miocene-Tertiary beds, and other rocks belonging to the upper crust of the earth, but the Carboniferous deposits are the coal bear- ing beds of Great Britain, the United States, Nova Scotia, Australia, and other countries. The miner who has studied his geological text- books knows full well that it is utterly useless to look for coal in rocks containing Graptolites, trilobites and other organic remains which existed untold ages before the coal deposits were formed. I shall speak of other useless attempts to find coal in Lower Silurian and Cambrian rocks later on. 9 REMINISCENCES During the same year (1863) I spent several weeks in the State of Vermont examining and collecting from the limestones along the shore of Lake Champlain, and along the road from White- hall to Burlington, the whole of which distance I walked, staying over night and sometimes longer at the various villages or towns on the way. Before starting on this journey several days were spent at Whitehall, and here Sir William Logan joined me and together we examined the various rock formations of that vicinity and col- lected fossils and interesting facts relating to or connected with Canadian geology. There was a good hotel at Whitehall, and here Sir William and I occupied a double-bedded room. On the 18th of October, Sir William informed me that he would leave the following morning by the early train for Albany, where he was going to see Prof. James Hall. At five next morning I woke to find Sir William scraping the mud off his boots and doing his best not to wake me, but he did, and I asked him if I could assist him. " No," he said, but soon I was roused by his shaking my arm and saying " Wake up, Weston, and lend me some money ; I haven't enough to pay for my railway ticket." I gave him what he needed, but told him I had a hundred miles to walk, and when I reached Burlington I should want money. He promised to send a cheque to the care of the postmaster. 10 AMONG THE ROCKS. After leaving Whitehall I spent a few pleasant days at a farm house at Comstock Landing. The geological structure of this vicinity is very interesting, but I am not sufficiently conversant with the formation here to say definitely what the horizon is the fossils are obscure but look like Calciferous forms. While here I received a letter from Dr. Godfrey, of Montreal, stating that my wife had presented me with a son, news which caused me to hasten on with my journey. The following morning (Sunday) I shouldered my fishing basket (which I used for carrying specimens) and started on a day's tramp. It was past six in the evening when I arrived tired and hungry at a small village named Bread Port. Finding no hotel, I enquired for a boarding house and was told there was none, but Mrs. Brown down the street sometimes took in travellers. I went to Mrs- Brown, but she sent me to another house. They too refused to take me in, and, after wandering all over the village to get a vehicle, in which I failed, I met a man who looked a likely person to assist me. I stopped him and said : " You call this place Bread Port, I believe, sir?" " Yes," he said, " this is Bread Port." " Well," I said, " I think it is badly named, for I can neither get bread to eat nor can I get lodgings for the night." Perhaps I looked like a tramp, but a few words of explanation and this good Samaritan 11 REMINISCENCES took me to his house, and when his people returned from church I was well provided for, and we spent a pleasant evening singing and playing. The following morning I continued my journey and in course of time arrived at my destination, Burlington, where the postmaster handed me the cheque I had asked Sir William to send, and also gave me Sir William's letter to him, of which the following is a copy. I insert it to show how careful he was in money matters : " At Prosper Hall, corner Merton St. and Delaware Turnpike, ALBANY, 19 October, 1863. To the Postmaster, Burlington, Vermont. DEAR SIR, I send you herewith a money letter for Mr. T. 0. Weston of Montreal, who will call at the post office for it. I send also a letter signed by Mr. Weston that you may see his signature. Will you be so good as to deliever both to him when he calls. Mr. Weston has been with me lately to Whitehall and to Comstock Land- ing collecting fossils. He belongs to the Geological Sur- vey of Canada, of which I am the director. By this information you can frame questions by means of which to identify him. I am, dear Sir, Very truly yours, W. E. LOGAN. I returned to Montreal a few days later and spent the remainder of the time till my next excursion in my usual work. 12 AMONG THE ROCKS. As I shall often refer to the various members of the Geological staff I shall briefly mention those who composed the staff when I commenced my duties in the Geological Survey. Our distinguished chief, Sir William Logan, whose kind acts and fatherly counsel remained forever dear to the hearts of all associated with him, was a Canadian, born of Scotch parents, in Montreal in 1798, educated at the High School of Edinburgh. He distinguished himself as a geologist in the South Wales coal fields, 1838. In 1841, Sir William then Mr. Logan, visited the coal fields of Pennsylvania and Nova Scotia and then commenced his studies of the rocks of Canada, and was shortly afterwards appointed by the Government to form a geological survey of Canada. During the Paris Exhibition in 1858, he received the gold medal .of honor, and was created a Knight of the Legion of Honor. He was knighted by the Queen in 1856. Poor health and a desire to spend the remaining years of his working life on his beloved Eastern Township rocks caused him to resign his connection with the Geological Survey of Canada in 1869. He was succeeded by Mr. Alfred R. C. Selwyn, who was recommended to him by Sir Roderick Murchison. After a wonderfully active life, dur- ing which time, as Sir William often said, "I never had time to get married," he died at the ripe age of 77 years, at his sister's house in Wales, 13 REMINISCENCES 22nd June, 1875. " And now he sleeps in the quiet churchyard of Llechryd between his brother Hart and his great friend and brother- in-law, Mr. A. L. Gower. Peace to his memory. Honour to his name." Those interested in Logan's history and geo- logical work I must refer to the Geological Survey and to the "Life of Sir William Logan, Kt., LL.D., F.R.S., F.G.S., etc., by Bernard J. Harrington, for a number of years chemist to the Survey, and now of McGill University, Montreal. I cannot close this page without recording a regret that in his memoirs of Logan's life Dr. Harrington omitted to even men- tion the name of the writer of these notes who travelled thousands of miles with him, shared some of his hard field work, and was his almost constant companion in his last investigations of the Eastern Townships geology. MURRAY. Shortly after Logan's appointment, by the Provincial Government of Canada in 1842, to make a Geological Survey of Canada as far as his means would permit he secured, through the recommendation of Sir H. T. De la Beche, the services of Mr. Alexander Murray, a young man educated in the Royal Naval College of Portsmouth, and who served in the navy. Mr. Murray became a staunch friend of Sir William who trusted him with many important surveys. After many years faithful service through the 14 AMONG THE ROCKS. recommendation of Sir William, Mr. Murray be- came director of the Geological Survey of New- foundland, a position he held to within a short time of his death, in 1884 in his 75th year. T. STERRY HUNT. T. Sterry Hunt, afterwards Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, LL.D., Officer of the French Legion of Honor, etc., etc., succeeded Count De Rottermund for a short time chemist to the Canadian Survey in 1847. Dr. Hunt was one of the most able chemists and mineralogists of his day. His writings are known all over the scientific world. Dr. Hunt held his position as chemist and mineralogist to the Geological Survey of Canada for 25 years, and resigned this posi- tion in 1872, three years before Sir William's death. BILLINGS. Mr. E. Billings / a Canadian lawyer, was appointed Palaeontologist to the Survey in 1856. Long before this Mr. Billings had been a zealous worker in palaeontology, and had pub- lished many contributions to that science. These papers attracted Sir William's notice, hence his appointment. Mr. Billings remained a faithful worker in the Survey for 20 years, died in 1876, and was succeeded by Mr. J. F. Whiteaves. RICHARDSON. While on one of his geological surveys in 1846 Sir William met with Mr. James Richardson a Scotchman who had seen much hard pioneer farm work in Canada, and had for a time taught in a country school in the Eastern 15 REMINISCENCES Townships. Logan wanted a man to do camp work and engaged Richardson. After a short time, however, Mr. Richardson became so fasci- nated with geology that he induced Sir William to allow him to attempt a little geological work, so he was sent off to collect specimens and make notes of what rocks he saw. On his return to camp Sir William was so pleased with this Mr. Richardson's first geological work that he was again sent off to make measurements by pacing, which work proved so satisfactory that he was in a short time appointed explorer, etc., to the Survey. He became one of Sir William's most trusted field men, did a great amount of good geological work, as the reports of the Survey show, and was trusted with the arrangement of the geological specimens in the Paris, London, and other exhi- bitions. He remained a faithful worker in the Survey till after Sir William's death, was super- annuated in 1879, and died three years later. BARLOW. Mr. Robert Barlow, formerly in charge of a corps of the Royal Engineers in a topographical survey in Great Britain joined the Geological Survey in 1857 as chief draughts- man, which position he held until a short time before the Survey was removed to Ottawa. Mr. Barlow only lived two or three years after his retirement from the Survey. SCOTT BARLOW. Mr. Robert Barlow was ably assisted by his son Mr. Scott Barlow, whose chief 16 AMONG THE ROCKS. work was to plot surveys from field note-books. In later years he did some excellent field geology in Nova Scotia, among the Carboniferous rocks. He was appointed chief draughtsman to the Survey department a short time before his death, which occurred in 1894 through blood poisoning. SMITH. Mr. Horace S. Smith, artist to the survey, was engaged in England, and came to Canada a year or two before my appointment in J 859. His duty was to draw fossils to illustrate the reports of the Survey. His drawings illus- trate the Geology of Canada for 1863, and other Survey publications. Mr. Smith died a few years before the Survey was removed to Ottawa. BELL. Mr. Robert Bell then in 1859, a young Civil Engineer although engaged at various times in geological work, was not appointed to the Survey till some years later, since which time he has made many important surveys in various parts of Canada. At this date, 1897, Dr. Bell is actively engaged in geological work ; is assistant director, is M.D., CM., LL.D., F.R.S., etc. Dr. Bell, with the exception of myself, is the only surviving member of the old regime of 1859. I must not forget to mention here another per- manent member of the staff Michael O'Farrell, office keeper, whose connection with the Survey dated from its commencement to 1889, when he was superannuated. Michael was a thorough B 17 REMINISCENCES Irishman, always ready to assist a friend in want, but a bitter foe to those who slighted or opposed him. His commanding appearance gained for him from some of the members of the staff the sobriquet " Figure-head of the geological ship." Michael was a keen horseman, and had in his younger days ridden behind the hounds with some of the most popular noblemen of " dear old Ireland." Michael was very much attached to, and a constant attendant on his chief , Sir William Logan, whose disregard for personal adornment frequently raised Michael's ire. " Sir," said Michael to Sir William one day : " The tailor says these pants are not worth repairing." " Well," said Sir William, " confound him, tell him to make me another pair. " And your boots too, Sir, are in a very bad state." " Well, but," Sir William said, " can't they be patched ? you know I can't walk in new boots." Although Sir William did not forget Michael in his will, he never seemed the same man after his chief's death, and soon after the removal of the Survey from Montreal to Ottawa failed in health so much that it was necessary to appoint another janitor to look after the offices and clean- ing of the museum ; so, as I said before, Michael was superannuated, and was taken care of by his two daughters. Michael only survived about two years after his retirement in 1889. He was succeeded by Mr. Thomas Burke, who at this 18 AMONG THE ROCKS. date, 1897, is fulfilling his position to the satis- faction of all members of the staff. Besides the small band of permanent workers spoken of, there were several other "extra hands," among whom was my old friend Mr. James Low, of Grenville, P. Q., who, though only a rough farmer, through accompanying Sir William on his explorations, became an expert in tracing certain bands of Laurentian rocks. His surveys were plotted by Mr Scott Barlow. Another was Mr. Richard Oatey, a Cornish miner, who did much good work in the examin- ation of mineral deposits. He was associated with the gold mining at the Chaudiere River, P. Q., at the time when the seven pound weight of gold was taken out of the beds of the rivers, and fields of that district. Many other men were occasionally employed and rendered valuable service, but I can only mention here one other : Principal Dawson, of McGill University. Montreal, who, notwithstand- ing his arduous duties at the college, found time to assist Sir William in determining fossils, &c., &c. Sir J. W. Dawson, C.M.G., LL.D., F.R.S., F.G.S., &e., &c., retired from McGill University a short time ago and is now (1897) actively engaged with his books and fossils. His writings are known throughout the scientific world. 19 CHAPTER II. EOZOON " THE DAWN OP LIFE " A REMARKABLE GEOLOGI- CAL CONTROVERSY DISCOVERY OF TUBULI STRUCTURE UNLIKELY THAT THE EXTENSIVE LAURENTIAN SYSTEM WOULD ONLY CONTAIN ONE KIND OF ORGANIC REMAINS THAT THE HURONIAN SYSTEM HAS NOT YIELDED ANY FOSSILS. THE great Eozoon controversy commenced soon after my appointment with the Survey (1859), has continued to the present day, and is likely to continue, with a gradual falling off of those who in the early days of its discovery favored the supposition that it was a fossil. It would take many pages to record even a slight summary of the literature published for and against this remarkable organic looking structure. Here I can only give a slight outline of its discovery and a few remarks on the scien- tific interest and work done to prove this concre- tionary structure to be organic. The first specimen of Eozoon known was found at Burgess, Ont., by Dr. Wilson, of Perth, Ont., and was sent to the Geological Survey as a mineral. Years after, it became associated with the supposed Laurentian fossil and was analyzed and examined microscopically, but nothing was found 20 AMONG THE ROCKS. resembling organic matter. Later on, in 1860, other coralline-looking specimens were found by Mr. J. McMullen at the Grand Calumet, Ont. These specimens were sliced and examined under the microscope, but no fossiliferous structure found a description of these can be found in the Geological Survey Report for 1863. They were given to Mr. Billings to study, and he finally determined not to risk his palaeontological repu- tation in describing such specimens to be even probably of organic origin. These specimens were exhibited in London in 1862 by Logan, but he appears to have found few believers in these supposed Laurentian fossils. About this time Mr. Low collected some fine blocks of serpentine intermixed with crystalline limestone (calcite), from Cote St. Pierre, P.Q- In these specimens Sir William noticed peculiar concretionary matter resembling the Black River fossil Stromatopora rugosa (Hall). The writer was at once requested to make microscopic sec- tions of this rock. Several slides were made and the first looked at under the microscope revealed tubuli structure, or what is called the canal system, in the calcite part of the specimen, which is supposed to be the test or shell of the animal. Sir William examined this, the first discovery of what really resembled organic matter, with great interest, and, in his usual prompt way of acting, had Mr. Smith, the artist of the Survey, make 21 REMINISCENCES drawings. These, with the micro-sections, Sir William took to Principal Dawson, who was delighted to find the tubuli structure in the calcite as he supposed it would be, and not in the serpentine, as Dr. Hunt supposed it would, if found, occur. I have been particular in recording this the first specimen which appeared to have definite organic structure, because in his " Dawn of Life" Dr. Dawson omitted to give me credit for being the first to notice this structure. The illustration opposite p. 24 is from a steel engraving made from Smith's drawing, magnified about twenty dia- meters. After this discovery a large portion of my time was taken up in microscopical work, examining and making thin slices of any Laurentian rock we thought might possibly contain Eozoon, and assisting Mr. Billings in palseontological work. In the summer of 1873 I was sent to inspect and collect specimens from our now celebrated Eozoon locality at Cote St. Pierre. Many beautiful specimens were found, some of which are now in the cases of the Geological Survey Museum ; some are beautifully weathered, causing them to resem- ble the Black River fossil Stromatopora already spoken of. A short time after this, 1874, while collecting fossils in the rocks of the Guelph for- mation at Hespeler, Ont., I was telegraphed for to return to Montreal and accompany Principal 22 AMONG THE ROCKS, Dawson to Cote St. Pierre. We arrived at Pap- ineauville in the afternoon, took the stage to St. Andr^ d'- Avelin (about twelve miles) and put up for the night at a small French boarding house. Here we could only get one bed, which Dr. Daw- son took, while I lay on a rough couch, from which I was soon driven well,not by mosquitoes. The following morning we continued our journey and arrived at Cote St. Pierre about noon. We found lodging in a small French-Canadian farm house within a few paces of the original spot where Mr. Low collected the fine blocks of ser- pentine in whioh the first specimen of tubuli structure was found. During our journey from Papineauville we passed over great ridges of gneissose rock, ser- pentine, crystalline limestones, diorits, and other typical exposures of the great Laurentian system over hills and through valleys with patches of cultivated land from which wheat and other crops had just been taken. Much of the land is covered with a second growth of young maples and other trees. A short distance from our Eozoon locality we pass over the beautiful Nation River, which winds through the hills and valleys of this picturesque country. After a good meal of pork and beans, and a walk of a few paces, we stood on the slope of the hill in Low's excavation made in taking out the blocks of serpentine, in which, as I said, the 23 REMINISCENCES first Eozoon tubuli structure was found. But besides this excavation we discovered that much work had been done by an American who was in search of " Cotton rock," a fibrous serpentine, or asbestos, now largely used in packing safes, etc. Here there is a thickness of about a hundred feet of the Eozoon-yielding rock exposed. It is asso- ciated with coarse diorite, gneiss, pyroxene, dolomite, tremolite, and other characteristic Laurentian rocks and minerals, forming high ridges and a very undulating country. The con- cretionary looking (Eozoon) portion of the ser- pentine rock, i.e., laminated serpentine and cal- cite, has been beautifully weathered. The soft calcite has been worn away and the narrower bands of serpentine remain standing up above the calcite, giving, as I have before remarked, a close resemblance to the Protozoon fossil Stroma- topora. In a short time we made a fine collection, some specimens of which are now historical, having been figured to illustrate the various writings on Eozoon and afterwards placed in the Geological Survey, and Redpath Museums. One of these specimens is reproduced in Dawsoii's " Dawn of Life," Plate III, and it was from this collection that the sections were made from which my micro photographs were taken, some of which also illustrate the " Dawn of Life." ! ///>J&^* -^>. ^V -^'. Eozoon Canadenxe : Canal System. Eo~oon Cainideme: Laminated Structure. AMONG THE ROCKS. I must, at present, close this brief history of Eozoon the gigantic Protozoa of the Laurentian seas, according to Sir J. W. Dawson; who after all these years and amid all the doubt of able palaeon- tologists and naturalists, is to-day the firm believer in Eozoon he has ever been. For my part, and I have made and examined many hundreds of specimens, both as thin sections for the micro- scope and decalcified specimens showing the tubuli structure, I cannot say I am a believer in Eozoon being organic. No one, however, would be more pleased than I to see its organic nature established. This I fear will never be done unless something more definite than this supposed Stromatopora, Stromatocerium, as it is now called, is found. The reproduction opposite p. 24 is from one of the etched specimens, and with the description, copied from the label on the large block of Eozoon serpentine in the Geological Museum, Ottawa, will give those who have not access to books and speci- mens a general idea of this supposed fossil. " A gigantic Protozoon of the order Foramini- fera from the Laurentian system. This specimen is part of an unusually large mass of the fossil, contorted by the disturbance of the containing beds. The laminae of white calcite are the walls of the test of the animal, and the laminae of green serpentine fill the spaces originally occu- 25 EEMINISCENCES pied by its gelatinous animal matter. Collected by Mr. James Low at Petite Nation, on the Ottawa." When one considers that in Canada and British America the Laurentian system covers from 2,000 to 3,000 square miles and has in Canada a known thickness of 40,000 feet of strata, that part of this vast body of rock was originally sedimentary matter derived from older rocks of which we know nothing, and that other higher formations are almost wholly composed of the remains of animal matter, it seems strange that Eozoon should be the only thing that can in any way be attributed to organic structure. Whether Eozoon is a fossil or not, it will always remain an interesting subject of discussion for students in palaeontology and mineralogy, and the specimens prepared by the writer for the London, Paris, Philadelphia, Chicago and other Exhibitions, together with the pile of literature on the subject remain forever as a proof of the deep interest taken in this supposed fossil Protozoa. Like the Laurentian system, the Huronian formation, which consists of a thickness of about 20,000 feet of strata composed of quartzites, slates, limestone, jaspers, conglomerates and many other varieties of rocks, contains no defin- ite fossils. Certain markings on slates and other rocks have been described and figured as the 26 AMONG THE ROCKS. trails of mollusca, &c., but these markings are so indefinite that few palaeontologists believe them to be of organic origin. In one of my papers on concretionary structure, published in the Tran- sactions of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science, Series 2, Vol. I, I mention serious mistakes made in assigning to concretionary and other markings organic origin. The hundreds of miles of Huronian rocks examined by the writer, both in Canada and Newfoundland, have yielded nothing which can definitely be regarded as organic. Billings' Aspidella terranovica, (Palaeozoic fossils, Vol. II,) from the Huronian slates of Newfoundland cer- tainly looks somewhat like a crushed and dis- torted chiton ; but this also is one of those doubt- ful forms which will be looked at shyly by the palaeontologist of the present day. Thus in these two great systems Huronian and Laurentian no true fossils have been found. There are reasons why life should have existed in both the Laurentian and Huronian forma- tions ; but till definite fossils are brought to light, most palaeontologists and geologists will, I think, consider these two great formations Archean or Azoic. 27 CHAPTER III. A VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES JOURNEY TO THE ISLAND OF ANTICOSTI MY ASSISTANT PROVES FORGETFUL AND UNFORTUNATE DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND ITS GEO- LOGICAL FORMATION SOME QUEER INHABITANTS I SIGHT A COUPLE OF BEARS FURTHER MISFORTUNES OF JACKSON DEPARTURE FOR QUEBEC. It/! OST of the year 1864 was spent in assisting "* Mr. Billings in palasontological and Museum work. Most of the month of June was occupied at Troy, Bald Mountain and Glens Falls, N.Y., making collections of fossils from the Primordial and Trenton formations. These were needed for comparison with our "Quebec Group" fossils. The specimens obtained at Troy and Bald Mountain proved very interesting as they threw new light on the relation of certain rocks of N.Y. State to those of the "Quebec Group" of Canada. At Troy I was entertained and accompanied in my researches by Mr. S. W. Ford, a young palaeon- tologist of bright prospects. At Bald Mountain, to be near my work, I sought and found board and lodging in a typical American farm house. The great kindness shown me in this hospitable home, the interesting nature of my work, together with the peaceful 28 AMONG THE ROCKS. rest after the day's work will always cause this period to be remembered as one of the most pleasant of my early explorations. On the 1st of June 1865, 1 received instructions from Sir William Logan to prepare for a journey to the island of Anticosti. I was to take a man who could act as cook and general assistant, the necessary camp equipment and provisions for two months. I was to examine and collect fossils from the coast rocks between English Head and Becscie River, on the south side of the island. In a few days my arrangements were complete, and furnished with a Government official letter to the Captain of the S. S. Napoleon III, (which carried supplies to the Gulf shore lighthouses) I with my assistant started on what proved to be an exceedingly interesting trip, but which was frequently beset with laughable and often danger- ous incidents, a few of which with a slight out- line of the geological structure of the island I shall try and record. I knew nothing of the man who was going to be my companion on a wild sea coast, excepting that my friend Mr. Root, who had recommended him to me, said he was a good cook and first-rate all round camp man. My first experience of any short- comings in Mr. Jackson (John Jackson was his name) occurred while waiting for the Mon- treal boat to start for Quebec. While standing near some of our baggage I saw a little woman 29 REMINISCENCES bustling around looking anxiously for some one. Seeing me among a lot of boxes she came up and said : "Are you the man who is going to Anticosti?" I replied that I was. "Well sir," she said, "I hope you will take care of my husband, Mr. Jackson, for he can't take care of hisself, and please sir where is he now?" " Oh, he has forgotten his overcoat," I replied, " and has run home for it." "Ah, there it is," the woman said, "he never does remember anything." Just at that moment Jackson came up and "All aboard " was called out. As we hustled the little woman off I gave her a few dollars on account of John's wages, and her last words to John were, "Don't forget the baby." The delightful voyage down our noble St. Lawrence River, the courtesy of the officers on our good ship, together with the little trials and troubles of my assistant, will ever remain fresh in my memory. We reached English Head Light- house on the 18th of June, not, however, without several strong reminders of the " perils of the deep." At the time of my visit to Anticosti in 1865, there were no inhabitants at the west end, excepting those connected with the lighthouse, but fishermen from other parts of the island frequently came on business to Mr. Malouin, the 30 AMONG THE ROCKS. light-keeper. These men, like most fishermen, are a rough, hardy set, ever ready to assist one another in times of trouble, always ready to indulge in what they call little jokes, but, as will be seen by the following incident, very much opposed to having a joke played on them. For several weeks Miss Maloain (daughter of the light-keeper) had been anxiously looking out for a priest, who at that time visited the island occasionally to administer religious functions, and as there was a probability of her confessor arriving that day she and I stood at the foot of the flag-staff speculating on his approach. In a little while we saw in the distance a boat con- taining several men, and with the Union Jack flying. In a moment all was ready to hoist the flag in honor of the priest's arrival. When, however, the boat came within a short distance of the shore, to the young lady's dismay she discovered that it only contained fishermen, who, knowing the priest was expected, thought they would play one of their little jokes by flying the flag, usually displayed in honor of an ecclesiastic. Seeing disappointment and anger depicted on the lady's face, I pointed to a fishing basket which lay near the flag stafl ; my meaning was instantly interpreted. "Good," said Miss Malouin ; and in a moment up went the basket to the top of the pole. But, alas ! my little joke was observed by the fishermen, and when they reached shore 31 REMINISCENCES they made straight for me and were about to do me bodily harm, but the brave girl rushed in between us and cried, " Strike me if you want to beat any one ! " on which the men slunk off, muttering threats of vengeance on my head. At English Head, as along the greatest part of the south shore, a sloping reef extends sea- wards probably from half-a-mile to a mile. According to Bay field, the outer edge of the reef forms a precipice from twenty to a hundred feet deep. Ships approach the edge of this shelving reef with great caution, sounding continually, and in case of fog standing off two or three miles from shore. All lighthouse supplies are carried first in the ship's boats, then in a cart which is kept for that purpose ; with these our supplies and camp outfit were landed. Letters of introduction to the light-keeper, Mr. Malouin, gained me a cordial welcome, and I was hospitably housed in the lighthouse till the busy time caused by the arrival of the Government supply boat was over, and I could get the cart to carry me to Gamache Bay, a distance, I think, of eight miles, where I decided to make my first camp. During my short stay at English Head, the time was occupied collecting fossils and other natural history specimens. The reef, already referred to, which is dry at low tide, affords an excellent opportunity for collecting some of the 32 AMONG THE ROCKS. characteristic fossils of the island, among which is the fossil to which Billings gave the generic name Beatricea, and classed it in the vegetable kingdom. Hyatt supposes it to belong to the Cephalopoda family, placing it with Miller in the animal kingdom. The latter supposes it to belong to the Bryozoa family, and assorts it with fossil ^sponges. After seeing many hundreds of these forms in situ, I quite agree with Billings in giving it a vegetable origin, and think it will ultimately be described as a fucoide. I have never seen a perfect specimen of Beatricea. The base or root of this plant-like form is frequently met with, but the upper end is always broken and does not show the termination, so at present we do not know what length this fossil attained. The longest section seen by me measured twenty feet and was about six inches in diameter, while fragments of others measured a foot in diameter They are cylindrical in form, slightly tapering towards the upper end; the exterior is rough, resembling the bark of some trees. A tube crossed transversely with highly concave septa runs the whole length, while between this central tube and the outside, concentric layers resembling those of an exogen tree and a coralline structure are seen. Billings describes these species from Anticosti as Beatricea undulata and B. nodulosa They occur in the Lower Silurian, and are most abundant in the Hudson River formation in the c 33 REMINISCENCES vicinity of the west-end lighthouse. This genus was found in the Hudson River rocks of Rabbit Island, L.S., by Dr. Bell, of the Canadian Survey, and by the writer, in 1884, at Stony Mountain, Manitoba. My main object in visiting Anticosti was to collect fossils from the rocks between Macasty Bay, near the north-west end of the island, and Becscie River on the south side, a distance in a straight line of about thirty-seven miles, but very much longer taking in the numerous bends of the coast. In these memoirs I can only speak in the briefest manner on the geology of that portion of the island visited ; leaving those interested in the subject to peruse the able report of the late Mr. James Richardson, of the Canadian Geologi- cal Survey. The rocks of Anticosti belong to the lower and Middle Silurian. The various formations recognized by stratagraphy and fossils are : the Hudson River, Oneida, Medina, Clinton, and Niagara. A section of the Hudson River rocks at the west end of the island gives a thick- ness of 959 feet of strata, composed chiefly of argillaceous limestones, limestone conglomerates and other similar beds. These measures contain fossils characteristic of the Hudson River forma- tion, a formation which occupies a great portion of the island, forming in places cliffs with an 34 AMONG THE ROCKS. elevation of from 100 to 400 feet, in places almost perpendicular. Two days after our arrival at the west-end lighthouse we succeeded in getting the cart to carry us and part of our camp outfit to Gamache, or Ellis Bay, a distance of about eight miles. I sat with the driver, the light-keeper, while Jack- son sat on our baggage. When within a mile or so of our destination, hearing Jackson whistling " Home, Sweet Home," I turned to ask him if he was thinking of "the baby," and glancing towards our baggage to my dismay I saw that several pieces of our camp equipment were miss- ing. Fortunately, however, they belonged to Jackson. These things actually slipped from under him as we jolted along the rocky shore. " Good gracious, Jackson/' I exclaimed, "what's gone with your dunnage-bag, long boots and overcoat ?" " Good God !" Jackson said, jumped off the cart, and started back in search of his " duds." Our camp was pitched, supper eaten and the shades of night were closing in when John re- turned with the lost baggage, which he had found just as the tide, which had risen, was about to cover them. John was in anything but an amiable humor, but a nip of rye from the medicine chest, and a good supper, soon restored peace in our camp, and before we retired for the night we bagged several large lobsters, one of 35 REMINISCENCES which was the largest I have ever seen in Canada. During our journey from the west- end we saw many seals, Phoca Grcenlandica, (Muller), which were very numerous at that time. They lay basking in the sun, but on our approach wriggled off into the sea. Part of the coast between west-end lighthouse and Gamache Bay is exceedingly rough High escarpments of dark and light grey calcareous rocks most of the beds of which are prolific in fossils, especially those of Junction Cliff, which, owing to the over-hanging beds, form good rest- ing places for the fossils which had "weathered" out, and were gathered by handfuls. Cape Henry on the west side of Gamache Bay has a vertical face of about 300 feet. Similar cliffs occupy a large portion of the coast, while intervening; spaces are low land covered with a coarse grass. Many varieties of fruit-bearing trees and shrubs were seen between the west-end and Gamache Bay, among which were : the moun- tain-ash ; gooseberry ; currant ; cranberry, &c. Pine, balsam, tamarack and other trees attain a good size, and much of this wood is fit for building purposes. During the ten days or so we camped in Gamache Bay we visited the only three people living in that vicinity : Luke, who kept the government store where a supply of provisions, &c., was kept, to be used only by wrecked sailors 36 AMONG THE ROCKS. and others who had been cast ashore ; an old man named Murray, whom we found in a log cabin at the head of the bay, bedridden and in a terrible state of dirt and wretchedness, cursing heaven and earth, and all things on land and in the sea. So far as I could learn, this man was the only remain- ing member of a small band of wreckers, whose chief was the terrible pirate-king Gamache. The grave of this miscreant is situated at the end of the bay. If any of the descendants of Gamache's gang of pirates are living they could no doubt tell some fearful stories of wrecks caused by this execrable old wrecker. The only other occupant of the bay was a fisherman, who was away at the time, but his wife, who lived in a small log cabin, furnished us with lobsters, and other " fruits of the sea," and sheltered me for two or three nights when I was almost driven wild by mosquitoes and black flies. I was also indebted to this woman for the use of a boat to make a journey to River Becscie, a distance of about fif- teen miles east of the bay. This journey was made to get a further supply of the beautiful bivalve fossil shell Pentainerus Barrandi (Bil- lings), which was discovered by Mr. Richardson in 1856. Knowing this was to be a dangerous journey, after a good bit of coaxing and a promise to pay him $8.00 per day, I got Luke, who was well acquainted with the coast, to allow Jackson to mind his " wrecked sailor provisions store," 37 REMINISCENCES and accompany me. We left the bay at 2 o'clock in the morning, when the tide was well up, but to avoid boulders and other obstructions we had to keep well out, perhaps a mile from shore. The moon was shining brightly, and as our frail boat glided through the lonely sea, I too, like Jackson, felt inclined to whistle " Home, Sweet Home." At six o'clock we landed for breakfast and a nap, and while Luke prepared our meal I started out with my revolver to try and shoot a duck or two, which in that locality, were quite numerous ; but before I had gone a hundred yards I found myself within fifty paces or so of two bears. They were separated from me by a small stream, and appeared to be feeding on dead fish. I gave a shrill whistle, a signal agreed on between Luke and myself, in case of danger. In a few moments he was at my side, and if I was surprised at seeing two bears so near me, I was more surprised to hear the blasphemous curses that Luke hurled at these denizens of the forest. Whether it was Luke's choice language that decided the bears to "get a move on" or not I don't know, but after surveying us for a moment they moved off towards the bush. The next evening we reached Becscie River, where, after a long search, I found and made a good collection from the Pentamerous beds already spoken of. Owing to stormy weather we were detained here two days, and as the sea AMONG THE ROCKS. continued rough, and our small stock of pro- visions gave out, we decided to haul up our boat to a safe place and walk back. It was a tedious walk over those fifteen miles of rough shore, " A dreary beach with green waves tumbling free," but I was amply repaid by finding several new and important fossils. During our absence, while keeping a sharp look-out on the Government store, Jackson had busied himself in administering to the wants of poor Murray, whose dirt and depravity had so shocked him that he was glad to be relieved from his task. Jackson, who was an inveterate disciple of Izaak Walton, had, while we were away, dis- covered a fine trout stream, a short distance from the head of the bay. The fish were small, but very numerous, so I concluded to spend half a day fishing. Early the next morning we set off for our trout stream, which I found as Jackson had represented , but here in the midst of our sport, misfortune again befell Jackson. While stepping on a boul- der in the stream he fell fiat in the water ; his ducking did not, however, prevent him from con- tinuing the sport. We reached camp that even- ing with sufficient fish to give all our friends in the bay a good feed. The following day, according to previous arrangement, the horse and cart were brought 39 REMINISCENCES to convey us again to the west-end. We re- mained there several days collecting fossils and other objects in natural history along the shore. Here, at the lighthouse work-shop poor Jackson's misfortunes followed him. We had obtained some leather, and John was busy mending a pair of boots, while I talked to the lighthouse keeper who was sitting on his work-bench. Suddenly the loud report of a gun immediately behind me ; the shattering of a saw which hung on the wall near the light-keeper, and the exclamation " Mon Dieu" caused me to turn to where the report came from, and there I saw Jackson holding a large old-fashioned flint gun which had been tinkered into a cap -lock weapon. It appears this old gun had been loaded some time ago with shot and a ball to shoot a bear which had been seen prowling round the light buildings. How- ever the bullet and some of the shot passed so close to Mr. Malouin that it grazed his coat before shattering the saw. Jackson had received a cut on his cheek by the nipple flying out, and his wrist and face were blackened with powder- marks which would remain as long as he lived. John was at once ordered to leave the buildings, and Malouin suggested that I put him in quar- antine. At last, after much trouble, I succeeded in getting a boat and men to take us to our last camping ground Macasty Bay, a distance of 40 AMONG THE ROCKS. about twelve miles, in a straight line from the west-end lighthouse, but as in our Becscie River trip we had to stand well out from the shore. During the journey fog set in, and that with a rolling sea, a small boat, four men, a large dog, which I had borrowed from the west- end lighthouse folks, eight boxes of fossils and provisions, rendered the journey a heavy and somewhat dangerous one, but at last we reached the bay and pitched our tent in a picturesque spot near a small stream of clear water and a considerable bush. After a good supper of pork and pancakes, which latter Jackson was past master in making, the two men left us for the west-end. Jackson and I sat at our camp-fire till quite late and then turned into our blankets. How long we had been in the " arms of Murphy," as one of my men of former travels called it, I do not know, but I, always a light sleeper while at camp, was awakened by hearing some beast sniffing at our pork -box just outside the tent. I gave Tom, the dog, who was sleeping at my feet, a push, and hastily unhooked the tent door. Tom rushed out and gave chase to what I supposed to be a stray cow from the west-end lighthouse stables, but in the morning I was surprised to find the tracks of a large bear all round the tent. Tom slept on the outside of our tent for the rest of our camp there. 41 REMINISCENCES We remained several days in Macasty Bay, during which time we made journeys in both directions along the cost. Some of the cliffs in this locality are high and almost perpendicular, and a mountain rises to a height of about four hundred feet. This is an interesting spot for the palaeontologist, for the rocks are very prolific in fossils, and besides the many new species of fossils obtained by us many more remain to be collected ; indeed the field was so good for collecting that I had decided to remain a week or two longer and run the chance of another schooner other than the one which was to call for us. But on the following morn- ing a schooner anchored opposite the bay, and the men seeing our camp came ashore. As I found they were bound for Gaspe', I decided, much to the delight of Jackson, who had an idea that at any rate his bones would be left on " the damned island/' to leave. In a short time all our traps were on board and the boat was steered for Gaspe , but owing to head winds the journey lasted three times the duration it would have done with a fair wind. It was a constant tack- ing till we reached Gaspe Basin. The stench was so great in the cabin, and it looked such a delightful place for parasites, that I spent one whole night on deck. However, we reached Gaspe' safely just as the steamer had left for Quebec. This obliged us to remain there a fort- 42 AMONG THE ROCKS. night, which time was spent in exploring some of the interesting geological sections of that vicinity, one of which was at Douglastown River. Here considerable excitement prevailed for some time owing to the discovery of Petroleum springs. Oil is seen oozing from the sandstones which belong to the Lower Helderberg group (Upper Silurian). The few fossils found here were plants which have a Devonian aspect. Another locality visited was Silver Brook, a tributary of the York River. Here petroleum is seen floating on the pools of water and oozing from the rocks. At the time of my visit to this place (1865) boring for oil was in operation, but so far the wells had only yielded salt water and gas. Although this oil excitement is constantly cropping up, I am not aware, even at this date? more than thirty years after, that oil in paying quantities has been obtained. A few interesting fossils were obtained from the Silver Brook rocks, and samples of petroleum collected for the museum. And now before closing this brief account of my Anticosti trip, and bidding good-bye to our friend Jackson, I must relate two other misfor- tunes which befell him during our stay at Gasp6. Early one morning we provided ourselves with a lunch, and started for a long geological tramp. 43 REMINISCENCES After a time we left the main road and took a bush path which followed the base of a range of high hills and cliffs. We had proceeded a mile or so when we came to a log cabin. Jackson, always of an enquiring mind, started towards the cabin, but when within a few feet of the door, a vicious bull-terrier rushed out and buried his teethin John's leg. At that moment a woman ran out and with a stick beat the dog off. I demanded that the dog should be tied up, and when this was done examined the wounded leg. Fortunately the flesh was not torn. I bathed the limb with water from a stream close by and bound it with my handkerchief, and we started back. It was a painful walk for poor Jackson, and his leg was very much swollen when we reached the hotel, where a doctor attended to the leg. Jackson stoutly declined to have me send someone to shoot the dog. saying : " Perhaps it is the only protection that poor woman has in that lonely wood." Like the proverbial cat with nine lives my servitor was soon able to be about again. The steamer for Quebec was due in three days> so leaving John to look out for the arrival of our boat, and instructing him to have all our traps on the wharf in time, I drove off to inspect some supposed ore deposits and an oil spring. I was back half a day before the boat was due, but to my surprise she was in sight and making for the 44 AMONG THE ROCKS. basin, but Jackson, where was he ? I hurried to the hotel, paid my bill, and on enquiring for Jackson was told that he was, that morning, going down to the wharf with the two bottles of mineral water I had previously collected, and, taking a short cut down a steep embankment, had fallen, cutting himself severely with the broken bottles, and that he was then lying in the Harbormaster's office ; there I found the poor fellow on a rough lounge, and covered with the Union Jack. By this time the steamer was at the wharf. Going on board and explaining matters to the Captain, he kindly allowed his men to fetch our luggage from the store-room, and also to have Jackson carried to the ship. The pitiable sight my poor man presented will probably never be forgotten. We left Gaspe* on the 27th of August, reached Quebec safely, and in a short time were on board our train bound for Montreal, which place we reached a week after leaving Gaspe". There I paid Jackson off and he at once started for his home, where I trust he found his wife and baby. I had long ago come to the con- clusion that his wife was about right when she said : " He can't take care of hisself." I never saw the poor fellow again, and think he died about a year after. So ends this brief account of our Anticosti trip. The remainder of the year 1865 and to July the following year, was occupied in labelling and arranging my Anticosti and other fossils and in my usual microscopical and museum work. 45 \ CHAPTER IV. THE SOUTH PETITE NATION RIVEE THE TRENTON FORMA- TION THE CALCIFEROUS ROCKS OF ONTARIO WE LOSE OUR WAY IN THE BUSH THE CHAZY FORMATION A GUELPH FREETHINKER AN ADVENTURE WITH A BULL VISIT TO POINT LE>IS AN ODD MISTAKE AT OUR BOARDING-HOUSE THE EOZOON CONTROVERSY. ON the 27th of July 1866, 1 left for the South Petite Nation River and spent about ten days examining and collecting fossils from the Trenton formation. This series of rocks takes its name from Trenton, Oneida county, New York. Although its thickness in Canada does not exceed probably 1,000 feet, it is palaeonto- logically one of the most interesting formations. It has been studied perhaps more than any other formation, and has yielded a vast number of species and genera; indeed the Trenton formation has been likened to a magnificent museum of well preserved shells. The extensive quarries of this limestone in Montreal, Ottawa and many other places have not only furnished stone for our principal buildings, but have supplied our museums with thousands of beautiful fossils. In the distant days of the Geological Survey of Canada, of which I now write, the Government grant was small and one had to tramp many use- 46 AMONG THE ROCKS. less (geologically) miles of country to save ex- pense. It was on one of these journeys in the South Petite Nation district that I took what I supposed to be a short cut through the woods, but long before reaching the main road leading to the log cabin where I was quartered, night came on, and I had frequently to look at my compass by the light of a match. It was while groping for my road in this way that I stumbled over what I supposed to be a bear, but which I found by striking another light to be a cow, and to my delight I stepped into a path which led to the road. In a short time I was safely housed, and if it was a one-roomed log cabin, and if I did have to sleep in the one bed while Mike and his wife camped on the floor in close proximity, and the youngsters slept in another corner of the room, I was thankful for even that shelter and also for the " God bless you " I received, when after a hearty breakfast of milk and potatoes I shouldered my large fishing basket and started for fresh fields. A short time after returning from the Petite Nation River I left for Chambly (a short distance from Montreal) and spent a few days on the Hudson River rocks. I then visited Kempville, Oxford and other localities in Ontario, and worked among the Calciferous rocks, collecting many interesting fossils among which were several new species. 47 REMINISCENCES The Calciferous sandrock received its name from the New York geologists. It is developed in many parts of the United States, where, as in Canada it succeeds the Potsdam formation and is chiefly a magnesian limestone. Its thickness in Canada is supposed to be about 300 feet. It is not very prolific in fossils, nor are the species numerous as in the succeeding formations. It is supposed the Lamellibranchiata that numerous class of bivalves which are not equilateral, or divided equally on either side of the apex com- menced their life in this part of the Lower Silurian. Before the season ended, I accompanied Mr. Billings to Isle Bizard, where we examined the Calciferous and Chazy rocks. Our chief object was to collect specimens of that characteristic fossil of the Chazy formation, Bolboporites. The weather was lovely, and Mr. Billings, who seldom left the office for field work, was like a school- boy let loose for a holiday. Here a little incident caused us a good laugh. We had finished our work and started on our return journey. Opposite the house where we had boarded was a considerable bush, and to save a long detour we determined to cross it. Blocks of Chazy and Calciferous limestone were strewn over the ground, and we kept going from one to another, picking up a fossil here and there, and working, as we supposed, towards our destination, 48 AMONG THE ROCKS. but to our surprise, instead of being a mile or so away, we came plump up in front of the house we had left. I laughed heartily in which Mr. Billings joined at the time saying . " Take a bearing with the compass, and you lead the road." This time we got through the bush all right and were soon back again in Montreal. The Chazy formation takes its name from Chazy, Clinton county, on the west side of Lake Champlain. It has fine beds of workable lime- stone, both for building and for ornamental work. Some of the beds at Montreal, Caughnawaga, and other localities furnish a good marble. It contains many species and genera of fossils, and is characterized by the small Brachiopod Rhyn- chonella, of which some of the beds are almost wholly composed. Phosphatic nodules, which are supposed to be coprolites, occur in abundance in some of the beds ; they are composed chiefly of the remains of the bivalve Lingula, which is supposed to have formed the food of the animals from which the coprolites were derived. It is in the Chazy formation that we find many interesting Crus- tacea (Trilobites), some of which are rolled up as if to protect themselves from danger, as some of the lower animals of the present day do. My field work during the summer of 1867 was confined to collecting fossils from the Guelph formation at Guelph, Gait, Elora, Hespeler, and D 49 REMINISCENCES other localities where the Guelph rocks are exposed. This formation takes its name from the town of Guelph, on the river Speed, Ontario. It occupies a position next above the Niagara formation, and forms the top of the Middle Silurian; is about 160 feet thick and is composed chiefly of yellowish white dolomite, or mag- nesian limestone. Some of the beds are hard ? and make a good building stone. The beds at Guelph and Gait are characterized by casts of the large bivalve, Megalomus Canadensis (Hall). The Guelph formation has yielded a large fauna of fossils, many of which were described by the late Mr. Billings. Other new species are now being worked out by his successor, Mr. Whiteaves, the present palaeontologist to the Geological Survey of Canada. The numerous fossils many of which were new to science now in the cases of the Dominion Geological Museum, show some of the result of our labor among these interesting rocks. I close these brief remarks on the Guelph rocks by recording the name of my old friend Mr. James Harris of Hespeler at whose house I boarded. Both Mr. Harris and his two daugh- ters worked in the woollen factory of Hespeler. They were humble people, and while with them I did not " live on the fat of the land," but they gave of the best they had. This was the first time I had lived with a confessed infidel 50 AMONG THE ROCKS. for such was old man Harris and what with my fossils and the learned talk of my host I found plenty of food, if not for the body, for the mind. There was one thing remarkable about the old man's belief, and that was, when Sunday came he always insisted on his children attend- ing Sunday school, and learning their catechism. Old man Harris is always associated in my mind with the Guelph formation. The old man must be dead long ago. I wonder whether he still holds the same views of religion. As I visited Hespeler and my old friend later on I shall perhaps speak of him again. The following month and until June 17th, 1868, I was fully occupied with museum, micro- scopical and other work relating to the palaeon- tological branch of the Survey. Then on the last named date commenced a series of geological excursions which proved highly interesting and furnished much new palseontological information regarding the great range of rocks on the south side of the St. Lawrence between Point Levis and Gaspe", and now known as a portion of the " Quebec group," but which, owing to the lack of fossil evidence, were in the early days of the Survey assigned to various horizons. My examination of these rocks commenced at Riviere Ouelle, 80 miles below Quebec, to which place I was sent by Sir William Logan to ex- amine in situ, a series of black phosphatic no- 51 REMINISCENCES dules, which were then, as now, supposed to be coprolites, and the singular, cylindrical fossil- looking forms which occur with the nodules. These have been described in the Geology of Canada for 1863, and are spoken of by myself and illustrated by micro-drawings in the Geo- logical Report for 1^76-77, pp. 432-33. Part of the river shore is exceedingly rough and the beach is strewn, or was at that time, with the bones of the white whale, or Beluga, which were trapped here for their oil. Like the seal Phoca Grcenlandica, these small whales, or porpoise, as they are called by some, are of great antiquity, their skeletons having been found in the blue clay many feet below the surface, and far away from river or sea. The cases of the Geological Museum, Ottawa, contain many fossil bones of the last two species, a great number of fossil shells and plants from the Post-Tertiary clays of Montreal, Ottawa and other localities. One case contains almost an entire skeleton of a harp seal Phoca Grrcenlan- dica (Muller). The label attached to this valu- able specimen reads : Skeleton of Harp Seal Phoca Grcenlandica (Muller), Post-Tertiary clays, Montreal. Found at the depth of 30 feet below the surface in Peel and Conte's clay pit 1861. Weston. 52 AMONG THE ROCKS. After collecting the above specimens I spent much time in freeing the bones from the clay in which they were imbedded, and then in articula- ting them, in which shape it remained till about 1887, when it was re -articulated and restored by Mr. Jules Baily of Montreal, thus, in my opinion, deteriorating the fossil aspect of the remains. Besides the fossil bones and shells mentioned, these Saxicava clays (which are largely used for brick-making) contain, at Green's Creek, Glou- cester, Ottawa, abundant nodules in which are found beautiful examples of Mallotus villosus (Cuvier); that delicate fish, the Capeling of the lower St. Lawrence, one of the few fishes which has weathered the storms and changes of cent- uries. While pacing the distance along Riviere Ouelle and noting the various outcrops of rocks between the railway station and the coast, I had a laugh- able and what might have been a serious encoun- ter with a bull. I was very intent on my task as this was my first attempt to make geological measurements with a view to plotting my work. All went well, till, seeing a peculiar clump of rocks in a field, I decided to make an offset from the river road. About half the distance was covered when to my surprise a wicked looking bull came tearing along from the other side of the field ; for a moment my chance of escape seemed very slim indeed, but dropping my geo- 53 REMINISCENCES logical traps, I ran as one runs for his life, and succeeded in gaining the clump of rocks, up which I scrambled just as his bullship was about to hook me in the back. A shout brought a farmer from the next field, and after some little trouble I regained rny instruments, but my line of meas- urement was never completed. Soon after my return from Riviere Ouelle I was again summoned to Quebec to accompany and assist my old friend Mr. Richardson in his inves- tigation of that portion of the " Quebec Group " occupying the coast between Riviere du Loup and Rimouski, a distance of about 60 miles. During the autumn of 1867, and all the sum- mer of 1868, Mr. Richardson was engaged in trac- ing out the structure of these Quebec rocks. Up to 1867, very little was known as to the palseon- tological history of the coast rocks between Riviere Ouelle, already referred to, and Rimouski. The discovery by Mr. Richardson this summer (1868), of one or more species of Trilobites was considered so important that he telegraphed the fact to Sir Wm. Logan and requested him to send me to assist in searching for other forms. 1 was at once despatched to Point Levis, where I found Mr. Richardson waiting for me at the railway station. It was a dark night, and I was cold and hungry. In those days we had no luxurious parlor and dining cars, but in a few moments we were housed in the Victoria Hotel, that comfor- 54 AMONG THE ROCKS. table house which has since then sheltered Logan, Billings, Webster, Ells and other members of the geological staff, after days of hard tramps over the Levis rocks. A glance at the fossils Mr. Richardson had col- lected showed at once that they belonged to the Primordial formation, a fact which threw a new light on a large portion of the rocks of the St. Lawrence river.* The following morning we bade good-bye to our genial hostess Mrs. Tofield, who has long been numbered with the great majority, and whose comfortable resting place for the traveller has long been closed owing to the removal of the Grand Trunk, Quebec and Levis depot to a more convenient site, in close proximity to the Quebec and Le" vis ferry boats and started for St. Roch, a small village,close to the shore of the St. Lawrence river, which place had yielded the precious fossils which were to aid so materially in working out the complicated structure of the Quebec rocks. Our first day's researches proved highly satisfac- tory, for we had bagged eight species of fossils most of which were new and all of a decidedly Primordial aspect. All these forms were obtained from the limestone pebbles of the conglomerates, a fact which left us to conclude that the matrix *In these notes I speak of the various geological horizons as they were known then, and not as they are known at the present day, 1897. 55 REMINISCENCES of the conglomerates and the other bedded rocks were newer and belonged to the Potsdam forma- tion. We continued our examination of these shore rocks at St. Anne, St. Denis, St. Paschal, Riviere du Loup, Trois Pistoles, St. Simon, Rimouski and other places. The result of our work was considered by Mr. Richardson very satisfactory. Our mode of travel was chiefly by Grand Trunk Railway as far as Riviere du Loup ; east of that to Rimouski we travelled either by buggy or by Her Majesty's mail (often being the whole night on the road) which sometimes consisted of a buck-board and one horse. The construction of the Intercolonial Railway between Riviere du Loup and Halifax a con- tinuation of the Grand Trunk line was then in progress, and afforded us both opportunities of travel and an insight into rocks hitherto con- cealed. During our journeys in this section of the country we saw much of the poor farming class of French Canadians. Few spoke even a little English, and as both Richardson's and my own French was very limited, we often made laughable mistakes ; two examples I may mention here. Being one day in a house where none of the inmates could speak English, I undertook while taking my soup to ask for a table napkin, but in some way mistook the French word " sheet " for 56 AMONG THE ROCKS. that of " napkin." Judge of my surprise when the old lady brought me a large white sheet. On another occasion our horse gave out and we were obliged to put up for the night at a log cabin where both food and accommodation were at a low ebb. My failure regarding the table napkin induced me to ask Richardson to try his hand at Canadian French, so when asked by the woman of the shanty " how many eggs we wanted for supper, and whether boiled or fried," which modes of cooking were conveyed to us by signs, Richardson said in French, as he thought, " four boiled eggs/' but when we sat down to supper behold there were four dozen. We ate four and after assuring the poor woman that we would pay for the whole four dozen, we divided the remaining forty -four among the members of the family. They were still feasting on the remains of our supper when we entered the straw bed on the floor of the loft of the cabin. This trip finished my field work for 1868. Between the last date to^the following June I was fully occupied in the museum and in my work- room. The Eozoon controversy of which I shall again speak later on was still one of the inter- esting geological subjects of the day, and much of my time was spent preparing microscopic sec- tions of Laurentian, Huronian and other rocks. Sir William Logan watched my operations with keen interest, and spent hours over my 57 REMINISCENCES microscope examining the sections as they were prepared. About this time Sir William appointed me Librarian to the Survey. I was to spend a short time every morning, before going to my more important duties, in recording the various publi- cations purchased and presented, and attending to the distribution of Survey reports, etc. I retained the name of Librarian to the Survey for six years, when a Mr. White was appointed to relieve me from that work. The library at that time consisted principally of books belonging to Sir William, most of which were, after Sir William's death, purchased from the Logan estate. These books formed the nucleus of the library of the Geological Survey of Canada which to-day (1897) contains 12,000 volumes, and has for Librarian the learned and venerable Dr. J. Thorburn, who has two lady assistants. In the last Geological Report, 1894, it is recorded that during the year ending 31st December, there were distributed 5,666 copies of the Survey publication, This year (1897) 9,922 copies were distributed. This record of the doings of the library of the Geological Survey of to-day (1897) marks the great progress in this department since the time when I managed the affairs of the library in an hour or so each day. 58 CHAPTER V. THE FIELD SEASON OF 1869 JOURNEY WITH SIB. RICH- ARDSON LOST IN THE BUSH THE PRIMORDIAL ROCKS IN NEW BRUNSWICK ARISAIG, NOVA SCOTIA, AND ITS COAST ROCKS RETIREMENT OF SIR WILLIAM LOGAN FIELD SEASON OF 1870 THE ROCKS OP QUEBEC ANOTHER VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES VISIT TO STANFOLD, QUE. FIELD WORK OF 1871-2 THE COAST OF LABRADOR. ^T^HE geological field season of 1869,was a busy and interesting one for me. Many hundreds of miles were covered and much information gained regarding the Primordial and other rocks then under discussion. The first journey made (June 12th) was to Beloeil Mountain, P. Q., to examine a small outcrop of Devonian lime- stone. The distance between the small village of St. Hilaire and this limestone was measured by pacing and with a prismatic compass ; the var- ious varieties of diorite and other intrusive rocks which form the mountain were noted, and a small but instructive collection of fossils made from the limestones. This mountain and exposure of limestone is always associated in my mind with my old friend and colleague Mr. James Richardson. It was the following summer I think when I again 59 REMINISCENCES visited this locality with him to make further geological observations. Arriving at the village already mentioned Mr. Richardson decided to cross the mountain through the bush while I took the cart-road to our limestone locality at which place we were to meet again. It was after one o'clock when I reached this spot. The day was hot and sultry and the mosquitoes thick and hungry. I was tired, and concluded not to wait for Richardson, but to take my lunch and sample the bottle of claret we had provided ourselves with from the village. After lunch and my after-dinner pipe I began to be anxious about my companion. But time wore on and the sun was near setting when I reluctantly decided he was lost a strange con- clusion to come to about a man who had spent a large part of his life in the bush. But coming to this conclusion I at once built a large smudge fire, and as the smoke ascended prayed that my dear old friend would see it. The shades of evening were just beginning to deepen when a rustling in the bush caused me to look up, and there was poor Richardson with clothes torn and bathed in perspiration. He sank down by the smudge fire thoroughly exhausted. I at once gave him a drink from our flask of claret, but for a time I feared he had a sunstroke, and was doubtful whether he could be got back to the village that night. After bathing him with water, however, 60 AMONG THE ROCKS. which I carried in my hat from a spring some little distance off, and drying his clothes, he revived, and before dark we were on our way to the village. Mr. Richardson had followed a ridge of rocks for a long distance through the bush and, after several hours' tramp, found he had lost the bearing of the locality where he was to join me. Knowing I would wait for him at the appointed spot, he had struggled on, but at last saw the smoke of my smudge fire and was soon with me again. In after years when we sat by our camp fire he would often refer to this incident and say "I never was so exhausted in my life, and if I had not seen the smoke from your smudge, I should have lain down and perhaps never seen you again." Part of June and till the latter part of July was spent in visiting various localities in New Brunswick. The Primordial rocks were occupy- ing Mr. Billings' attention and it was thought advisable to have me examine and collect fossils from various localities where this formation was well developed. Arriving at St. John I at once sought Mr. George Matthew of the Customs department, who, in conjunction with Prof. Baily, during their vacations, have done good geological work for the Survey. I wish to record here my thanks to Mr. Matthew for his kindness in furnishing me much information regarding the places I was 61 REMINISCENCES about to visit, viz Mouthpath, Ratcliffs Mill Stream, Clark's Point, Oak Bay and other local- ities. The weather was beautiful, but occasionally foggy, as is frequently the case in the vicinity of the harbor of St. John. Prof. Baily joined me for a few hours, and together we examined and collected fossils from several of the exposures in and near the city. Quite a number of interesting forms were found, many of which are now in the cases of the Survey Museum. A journey was then made by buggy to RatclifFs Mill Stream, a few miles from St. John, where the slates are prolific in Primordial fossils. It is the home of that pretty little characteristic Primordial Crus- tacean, M icrodiscus which I shall mention again while speaking of the Newfoundland rocks. Here I obtained lodgings with some of the mem- bers of the family after whom the stream was named. My bed was on the floor of the dining, sitting and general room. Outside a dense fog prevailed and the night was chilly, but in the house a wood fire blazed in a large open fire- place and I expected to sleep well after a hard day's work. Soon after lying down, however, it seemed that there were dozens of mice playing hide-and-seek, and when I did sleep I dreamed that these wretched little rodents were dancing a quadrille on the coverlet of my bed. In the morning, while I ate uiy porridge at one end of 62 AMONG THE ROCKS. the table, a daughter of my host combed her raven tresses at the other end. From St. John a journey was then made to Oak Bay, Clark's Point and several other places, chiefly in a stage coach much resembling the ancient English coaches which carried Her Majesty's mail and passengers before the days of railways. Some of these excursions were exceedingly pleasant. From the top of one of these coaches one not only sees delightful verdant hills and valleys, lakes and streams, but occasionally gets a sniff of sea air, wafted across the hills and valleys from the Bay of Fundy. My stay at Oak Bay was a pleasant one. Here, while collecting fossils, a man came up to me and asked many questions, among which were the same our Chinese friend of the yellow jacket, Li Hung Chang, has lately been asking so many of our country people, "Where do you come from?" "How old are you?" "What salary do you get?" In return for the information I gave him, he in- formed me that his name was Weston, and when I told him that was my name he was so tickled as our American friends call it that we be- came great chums, and it was through him I spent some most enjoyable evenings with the people of Oak Bay. Having visited the localities mentioned and completed, as far as time would allow, the work 63 REMINISCENCES allotted to me, I returned to St. John and was soon on my way back to Montreal. On the 7th of August, a few days after my re- turn from St. John, I was directed to proceed to Arisaig, Nova Scotia, and make a collection from the coast rocks of that place. About three weeks were spent at this work, and a large collection of fossils obtained, many of which were after- wards described by Mr. Billings. I shall refer to this locality again when speaking of my travels of 1873. The usual routine of museum, microscopical and other work, fully occupied my time till the following summer. During this year (1869) two important events in the history of the Survey occurred the re- tirement of our dear old chief, Sir William Logan, and the appointment of his successor, Mr. A. R. C. Selwyn. Logan had looked forward for years to the time when he would be able to lay aside the cares of the Survey and devote the remainder of his working days to his beloved Eastern Town- ship rocks, but he continued to hold the reins of the Survey till this year, 1869, when he tendered his resignation to the Government, and during the month of December following Mr. A. R. C. Selwyn was appointed his successor. Sir William's health was then failing, but before he finally gave up field work, he spent many days working out certain facts relating to the geology of the East- ern Townships. It was my good fortune to be 64 AMONG THE ROCKS. chosen to accompany and assist him in the last field work he did. The following summer, 1870, was a busy one in field work. I had so far been very fortunate in fossil collecting; for this reason it was thought advisable to have further collections made and notes taken of any new cuttings or quarries in localities which had already been reported on. Receiving instructions from the director I started June 5th for Grimsby, Ont., where I was to make a collection of fossils and collect other geological information regarding the Niagara rocks. I was fortunate enough, at the pretty little village of Grimsby, to get board and lodging with Mr. Johnson Pettit, a veteran entomologist and col- lector of fossils, to whom the Geological Survey is indebted for many fine specimens of the latter. The Niagara formation derives its name from Niagara, where, at the Falls, it is largely devel- oped, consisting of shales and limestones. Many of the beds are very prolific in fossils, a great number of which have been figured and described by Hall, Billings, and other palaeontologists. This formation covers a large area of Ontario (Upper Canada). After a short visit to Niagara Falls, Mr. Pettit and I set diligently to work. The large quarry, and constant wearing away of the softer beds of the cliffs afford a good oppor- tunity to the collector of fossils. It was from E ' 65 REMINISCENCES the well-washed banks in the vicinity of the quarries of Grimsby that we obtained the fine specimens of Garyocrinus, and other forms now in the cases of the Dominion Museum. Grimsby is a delightful spot, both for the palaeontologist, artist, sportsman, and agricul- turist, situated almost on the banks of Lake Erie, and within a few miles of Niagara thunder of waters Falls, which discharge 18,000,000 cubic feet of water per minute over an elevation of 150 feet of blueish-gray limestone. Hundreds of tons of grapes, apples, pears, peaches and other fruit are raised annually in this vicinity. Johnson Petti t, of whom I have spoken, lived in the old Pettit homestead, a mile or so from the village of Grimsby. It was in this dear old farm house I spent many pleasant evenings and rest- ful nights after the day's work was finished. The first night, however, was not a restful one. I had been allotted the spare bed- room which contained a large old-fashioned four-post bed. Immediately above the head of the bed were several pegs, and on one of these hung a large wide-brimmed beaver hat such as our Quaker great grandfathers might have worn. When I extinguished the light, the moon shone through the window giving the old hat and other gar- ments an uncanny appearance. After a time I dozed off, and in a restless sleep dreamed that a skeleton had taken possession of the hat and, AMONG THE ROCKS. with it on his skull, was walking off. I jumped up and found the old hat had fallen from the peg. At breakfast I related the incident to the family and was informed that during the night there had been a shock of earthquake, which was no doubt the cause of this singular occurrence. The hat and other garments were removed from the room, and I slept peacefully the remaining nights of my visit. A few days after my return from Grimsby I left for the island of Orleans, P.Q., to examine and collect fossils at St. Laurent village and other localities in that vicinity. It was at a place called St. Patrick's Hole, near the village of St. Laurent, that I was fortunate enough to find a good specimen of Eophyton. It was the first time this genus had been found in our Canadian rocks, and was considered important as it helped to determine the horizon of a portion of the rocks of the " Quebec group." There has been much discussion as to whether this fossil is a plant or the track of some animal. I quote the following remarks, made by Mr. Billings, from the Geolo- gical Survey Report for 1870-71 : ** On the south side of the island of Orleans, near the village of St. Laurent, Eophyton was found last spring by Mr. Weston. It is there associated with several species of fucoids identical with those that occur on Great Bell Island (Newfoundland). The rocks here referred to belong to the ' Quebec group,' but as they are consider- ably disturbed it is not impossible that they may be older and brought up by a fault." 67 REMINISCENCES At any rate this genus was supposed to be typical of the Primordial zone, or not to occur higher than the Lower Potsdam formation. Part of the month of July of this year (1870), was spent on the Chaudiere and Famine Rivers, in the Province of Quebec. I have already spoken of the seven pound weight of gold taken from the Chaudiere and its tributaries. Gold in the sands of the Chaudiere has been known since 1835, from which time gold mining has been carried on more or less annually till the present time, (1897). In 1894 the gold deposits of the Province of Quebec yielded 1,622 ounces of the precious metal, valued at $9,196. My work on these rocks was not connected with their gold deposits ; but to try to find fossils, and obtain other information which would settle the disputed horizon of certain rocks of this vicinity. While at work here I had the pleasure of accompanying Mr. A. R. C. Selwyn, our new director, who was making his first geo- logical explorations in Canada. Both Mr. Selwyn and I were, for a short time, the guests of Mr. W. P. Lock wood, superintendent of the Canadian and Northwest Land and Mining Company. To this gentleman Mr. Selwyn was indebted for much information about the auriferous deposits on the Chaudiere and its tributaries; and to his charm- ing wife, our hostess, we were both indebted for many kindnesses, one of which I must relate here. 68 AMONG THE ROCKS. After taking breakfast one morning at Mr. Lock wood's hospitable house, I started out to examine the rocks of the Chaudiere. When I returned in the evening I found my pocket-book containing fifty or sixty dollars was missing. Knowing that I must have lost it since leaving the house, I started to retrace my steps along the river. I had gone about a mile when I came to a small pool of water over which I had jumped in the morning, and there in this shallow puddle was my pocket-book saturated with water. I hastened back to the house, and was congratu- lated on the recovery of my money, and here the kindness of our hostess came in. She took the bank notes and other papers from the purse, spread them on plates and dried them in the kitchen oven. Leaving the Chaudiere, I next visited several limestone exposures on the Famine River, and obtained from known fossiliferous rocks many well defined fossils of a Devonian aspect. A list of some of the fossils of this locality is given in the Geology of Canada for 1863. Most of the month of August was spent on the Trenton limestones of Winchester, Ont., and at the village of Industry, P.Q. A large collection of fossils was made and notes taken of any cuttings, etc. During the month of September I again visit- ed Whitehall, State of Vermont. The work done 69 REMINISCENCES by Sir William Logan and myself in 1868 had interested Mr. Billings so much that he decided to visit the localities from which we had obtained fossils. We spent several days at this work and collected information which aided materially in connecting the geology of this part of the States with that of Canada. We were working away at our fossil lime- stones, about a mile from the hotel, when Mr. Billings took a sudden desire to return to Mont- real that day. Nothing I could say would in- duce him to stay longer. " All right," I said, " we will leave by the evening train, I have paid expenses so far, give me money for our return trip." " But," said Billings, " I haven't a dollar in my pocket." He was not well at the time, and this seemed to make him still more nervous. I at once wired the office to telegraph us funds to the Whitehall Canadian Express Company, but strange to say we received no reply. How- ever I felt bound to get iny superior officer home that night. " Give me your note-book," I said, and with that and my own I went to the express office, saw the manager, told him the fix we were in, and requested him to furnish us funds to re- turn to Montreal, offering to leave our note-books as security till we refunded the money either to him or his company at Montreal. The old gen- tleman gave a hearty laugh and at once furnished the funds required, saying we could return it to 70 \ AMONG THE ROCKS. his company at Montreal. I hastened to the hotel, paid our bill, handed Mr. Billings into a cab, and in a short time we were in our train bound for home. It is a rather singular coincidence that when I was in the same town with Sir William, in 1863, he too was without money and borrowed funds from me to pay his way to Albany as I have already related. Before closing my remarks for 1870 I must record the death of my friend W. B. Hartley, a young engineer who joined the Survey three years, I think, before his death this year. Mr. Hartley was with Sir William Logan, engaged investigating the structure of the Pictou Coal- fields, N,S. This work Hartley continued in 1870, but towards the end of the season over- exertion and exposure in the mines brought on a sickness which soon terminated the life of this bright young man. Mr. Scott Barlow, of the Survey, attended him in his last sickness at the hotel in New Glasgow, N.S., and it was my pain- ful duty to assist his father in arranging his papers and personal effects in his office at the Survey. From the winter of 1870 to July 7th, 1871, I was occupied with the usual museum and other work of the Survey. On the latter date I went to Eaton, P. Q., to examine certain micaceous schists and other rocks in which no fossils had hitherto been found. Mr. Richardson, of the 71 REMINISCENCES Survey, who accompanied me, left Eaton to attend to some private matters for Sir William Logan, but before going said, " You will never find fossils in these rocks." When he returned in the evening, however, I showed him several well defined corals, fossils of a Devonian aspect, imbedded in pieces of hydro-mica schist. For a moment Richardson seemed at a loss, but at last said : " Well, Weston, you ought to be knighted for this find." It may seem egotistical for me to mention this, but I do so to show the great im- portance Richardson, like Logan, attached to fossils. On August 3rd, I was again in the United States, this time at Troy, N.Y., to which place I had been sent to ascertain whether the conglom- erates of Troy belonged to the same horizon as the Bic rocks of the St. Lawrence. I was assisted in this work by Mr. S. H. Ford of Troy (already mentioned), who was then studying the fossil fauna of that vicinity. We were very successful in obtaining fossils iden- tical with those of Bic. Poor Ford was then just gaining fame as a palaeontologist, but in a short time after I saw him last, his brain gave out, and his relations had to place him in an asylum. On the 22nd of August, a few days after my return from Troy, N.Y., I left Montreal again for Bic ; this time to accompany Mr. Billings, who was then much interested in the fossil fauna of 72 AMONG THE ROCKS, the Lower Potsdam formation. We visited several of the most interesting localities between Riviere du Loup and Bic. Mr. Billings was not well at the time, and as at Whitehall often became nervous and would not leave the house, preferring to remain indoors and study the fossils already collected. After a very interesting journey we returned to Quebec and spent several days in exploring the rocks of the Chaudi^re Falls. Billings was then studying the small bivalve fossil Obolella, and it was here we obtained much information relating to this genus. I have mentioned before, that at this time we travelled between Riviere du Loup and Bic chief- ly at night, with the mails which were generally conveyed from station to station by a buckboard and one horse. Stopping in the night to wake up a sleepy post-office keeper, changing horses and waiting in the cold while the mail bags were gone through etc., rendered these journeys anything but pleas- ant. On one occasion a fat French woman got into our stage. It was midnight, and her head soon began to bob from one side to the other, and at last it came down with a whack on my shoulder. For some time that head rested there. But ah ! those days have long passed, and one can now stretch in a luxurious sleeper, and arrive at his destination refreshed and ready for work. 73 KEMINISCENCES The next official journey was to Stanfold and other localities in the Province of Quebec. Sir William Logan still continued intent on his Eastern Township rocks, and it was at his sug- gestion that the Director of the Survey sent me to these localities. The winter of this year 1871, was a busy one for all hands in the Survey A perusal of the report of the Geological Survey for 1872-73 will show how varied my occupations were when I was not engaged in field work. My field work, in 1872, commenced May 29th, when I again started out to continue geological investigations in the Eastern Townships. Here- ford, Farnham and other localities were visited and additional information regarding the "Quebec Group" obtained. I had been working at Farnham Centre two or three days, most of the time in one spot where I had found a very interesting set of fossils. During the day I had noticed people watching me, but keeping a safe distance away. When I returned to the boarding-house I heard the folks talking of a crazy man who had arrived there and was digging deep holes and breaking rocks in a field where he expected to find gold. I took no notice, but after supper was surprised to hear that a deputation consisting of the chief men of the village was waiting outside to interview me. I went out and found several men, whose ques- tions led me to think they took me to be a "little 74 AMONG THE ROCKS. off." But when I told them it was not gold I was after, but fossils, they seemed more convinced than ever that I was not "all there," and deter- mined to visit me at my work the following day, but bright and early next morning I was away to fresh fields. Whether these men ever learned what o fossil is I do not know. The fossil fauna of the " Bic Conglomerates " had proved so interesting that Mr. Billings re- quested the Director of the Survey to send me to the straits of Belle Isle where the Lower Potsdam Group is in an undisturbed condition. Sir William Logan who still took a keen interest in the working of the Survey, thought valuable information might be obtained there, relating to the " Quebec group." So on the 29th of May, I received instructions to prepare for a journey to the coast of Labrador. As assistant, I decided to take Mr. Willimott, a young Englishman who had recently been engaged to assist me in museum work. A few additions to my Anticosti camp equipment were made, and two months' pro- visions, packed, and we were ready to start. We reached Quebec the following morning and boarded the lighthouse supply S.S. Napo- leon III., whose, captain had received government instructions to land me and my assistant at L'Anse au Loup, or some convenient point on the coast of Labrador. During the landing of supplies I had an oppor- 75 EEMINISCENCES tunity of again spending a short time on the island of Anticosti near the lighthouses, and also at two of the lighthouses at Newfoundland. While near the straits of Belle Isle we encoun- tered severe storms, and were in close proximity to several icebergs ; fogs detained us for a day or more. However, we landed safely and pitched our tent at L'Anse au Loup, where we collected a large number of beautiful specimens of Archeo- cyathus, the first specimens of which were col- lected by Mr. J. Richardson before 1863. All Mr. Richardson's collection, except the one fig- ured in the Geology of Canada for the latter date, were lost at sea together with the schooner on which they were shipped. The specimen referred to, he fortunately had in his pocket. While the rocks of the island of Anticosti contain an almost endless variety of organic remains, the rocks of the coast of Labrador possess a very small fauna of fossils records of past ages, when the scanty life of this planet consisted of a few simple seaweeds, a few sponges, a few different species of bivalves, and a few varieties of trilobites animals belonging to the Crustacean family. No well defined plants ex- isted, and no vertebrate animal had yet appeared on the face of the earth. Still the same sun which shines now shone then, and rain fell in those days as it does now. This is known by the mud cracks we find on some of the argilla- 76 AMONG THE ROCKS. ceous, or clay rocks, as one sees at the present day on the clay of a dried-up mud-puddle, and as we often see on clay, pits made by rain drops, so we find them in the rocks we are speaking of. While the island of Anticosti abounds in trees, some of a large growth, and abundant vegetation of endless variety mile after mile of the Labra- dor coast is covered only by lichen and scrubby brush, the roots of which we used for our camp fire. Returning to our camp one day we were fortunate enough to find, a mile or so away, a lot of small pieces of sawn pine which may have drifted hundreds of miles. This we gathered up carefully, carried to camp, and used for kindling wood. It would take pages to narrate all the inci- dents of this trip one would like to record ; but I must bring this journey to a close. Towards the end of July a small steamer, "The Beaver," which was built in Scotland, and was sent out here for the fishery business, put into L'Anse au Loup for coal. I interviewed the captain and requested him to take us to Quebec, as I did not wish to run the risk of remaining on that dreary coast, probably till the fall. After much wrang- ling about the matter he consented to take us, providing I paid him 10, used our " own grub," and asked no questions. This I consented to do, and in a short time we were on our way up the St. Lawrence River. The captain seemed to 77 REMINISCENCES have been drinking while on shore, and his first mate acted like a typical nigger driver. Such a journey as we had I never wish to experience again, but after a most dangerous passage we reached Quebec, and we left that ship as quickly as possible, and arrived the following day at the Survey with a fine, but hard-earned, collection of fossils. During the month of August I spent ten days at Paquette's Rapids on the Ottawa River, making a collection of Black River fossils, and on the 1st of October I again went to Arisaig, N.S., and returned late in the same month with new information and another beautiful lot of specimens. 78 CHAPTER VI. LORD DUFFERIN VISITS THE SURVEY I ASSIST SIR WILLIAM LOGAN IN THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS ANOTHER VISIT TO ARISAIG SOME OF THE PIONEER PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SURVEY A STORM OFF CAPE GASPE" A VISIT TO NEW- FOUNDLAND LAKE TEMISCOUATA WORK AT HESPELER, ONT. THE CONGLOMERATES OF BIC DEATH OF SIR WILLIAM LOGAN THE PHILADELPHIA EXHIBITION THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS AGAIN DISTRIBUTION OF ROCKS AND MINERALS ETHNOLOGICAL BRANCH OF THE SUR- VEY. INURING the latter part of the year 1872, and "-^ the early part of 1873, several distinguish- ed government officials visited the Geological Survey, among whom was Lord Dufferin, who had recently been appointed Governor-General of Canada. On his first visit to our museum Sir William Logan requested me to accompany His Excellency, himself and Principal Dawson, through the museum, that I might answer any question relating to my work. Sir William then occupied a small room on the palgeontological flat as sitting, and sometimes sleeping room. The wall on one side of this room was covered wholly with large framed slabs of Potsdam Sandstone on which are well defined Crustacean (?) tracks Climactichnites, so named by Logan because they resemble a rope ladder. While Sir William was pointing out the beauty of this specimen, Dufferin 79 REMINISCENCES said : ' That reminds me, when I was at the skating rink the other day I saw some pecu- liar tracks on the ice. I watched the skaters for some time to find out what made those tracks, and at last, would you believe it, I discovered they were tracks made by a lady's petticoats." By June 12th, I was again in the field assist- ing Sir William Logan with his Eastern Township work. Sir William's last days of geological explora- tion were fast approaching. Some of his strati- graphical work in the Eastern Townships had been disputed by Dr. Hunt, and feeling convinced that he was correct, Sir William labored strenu- ously to prove this. It was my privilege to be allowed to assist him. We labored together at Danville, P.Q. One day Sir William took me to some plumbaginous limestones and other rocks on the Nicolet River. " These," he said, " are the rocks Hunt wants to make Huronian. Now if we can only find fossils here, it will not only be a feather in your cap, but it will save my reputation as far as these rocks are concerned." We had labored all day, going over the expos- ures, sometimes on our hands and knees closely scrutinizing them with our lenses hoping to find some weathered -out fossil. In the evening we were returning to our hotel without a fossil, when I saw a thin band of limestone, less altered than the rest, between the plumbaginous beds. 80 AMONG THE ROCKS. " Stop," I said, " let us try these rocks." I broke off a piece of the limestone, looked at it carefully with my lens, then looked up at Sir William and said, " I will bet $10 this limestone is full of fossils." Sir William took the piece of rock, looked at it with his lens, shook his head and said, " I don't see the ghost of a fossil." " Neither do I," said I, " but we will see what my micro- scope says about it." Sir William took the specimen, wrapped it in his handkerchief, and said : " I am going in to-morrow to Cttrtier's funeral, and will put this on your table in your work-room." I went back to the Survey some days later, found the specimen on my table, went to work at it immediately, and in half an hour or so ran down to Sir William and said : " I was right ; that Nicolet limestone is made up of fragments of fossils, and they look so much like Trenton or Chazy forms, that I can't tell the difference." If ever I saw our dear old chief's face radiant with joy, it was then. This settled a question of grave importance to Sir William Soon we were again on the Nicolet River. This time I took my camera and photo chemi- cals there were no dry plates then to take several views of the rocks. Two of them were reproduced for Dr. Ells' report " Geology of Canada for 1886." Sir William remained several days with me on the Nicolet River and took a deep interest in the F 81 REMINISCENCES work. Once when he was some fifty yards away from me, I shouted " another fossil, Sir William," To reach me quickly he waded through water which ran over his boot-tops. Soon after this Sir William made me a present of a microscope, whether in recognition of my work on the Nico- let or not I don't know. This microscope was purchased from Mr. J. F. Whiteaves, of the Natural History Museum, Montreal. I have dwelt a little long on these incidents of the Nicolet River because I wish to record here the great importance Sir William attached to fossils, and because these were almost the last days of his field work. On the 20th of July, I again left for Arisaig, Nova Scotia. A nervous feeling came over me when I started, which increased all the way, and when I arrived at Arisaig, after a thirty mile buggy drive from New Glasgow, I was in a high fever. My old friends, the McDonalds, came out to meet me with a welcome always extended to a visitor to that rough sea coast. I told them I was sick and would return when the horse was rested. The old lady hustled me off to bed in quick time, took my purse, and when the horse and man were rested and fed, paid and started them back. They ^ave me some of their simple medicines, for there was no doctor within twenty miles. I was delirious for a short time, but in three days was up and at work again. While I 82 AMONG THE ROCKS. Jay in bed Mrs. McDonald came into my room and smoked her black pipe, and her daughters would sit around in their bare feet, " keeping me com- pany " poor simple country girls. I often think of those days when these kind folks walked miles to get me better food than they could afford to eat. The old folks are still alive, but have long passed the allotted three score and ten. I had taken my camera and chemicals with me, and my first work was to take a series of twenty-one photographs of the coast rocks. In this work I was assisted by young Archie Mc- Donald. Some of these views have been repro- duced to accompany Mr. Hugh Fletcher's report of the geology of this part of Nova Scotia (Geo- logical Survey of Canada for 1882-1886.) A section of the rocks at Joseph McDonald's cove, by the writer accompanies the photo of these exposures. I feel proud of these photographs, as I may say they, and my Nicolet River views were almost the pioneer photographs of the Geological Survey of Canada. Years after when the dry plate process was instituted field photographs became so simple that few of the explorers of the Survey went out without a camera and plates. The collection of views taken in the field by the various members of the Survey numbers many hundreds and is of historical interest. Those of Dr. George Dawson, Bell, Tyrrell, McConnell, Dowling and myself give one an idea of the 83 REMINISCENCES wonderful rocks and charming scenery of the great North-west Territories. Those of J. B. Tyrrell show us the immense herds of reindeer which roam over the plains of the great barren lands; those of Low the dreary lands of Labrador. A great number of the fossils collected from the coast rocks of Arisaig have been described and figured by the late E. Billings, "Geology of Canada, Palaeozic fossils 1874." My last official trip of this year, 1873, was to Gaspe where I went to examine and collect from various fossiliferous beds, known as the Gaspe* limestone, or Lower Helderberg group. The thickness of rocks exposed at Gaspe* is said to be 9000 feet, the greatest part of which are lime- stones holding a large and varied fauna of fossils. Most of niy stay here was spent a short distance from Cape Gaspe, where I was fortunate enough to get lodging in a fisherman's house close to the shore, Fish formed the principal food of these toilers of the sea. Fish for breakfast, fish for dinner, fish for supper ; but the invigorating sea breezes made me hungry enough to eat fried shark. During my stay here a terrific storm swept twenty fishing boats from their moorings. It was a grand sight to see the mighty waves lashing the great cliffs. I had been invited to take a day off from work and accompany a picnic party to Gasp^ Basin. Soon after we arrived at our camp- ing grounds, the great storm came on. The only 84 AMONG THE ROCKS. shelter we could get was in a log cabin which was soon filled with the women and girls of our party. We men occupied the barn and slept in the hay loft, where we spent a most unpleasant night. The following afternoon the sea had calmed down a little, and we started for Cape Gaspe, but soon five or six of the womenfolk were lying at the bottom of the boat. The sea was very rough but we had a good boat and men who had spent the greatest part of their lives boating. At length we reached the wharf, and found all the folk of that vicinity ready to render any assistance in landing us, which was no easy task, for as a large wave carried our boat alongside the wharf only one person could be hoisted ashore. I was grabbed by brawny hands and hoisted up with as little ceremony as though I were a coil of rope. At last we were all landed and many a fervent thanksgiving was uttered for our safe delivery from the perils of the deep. I returned to Montreal on the 13th of September, after an . instructive and profitable journey. The winter of 1873-74, was occupied as usual in museum and room work, preparing a num- ber of microscopic sections of fossil woods to be reported on by Dr. Dawson, developing and pre- paring fossils for the museum and for study. Sir William Logan was ever ready to assist his colleague of the pioneer days of the Canadian Survey, Mr. Alexander Murray, then director of 85 REMINISCENCES the Geological Survey of Newfoundland, and when in the spring of 1874, this gentleman wrote to his old chief Logan, saying he was doubtful about the horizon of some of his rocks, and desired him, if possible, to send Weston to try and discover fossils in these rocks, which if obtained would settle the, to him, important ques- tion, I was requested by Sir William who had recently retired from the directorship of the Sur- vey, but still continued to act as adviser, to ask for two months' leave of absence that I might proceed to Newfoundland. The director of the Canadian Survey, Mr. A. R. C. Selwyn, acting on Logan's advice readily granted the leave asked for, and I left by the next English mail steamer, which called at St. John's. Our ship arrived safely, Murray met me at the wharf, and I was soon housed in the best hotel in the city. Two days after, Murray came with a trap and an Indian named John, who was to act as ^uide and general assistant. We drove off through a country, which according to Murray, " was made of the chippings of the world," and at last arrived at Manuel's River, twelve miles from the city. The following extracts from Transactions of the Nova Scotian Institution of Science Vol. IX., Season 1895-96, will explain more fully the impor- tance of fossils in geological investigations : 86 AMONG THE ROCKS. THE PRIMORDIAL SILURIAN OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND CANADA. " In spite of the oft-repeated assertion of Professor Jukes and the late director of the Geological Survey of Canada, ' If the fossils don't agree with the stratigraphy ; so much the worse for the fossils,' my long experience as a collector of fossils and close observer of the varions geo- logic horizons leads me to think that if the stratigraphy does not agree with the fossils ; so much the worse for the stratigraphy. To illustrate the faith the late director of the Newfoundland Survey had in palseontological evi- dence, I will relate one incident out of many similar ones known to the writer : In the summer of 1874 Murray wrote to Sir W. E. Logan, then adviser to the Canadian Survey, saying : * I have made my Manuel's River rocks Primordial ; I am doubtful, however, whether my strati- graphy is correct ; neither Howley nor I have been able to find the ghost of a fossil ; could you arrange in any way to send Weston down for a few weeks.' The result was that I left by the next steamer which called at Newfound- land, and a few days after my arrival at St. John's was taken by Murray to Manuel's River where he got lodgings for myself and Indian guide. The following day I com- menced my search for fossils, and in a short time was rewarded by finding, in the gray argilites, the well-known Crustacean. Microdisciis Ikiwsoni, (Hartt) ; which occurs in abundance in the Primordial slates of St. John, at. Ratcliffe's Mill Stream, and other localities in New Bruns- wick. This Crustacean, Microdiscns, is a puny thing, not larger than the half of a small pea, but it told me a big tale about the geological horizon told me that Murray's stratigraphy was correct, and that I stood on Primordial strata similar to those of St. John, New Brunswick." I may mention here that the term Primordial, used by Barrande and the late paleontologist of the Canadian Survey, Mr. E. Billings, is seldom used now ; St. John Group being thought a better name for that extensive group of rocks. This 87 REMINISCENCES Cambrian division of the lower Silurian of New- foundland, according to Murray, would, if found consecutive at any one locality, represent a thick- ness of 6,000 feet of black, grey and other colored argillites, micaceous calcareous slates and limestones, sandstones, conglomerates and other rocks, some of which are prolific in fossils, especially the iron-stained argillites of Manuel's River and other localities in Conception Bay. The fauna is similar to that of the Primordial of St. John, Ratcliff's Mill Stream and other locali- ties in New Brunswick. Mr. Murray procured lodging and board for us at a comfortable farm house a short distance from Manuel's River, a mile or two from Con- ception Bay. Before leaving us Mr. Murray said, " Don't let Joe get even a smell of fire-water," so when we were alone I said, " Joe, have you any fire-water?" " No, master," he replied. I decided before starting to work next day I would look round myself. Leaving Joe at the house, I remained away about three hours ; when I returned I found Joe so drunk that he did not know who he was or where he came from. I searched his bag and found one full flask of whiskey and an empty bottle. These I took out- side and smashed on the rocks. The old lady got poor Joe to bed, and the following morning my brave Indian was all right, and when I told 88 AMONG THE ROCKS. him what I had done with his fire-water he said, " much better." After breakfast, with some lunch in our pockets, we started off for the day. Murray and his assistant had searched the rocks of Manuel's River for fossils but failed to discover any. I was more fortunate, for the first day, not long after we started down the river, I found, in an exposure of clay-slate, one solitary specimen of that little fossil Crustacean, Microdiscus, already alluded to. Imagine my delight when I saw this wee fossil which, being typical of the Primordial fauna of St. John, New Brunswick, proved that Murray's stratigraphy was correct, and my jour- ney to Newfoundland had been successful. But there was more luck in store. Some distance down the river 1 saw a small island with rocks in the middle of the stream. Joe found we could reach this by wading and ordered me to get on his back, which I did, and was soon standing on an exposure of iron-stained clay-slates crowded with fossils Paradoxides and other typical Primordial forms. We collected specimens enough to fill several cases in Mr. Murray's museum. Twc days after this was Sunday, and knowing how delighted Murray would be to hear of my discovery, I decided to start to St. John's after breakfast, but judge of my surprise when the folks of the house would not lend me a horse. "No," said the old lady, "Ye shall no brak the 89 REMINISCENCES Sabbath with one of my horses." But go to the city I would. Joe was quite willing to accompany with me, so, with some lunch in our pockets, we started off on our twelve miles' walk. The day was very hot, and when I arrived at Murray's house he was astonished to find we had walked in. Murray was a kind-hearted man, ever ready to assist those in distress, but was noted for fits of temper, when he would use the strongest of " swear- words," and on this occasion he did use swear- words, and fairly boiled over with wrath against the old woman of our boarding house. But in a moment his anger was over, and, with a serious face, he looked up and said, " But what about the rocks ? " When I told him the Manuel's River rocks were crowded with Primordial fossils he was astonished and delighted, but wondered how he and that Howley had missed them. After returning from Manuel's River, Murray and I made several trips to various parts of Con- ception Bay, and obtained many interesting new fossils. I afterwards spent a short time on Bell Island, sleeping one night over the one living room of the house, where fowl, and a litter of pigs formed part of the family group. Having completed the field work assigned me, I spent the remainder of the time till my steamer arrived in putting some of the cases in the small museum which consisted of several rooms in 90 AMONG THE ROCKS. Mr. Murray's house in order, and also in classi- fying the books in his library, during which work I found four Church of England prayer books. When I asked Murray how I would class them, he was very angry that any one should have "put their bibles in his library." He flung them across the room and said some of his choice swear-words. The next morning I went to the cathedral church, Mr. Murray was there deeply engaged in the devotions of the day. Before leaving for home Mr. Murray, after paying all my expenses, insisted on presenting me with 10, and on my return to the office Sir William said " I have heard of your success, and wish you to accept $50.00 from me." This ended one of the most delightful trips I have had since my connection with the Survey. A short time after returning from Newfound- land I was instructed to proceed to Lake Temis- couata and if possible obtain fossils from the conglomerates of that vicinity. Mr. A. H. Foord, who had lately been appointed artist to the Sur- vey, accompanied, me. It was his first geologi- cal excursion ; the country was new to him and the scenery delighted his artistic eye. We got board and lodging at a French Canadian's house close to the lake, but poor Foord, who had been brought up in the most tender and delicate way by his English parents suffered very much 91 REMINISCENCES with bugs. Four times during the night he came to my room to report the doings of these pests. In the morning I found him asleep on the floor tightly coiled up in a sheet. The rocks we wanted to see were on the other side of the lake, and the only boat 1 could get was a dug-out canoe, but I secured an experienced half-breed to take us over. The lake was a little rough, but we landed safely on the opposite shore. The wind however, continued to blow, and by the time the man was to return for us the water was too rough for his frail canoe. Darkness came on and relieved us from the ten thousand mosquitoes which my companion found even worse than the bugs, for this was his first experience of our Canadian mosquito. As bad luck would have it I had forgotten both pipe and matches things Foord never carried so we were unable to make a fire. I lay down under a tree and got a snooze, but Foord walked the beach all night, and at six o'clock the next morning, the water having calmed down, our man came for us. We were hungry, but none the worse for our night out on the lake shore. Foord refused to cross the water again so I left him to make sketches while I continued to explore the rocks of the lake. We returned home in about ten days, and after a short time I was again working at the Guelph formation at Hespeler, of which I have already spoken. Mr. 92 AMONG THE ROCKS. Billings was then much interested in the fossil bivalve Trimerella, figures of which will be found in " Palaeozoic Fossil Vol. 1. 1861-65." It was for the purpose of getting further informa- tion of this genus, together with other new fos- sils, I made these journeys to Hespeler, Gait, Guelph, Elora and other places. While at Hespeler, on the 6th of September, I was called home to accompany Dr. Dawson, Principal of McGill University, to the now world- wide known Eozoon locality at Cote St. Pierre near the Petite Nation River, province of Quebec ; the home of our supposed Laurentian fossil. In the early pages of these memoirs I have spoken of this supposed organism of which page after page might be written ; but I have neither space nor inclination to continue this subject, and shall only add here my last, published, re- marks on Eozoon, " Transactions of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science, Vol. IX, season 1895-96." "The Laurentian rocks of Newfoundland are similar to those of Canada, consisting of gneiss, granite, syenite, limestone, quartzite, mica schist, etc., all of which are frequently cut by granite and other dykes. They form a large portion of the island which, as Mr. Murray remarks, ' has materially contributed to produce the remarkable geological and topographical features which it presents/ Probably it was the chopped-up 93 REMINISCENCES appearance of the Laurentian and Huronian formation which caused him to remark that ' Newfoundland was formed of the chippings of the world.' The Laurentian of Newfoundland, so far as we know, is totally destitute of the remains of either vegetable or animal structure, and therefore must still be considered Azoic, although this term has been abandoned by some geologists in the nomenclature of Canadian rocks, owing to the discovery in the Upper Laurentian of certain forms which resemble Stromatoceriuin rugosa, one of the Protozoa of the Silurian. This peculiar mineral aggregate (?), received from Sir W. E. Logan and J. W. Dawson the name Eozoon Canadense. Literature enough to fill a cart has been published for and against this sup- posed organism, among which Dawson's " Dawn of Life" is the most interesting. With the excep- tion of Sir J. W. Dawson, probably no one has done more work at this supposed fossil than the writer, who has prepared hundreds of microsco- pic sections, micro -photographs, micro- drawings, illustrative collections for the Paris, London, Philadelphia and late Chicago Expositions, and for other public and private collections ; still he could never make up his mind that Eozoon C ana- dense is of organic origin. Mr Billings late palaeontologist to the Geological Survey of Canada, pronounced strongly against the organic character of Eozoon. I have frequently con- 94 AMONG THE HOCKS versed with Dr. Selwyn, Dr. Ami, Dr. Ells, the late Mr. Vennor (who obtained the Tudor speci- mens), and other members of the Canadian Survey, but none of these gentlemen ever admit- ted that Eozoon is a fossil. However Eozoon will always remain an interesting subject for students in palaeontology and mineralogy." During part of the month of August I was again among the Bic Conglomerates trying to increase our already large fauna of fossils from the limestones of the coast rocks. While at St. Simon, about twenty miles above Bic, I had walked many miles and worked hard to collect numerous small bivalve fossils, the muscular impressions of which were interesting various palaeontologists. I had seen an Indian watching my movements during the day, but took no notice other than to wonder why he did not come close to where I was working. After supper my specimens, which I was very proud of, were packed and given into the hands of the railway station agent. While at breakfast the next morning to my surprise the stationmaster came in to tell me that my two boxes of speci- mens had been stolen during the night. I never saw my precious specimens again. May that wretched Indian, for I suppose it was he who stole them, be punished when he gets to his happy (?) hunting grounds ! Most of the summer of 1875, was spent col- 95 REMINISCENCES lectmg economic minerals for the Philadelphia Exhibition of the following year. My field of operation extended from Sarnia, Ontario, to Beauce, Quebec. With the small sum of $400.00 28 boxes of specimens were obtained, consisting of bricks, tiles, pottery, building and flagging stones, ochres, brines, salt, marbles, &c. I may mention here that through the kindness of the directors of the Grand Trunk Railway I received for about eight years, a pass which took me from " station to station." Thus the Survey was saved expending a large amount of money for travel- ling expenses. Before concluding my remarks for this year 1875 it is my sad duty to record the death of my dear old chief Sir William Logan. Since his retirement he had spent a good portion of the three succeeding summers on his Eastern Town- ship rocks. I have already stated that during the summer of 1873 Sir William was working in the Danville district and that I spent part of June with him on the Nicolet River and in other localities in that vicinity. This I believe was the last field geology he ever did. In 1874, he crossed the Atlantic to visit his friends and relatives in Wales, where he gradually grew weaker, till on the 22nd of June he died at Castle Malgwyn Llechryd, South Wales. " And now he sleeps in the quiet churchyard of Llechryd between his brother Hart and his brother-in-law 96 AMONG THE ROCKS. Mr. A.L. Gower; "Peace to his memory ! Honour to his name !" The memory of Sir William will always be dear to those who have shared in his geological travels. The interesting incidents one might relate of his simple mode of life and disregard for anything other than the work he was at, would fill many pages, but I must content my- self here by relating only one. During the summer of 1864, I think it was, I spent a few days with Sir William at Point Levis and St. Joseph de Levis, opposite Quebec. Sir William was engaged tracing out some of the bands of limestone, a map of which he had already published in 1862, while I collected fossils from the conglomerates. For several days we had plodded over muddy roads, through bush and over fields ; Sir William looked unusually seedy, and his broad-brimmed weather-beaten felt hat, an old coat which had seen several seasons' sunshine and rain ; a pair of well worn pants, tucked in a pair of muddy boots, and a week's growth of beard, did not improve his appearance. It was Saturday afternoon and Sir William proposed that we should go over to the island of Orleans and spend Sunday there. "All right" I said, " I will go to the hotel and settle up and you can meet me at St. Joseph's ferry." In a short time we landed at the west-end of Orleans Island, a short distance from a small hostelry G 9A REMINISCENCES kept by T. H. Lizotte. Sir William then pro- posed that I should interview Lizotte as to dinner and rooms for the night. I did so, and ordered dinner for two. We remained outside looking at the rocks, and in due time Lizotte came out, looked for a moment at Sir William, then beck- oned me aside and said : "Dinner is ready, but do you wish your old man to dine with you, or shall I give him his dinner in the kitchen?" It is needless to say Sir William dined with me. Had I been an artist like Sir William I certainly should have portrayed the old gentleman as after dinner he sat by the fire reading a novel, now leaving off to wipe the tears from his eyes, and again to stroke a cat which sat perched on his shoulder. Lizotte is still living. Last summer 1896, I met him in Qnebec,and as is usual with him, when- ever he greets me, he asked: "How is business?" I answered " I am out of business now, and Her Majesty has consented to allow me bread and butter as long as I live ; but no jam." " No jam," said Lizotte, " Ah that is too bad too bad." Till the next summer my time was fully occupied in arranging specimens for the forth- coming exhibition. The beautiful exhibits of thesupposed Laurentian fossil Eozoon Canadense, which attracted so much attention from geologists and palaeontologists from all parts of the world, prepared in my spare hours. 98 AMONG THE ROCKS. My field work of 1876 commenced in June, at Melbourn. The Eastern Township rocks were occupying a great deal of attention and no effort on my part was spared that would throw some light on the geological horizon of these much disputed altered rocks, a thing which seemed almost impossible without the aid of fossils. I have referred to the importance of fossils while speaking of Logan and my work on the Nicolet River. It was a continuation of this work I was at when on the 13th of June, I learned by tele- graph that Mr. Billings was dead. I haste^SShi to Montreal to attend his funeral, ^^r long previous to his death at the requfl^rof Mrs. Billings I left my work in th^Jtffonships and came in purposely to take Mfi^fco the country for a short time, hoping th^&fhange would do him good. There was ^dApmfortable summer hotel near the lake a^Woeil Mountain, P. Q., which I chose as a quietr retreat, but we had only been there three or four days when he became nervous, and so restless that I was obliged to take him home again. This was the last time he left his house. It was with deep sorrow that I saw the last of one with whom I had been associated so intimately for over fifteen years. Mr. Billings' funeral over, I returned to Mel- bourn on the St. Francis River, and as usual boarded with our old friend Mr. Gee. Poor Gee, I often wonder why Logan did not speak more 99 REMINISCENCES frequently of this singular man, at whose house he preferred to stay, even if working half a dozen miles away. Gee prided himself on his " geological knowledge," and in his little store and grog-shop, kept numerous specimens of rocks and minerals, among which was his celebrated " fossil duck " which was a piece of water-worn limestone. Our " grub " was none too good, but on special occasions we got, by way of a treat, an English plum-pudding. It was after being out all day, with Logan (in 1873, I think) who never ate between breakfast and his evening dinner that I returned very hungry, having forgotten k) take some lunch, and ate very heartily of plum-pud- ding, the result of which was a severe attack of night-mare from which I was wakened by Sir William rushing into my room shouting " wake up Weston you have been eating too much pud- ding that comes of Gee feeding us too well." Gee set apart one of the rooms of his house, which he called the " Geologic room." It was in this room Sir William often sat till the small hours in the morning, protracting his work of the day. The last night I spent with him in this room, at twelve o'clock, he was dozing over his papers, but at my request left them and went to bed ; a few days after this he returned to Montreal never to work again at his beloved township rocks. 100 AMONG THE ROCKS. I had only been at Melbourn a day or two, after returning from Mr. Billings' funeral, when I was recalled and requested to proceed at once to Philadelphia to take charge of the Canadian Geological Exhibit at the Centennial Exhibition. Dr. Harrington, of the survey staff, who had been in charge several weeks and whom I went to relieve remained a day to see me settled, and then left for Montreal. My duties were to answer any questions-relat- ing to the specimens exhibited, ana -to keep a general supervision over our department. Many; thousands of people viewed the' -Canadian geo- logical exhibit every day and many amusing remarks were made about some of the specimens. The large gilded pyramid representing the amount of gold taken from the mines in British Colum- bia during a certain number of years, attracted much attention. It was pinched, scratched, sounded with the knuckles, and otherwise ill- treated. One old lady after rapping it with her knuckles exclaimed : " Why that ain't gold, what a sell." A man, after sampling it with his knife said, it was " wood made to look like gold to gull the public." The fine display of amethyst quartz from Thunder Bay, Lake Superior, which was not under cover, gave me a lot of trouble. People were constantly trying to steal some of the small pieces. An elegantly dressed lady while passing 101 REMINISCENCES this display took a very fine specimen and hid it under her cape. I saw the act, and although sorry, requested her to replace it. After eight weeks constant attention to my duties, Dr. Bell, of the Geological staff, came to relieve me. I remained a day to post him up, and then returned to Montreal, not sorry to re- sume my quieter duties of the Survey. I have often before alluded to the supposed Lanrentiaa fossil Eozoon, but I wish to record here thfe interest scientific men from all parts of fche world took ,in this supposed organism. Fre- quently before looking at any other objects they would say " I want to see the specimens of Eozoon," and so it was at the late Chicago Exhi- tion where the finest display yet made at any exhibition was to be seen. The winter of 1876-77 was occupied in the usual museum and office work. Many micro- scopic sections were made, fossils developed, etc. Mr. Billings was sadly missed by those who had been so closely associated with him, and it was long before we could reconcile ourselves to his successor, Mr. J. F. Whiteaves, late Recording Secretary to the Montreal Natural History Society, and Scientific Curator of the Museum. A good portion of the summer of 1877 was again spent in the Eastern Townships, trying to gather material which would throw more light on the " Quebec Group," and, at the same time, 102 AMONG THE ROCKS. to make a large collection of rocks and minerals for distribution. South Stuckley, Harvey Hill Copper Mines, Hancherchief, and other places were visited, and on the 12th of June, I accom- panied Mr. Arthur Webster, of the geological staff, to Berthier, P. Q. We next went to Drum- mondville, the scene of my first explorations for the Survey. But the old couple who had watered Mr. Richardson's whiskey in 1863 were gone, and as my friend Webster said, " lay with the tips bf their toes turned to the roots of the daisies." A good bit of new information was gained regarding the fossiliferous rocks of that locality. Kingsey and Danville were then visited, after which I left Mr. Webster, and on the 25th June I left Quebec to join Mr. Richardson at St. Jene, island of Orleans. After a short time among the rocks of that vici- nity, we crossed the island to Ste. Famille, on the north side, and went carefully over the rocks to the west-end, where we again met our old friend Lizotte, who, since entertaining Sir William and myself in 186 4-, had built a much more pretentious hotel. From the island of Orleans I again went to Point Levis and worked among the conglomerates. It was during this visit that I collected the beau- tiful group of Salteretta, at St. Joseph de Levis, the first yet found in the rocks of the Quebec group. Salterella was then supposed to be a characteristic fossil of the Primordial or Lower 103 REMINISCENCES Potsdam formation. Sir William had told me years ago that some day I would find Salterella in the lower bands of conglomerates at Levis, and I felt proud that his words ha come true, but regretted he had not lived to see my beautiful little group of Salterella. Prof. Walcott, of the United States Geological Survey, in one of his publications, credited Dr. Selwyn, director of the Geological Survey of Canada, with the discovery of this fossil ; but perhaps my name got detached from the specimen. Leaving Point Levis, I next spent several days examining the conglomerates and other rocks along the south shore of the St. Lawrence, op- posite the east-end of the island of Orleans The fossil fauna of these rocks are the same as those of Levis ; but hold some forms not found at the latter place. A short time after returning to Montreal, I again started off to investigate the rocks of the Etchemen River. Mr. Willimott, then lately of the Survey staff, accompanied me. Many new facts relating to the Quebec group were obtained . The first fossil sponge specula yet found in these rocks were discovered in the green shales of the Chaudiere Falls, together with one or two small bivalve shells belonging to the Obolella family. The geological structure of the Etchemen River rocks is very interesting, and as one journeys by stage or buggy up or down the river road, and 10* AMONG THE ROCKS puts up for the night at the various villages, he is sure to meet with incidents of Canadian life which, with the stories of the " drummer," who is almost sure to be met with at country villages will well repay a journey through this part of Canada. Before leaving the field for this year the fol- lowing localities were visited and much work done with the hope of throwing more light on the rocks of the " Quebec group." Sept. 7th, I was at St. Garvis studying the quartzites and black slates ; Sept. 13th, at Armagh ; Sept. 15th, at Rivieredu Sud ; Sept. 22nd, at St. Francis ; Sept. 25th, at Berthier ; Sept. 27th, at St. Thomas, and other places in the Province of Quebec. It might be supposed by one not versed in geo- logical field work, indeed, it has often been said, that our work is a series of pleasant trips, at the expense of the Government well, let the critics try a few weeks in some of the newly settled districts of the Townships. Field operations being over for this season, I again settled down to my work-room and museum duties. Sir William Logan was always averse to giving away geological specimens ; but this year, assisted by Mr. Willimott, I commenced making up (on a small scale) collections for edu- cational purposes ; these, when distributed to various colleges, proved so important that almost from this date a constant demand has been made 105 REMINISCENCES on the Survey for these educational collections ; thus, what commenced on such a small scale has become an important branch of the Survey, and now, as for years past, occupies almost the whole of Mr. Willimott's time. As with the early distribution of rocks and minerals, so the Ethnological branch of the Sur- vey commenced on a small scale. For three or four years after my appointment to the Survey, half a dozen or so of Indian stone and other implements stood on the mantle-piece in a small room on the " fossil flat " already referred to as being used by Sir William as a sitting and sometimes bed room. These, together with two or three casts of Indian stone pipes, and a few fragments of Indian stone pottery, etc., I had picked up near Niagara, with Sir William's per- mission I placed in a case in the museum ; soon two cases were required, and so commenced the Ethnological collection which now numbers many thousands of specimens, hundreds of which (and some of the finest) are boxed up and stowed away for the want of room to exhibit them. 106 CHAPTER VII. THE SOUTH SHORE OF THE ST. LAWRENCE SOME GOOD FISH- ING CAMPING BY THE RIVER ASCENT OF THE SHICK- SHOCKS A POACHING EXPEDITION : WE CATCH A FINE SALMON THE LONELY MOUNT ALBERT PHOTOGRAPHS AND FOSSILS COAST ROCKS BETWEEN DIGBY AND YAR- MOUTH, N.S. "THE OVENS" FISHING AT SPINDLE COVE LOST IN THE FOG. ON the 18th of June, 1878, with camp equip- ment and two months' provisions for my- self and one man, I left Montreal for Gaspe. My office instructions were to examine the coast rocks on the south shore of the St Lawrence River between Cape Rosier and Metis, especially with regard to the fossil fauna. At Gaspe I was fortunate enough to secure the services of the Indian John Basque, who had in 1843 accompanied Sir William Logan over the same ground. John (he is dead now) was a tall, straight, well-built man, and handsome for an Indian. Besides speaking English and French, he spoke the language of several different tribes of Indians, but could neither read nor write his own name, things he very much wished to do and which I tried hard to teach him, but it was no use, and he gave it up for a bad job. We made our first camp a short distance from Cape Rosier lighthouse, and after a good supper of fried ham, sea-biscuit and tea, John collected 107 REMINISCENCES from a neighboring bush sufficient spruce-boughs to cover the floor of our tent. On this our blank- ets were spread, but John seldom came inside* preferring to make a wigwam for himself. The summer nights of the Gulf shore of the St. Lawrence are always more or less chilly, but drift wood is plentiful in most places, and one can always, without the use of the axe, keep up a rousing fire. I found John a pleasant companion, and I sat at our camp fire and watched the dark clouds spread over the distant mountains. All was solitary and still excepting the ever- lasting splash of the waves on the pebbly beach before us. It was long after darkness had ob- scured every object within a few yards of our camp fire before I tumbled into my blankets. When I awoke in the morning I found my man busy preparing our breakfast. John, who never lost an opportunity of making new friends, had already been to the lighthouse and brought back some fish. After breakfast we closed up our tent, and with a little lunch in our collecting basket, a gun, hammers and note -book, started on this the first part of our geological tramp of over one hundred and eighty miles along the base, and frequently over the tops of the great cliffs of the Gulf shore. My examination of these exposures commenced at the base of the cliffs almost under Cape Rosier 108 AMONG THE ROCKS. lighthouse. Here the strata consists of conglom- erates, grey limestone bands, black bituminous limestone, greenish and other coloured shales. No fossils had hitherto been found by which the geological horizon could definitely be determined, but they were supposed by Logan to belong to the Hudson River formation. It was my good fortune, however, on this the first day's work to find, almost in the shadow of Cape Rosier light- house beautiful compound Graptolites which evidently belong to the Levis zone which accord- ing to the latest nomenclature of the Geological Survey of Canada is Upper Cambrian. The sun was setting when we returned to camp. I think John thought we had done a little too much work for one day, but I assured him that I should not work so hard every day and that he would not have to work on Sundays, as with Logan, excepting to cook a thing an Indian is always ready to do. It was long after dark when I crept into my blankets, but before doing so I had put some dry plates in the dark boxes of my camera which I had brought with me hoping to get some good geological views of the coast. I may mention here that I did get many fine views, some of which have become historical, having been published in the reports of the Sur- vey. I may also mention here that all the nega- tives taken by the Survey staff are carefully pre- 109 REMINISCENCES served. They have lately been re-arranged, cata- logued, numbered and placed where any one of them can be found at once, by Mr. Percy Selwyn, who is now private Secretary to the present director of the Survey, Dr. G. M. Daw- son. It would extend these notes too much to recount all the adventures John and I met with while journeying along this great stretch of sea coast. We shifted camp frequently, generally every eight or ten miles. By so doing we were able to walk down the coast to where we left off our examination, and up the shore to where we would camp next. Our mode of shifting camp equipment, etc., was by boat or cart, whichever we could get most conveniently. During our journey by boat I frequently had some good fishing. On one occasion while sitting at the stern of the boat, I noticed fish jumping at flies, I suppose ; but I did not see any. Hav- ing a trolling line with hooks and spoon, silvered on one side and red on the other, I \vas not long in getting it ready. The two boatmen nudged each other and winked, while John gave a sar- castic smile, but I let go my troll, and before the men had pulled half a dozen strokes I hauled in a lovely mackerel, and before we completed our ten miles' journey, twelve fine mackerel and two cod fish lay at the bottom of our boat. The men were greatly surprised and so was I. Fishing 110 AMONG THE ROCKS. for mackerel and cod with a trolling spoon was a new feature on the St. Lawrence. Landing at Gritfon Cove, about ten miles above Cape Rosier we pitched our tent at the base of huge black cliffs composed of shale interstratified with other rocks. The escarpment represented here is probably 1,000 feet thick. Many of the beds are highly fossiliferous, some being very prolific in Graptolites, which have a decided Hudson River aspect. In the late publications of the Geological Sur- vey of Canada, the formation here and for about eighty miles of the coast to the Marsouin River is Combeo Silurian i.e., Trenton, Utica, &c. The late changes made in the geological horizon of the coast rocks are chiefly due to fossil evidence collected by the officers of the Survey, since the time of the late Sir William Logan. All the fossils collected on the journey of which I write, and late journeys of Dr. Ells, Dr. Selwyn and myself, have been studied by Prof. Chas. Lap- worth of Birmingham, England, who I believe is the best English authority on the Graptoliae fauna. The coast country between Cape Rosier and Cape Chat, a distance of about 130 miles, is mountainous. The hills and cliffs come close on to the shore leaving for many miles no space for settlement, excepting at the mouth of rivers where one finds fishing stations of more or less 111 REMINISCENCES pretensions. We always received a warm wel- come from these Gulf shore people who seldom see any other than their own class. We made many camps between Griffon Cove and Cape Chatte, and gained much information regarding the fossil fauna. At Ste. Anne, ten miles below Cape Chatte I found my old friend Mr. James Richardson of our Survey staff camped near the foot of the river. Mr. Ord also of the Survey staff, Mr. John Richardson and one Indian had just returned from the foot of the Shickshocks mountains, a distance up the river about 30 miles not taking in the many crooks of the stream. As it was my intention to ascend one of the highest peaks of the Shickshocks, and as it re- quired two experienced men to pole a canoe up this river I engaged the Indian Joe, who had just returned with Mr. Richardson. But Joe flatly refused to accompany me till he had been drunk, at least one day. John, my Indian, as- sured me Joe would turn up all right according to promise, said he "If Joe says a day, he means a day, and no longer." It was impossible to get another man who knew the river like Joe, for he had been tripping on that stream for years, so I had to submit to Joe's terms. A certain hour was fixed for his return to camp, and to my surprise but not to John's, Joe turned up all right, and when asked how he felt after being 112 AMONG THE ROCKS. drunk a day and night, said, "Bully." I preferred a long narrow boat, much used on this river, to the canoe Richardson had used. This I obtained from the settlement at the foot of the stream, and we were soon ready to start. We took our blankets and three days' provisions, and of course a gun and fishing tackle. We lunched off a magnificient trout Joe stole from a net. It was the most delicious fish I ever ate. The Ste. Anne River is, or was, at the time I ascended it, one of the finest salmon rivers in Canada. In many parts the current is swift and requires dexterous poleing and in places portag- ing, but in places one passes over still pools where the paddle cm be used. As we glided over these pools and looked down into the clear water we could see many salmon quietly floating or resting on the bed of the river. It was dusk when we hauled up for the night, ten miles from our starting point. After supper John and Joe collected a lot of birch bark which was soon made into a flambeau. Then Joe fished out from some hiding place, a salmon spear which if found on him at the settlement would have cost him lots of trouble. When the night was as dark as it would be, we stole forth and silently glided down stream. Then I realized that for the first time I was on a poaching expedition for the fishing rights of the Ste. Anne were very strict, and I had no H 113 REMINISCENCES permit. But almost before I had time to reflect on our evil ways, a twenty pound salmon lay at the bottom of our boat. I forbade the men to take any more fish than we needed for a change of diet. I shall never forget this my first poaching experience, the stillness of the night, the brilliant light of the flambeau reflected on the eager faces of the two Indians, made up a scene well worthy of the artist's brush. The following morning we resumed our journey. Towards noon the sun was very hot and the weather most oppressive. John had been stand- ing at the bow of the boat fully an hour assist- ing Joe to push through one of the most difficult parts of the stream, to navigate. Suddenly he let go his pole and sank to the bottom of the boat. Instantly our boat swung round and shot down the swift-current, but in a short time Joe ran it ashore arid we hauled John out to a shady spot and laid him on his back, and for the next two hours I thought we were going to have a dead Indian to take back. We came to the con- clusion that John was suffering from sun-stroke. Eemembering I had a bottle of " Pain Killer " in my fishing basket I made up a strong dose, but it was a pretty big job to get John to take the white man's medicine. He did however, at last, and in the cool of the evening we resumed our journey. 114 AMONG THE ROCKS. The third evening after leaving our camp, near the mouth of the Ste. Anne, we reached the foot of the Shickshocks and camped for the night in a trapper's deserted wigwam. At six o'clock next morning we breakfasted on the remains of our twenty pound salmon and then prepared for the ascent of Mount Albert. John carried my camera and other traps wrapped in blankets, while Joe carried two days' provisions and camp utensils. I carried well myself, a canvas bag and small hammer, which I found quite enough- I could not help wondering that while I stumbled sometimes head first over fallen trees or slipped down moss covered rocks, my two Indians glided through all the difficulties which beset us with- out a slip or stumble. In about two hours we reached the summit of Mount Albert 3,768 feet above the sea a great dreary table-land with a few stunted spruce trees, and strewn with weathered rein deer (?) antlers. We chanced to reach the summit of this mountain within a short distance of where Logan and Murray in 1844, erected a flag-staff and unfurled the Union Jack. The pole was still lying at the foot of the mound of stones which had supported it, but it was broken and weather worn so John descended the mountain till he found another good stick ; we then rebuilt the mound, hoisted our pole and in place of a Union Jack substituted a red cotton handkerchief. 115 REMINISCENCES The magnificent panorama presented from the summit of Mount Albert is grand indeed. The eye ranges over hills and valleys for a hundred miles or more. The riyer we have ascended looks almost like a brook winding through mountains and forest till it joins the St. Lawrence, the waters of which are dotted with ships and fishing boats. Although we can see some life in the distance, I shall never forget the sense of loneliness I felt. Even the Indians while we sat round our camp fire spoke in whispers as though evil spirits wandered round. Crossing the table-land to the south side of the mountain, we look down over masses of serpentine and other rocks, into a great valley in which a small lake nestles. I set up my camera hoping to get a view of this wonderful scene; but the black flies are so numerous that they partly cover my lens and I see by my focussing glass that a number have got inside the camera. I look up to speak to Joe and find he is clasping a small crucifix which hangs from his neck. He is actually trembling with fright. " Joe what on earth is the matter with you ?" I say ; Point- ing to the lake, he says in a whisper " Look see the devil is taking a swim." I look and find a strong current of wind is passing through the valley, which accounts for the heavy ripples on the water. I asked Joe if he had any name for 116 AMONG THE ROCKS. that lake and he whispered yes, "that devil lake." All I could say to this poor fellow would not alter his opinion regarding the devil and his ablutions. Granites enter largely into the formation of the Shickshocks, but hornblende, quartzites, epidotic and other rocks are largely represented, together with massive beds of serpentines, which are fre- quently beautifully stratified. Pieces of chromic iron ore, about the size of one's fist, are scattered over the table-land of Mount Albert, but I could not find the bed from which they came. We only made one night camp during our return journey a journey full of pleasant remem- brances, and of much geological interest. Arriving at our old camp near the mouth of the river, I found Mr. Richardson waiting me. Poor Mr. Richardson, the veteran explorer for the Geological Survey of Canada almost from its com- mencement a man who had worked his way from a poor farmer to that of the most trusted field geologist then on. Logan's staff, had received an intimation that the present director of the Survey was about to apply to the government for his superannuation. This, to a man like Richardson, was a blow indeed, for outside his geological work he had little or no pleasure. He remained with me several days, during which time we visited two or three interesting fossil localities on the coast, one of these was about 117 REMINISCENCES three miles above the Ste. Anne. Here we obtained large slabs of black slate covered with the well known Levis fossil Phillograptus typus (Hall), and a number of other species. After a few days Mr. Richardson left me and returned to Montreal. John and I continued our journey along the coast, camping as usual about every ten miles. Many new fossil localities were discovered, and forms found which were new to Canada. Duplicates of all the fossils collected were sent to Prof. Charles Lap worth, of Birmingham, England, for identification and description. During this long sea coast experience many photographs were taken, prints of which can be seen with the large collection of photographs in the Geological Survey rooms. One of these views shows the " Pillar Sandstones " on the coast, eight and one half miles east of Ste. Anne River. I focussed my view, then left John to expose the plate, so that I might appear in this picture with a little Indian dog who came to our camp one day, whence we did not knew. He was first seen sitting on his hind legs, as if asking to be taken in. John at once adopted and christened him Wap-e- cat, which he said was the Indian for "white paw." This picture is reproduced in the Geologi- cal Report for 1880-81-82, but by some mistake is credited to Dr. Ellis, 1883. I am loath to close this brief account of a jour- ney during which every day brought to life some 118 AMONG THE ROCKS. new geological information, besides giving one an insight into the life and habits of the poor fishermen, many of whom labor year after year and never see anything other than their immediate surroundings. We reached Little Metis Sept. 21st, where we struck camp for the last time. I paid off my Indian, John, saw his money safely sewn up inside his vest, and started him off to his wigwam at Gasp& The winter of 1878-79 was spent in the usual museum and and work-room duties and in some preparations for the removal of the Survey to Ottawa. My first exploration journey of 1879 was to Roxton Falls, P. Q., to examine the limestone and shales associated with the copper deposits. June 5th, I left for Nova Scotia to examine the shore rocks of St. Mary's Bay. The journey from St. John, N. B., to Annapolis by steamboat 45 miles across the Bay of Fundy is, in calm weather, a pleasant one, but this time it was most unpleasant. From the time we left St. John, till we arrived at Digby Gut the entrance to Annapolis Basin the waves frequently swept over our boat. All passengers were below deck, and most of them sick. One old body was sick unto death, and if ever she reached dry land again, &c., &c. I am a good sailor and did justice to my 75 cent dinner. The occurrence of fossil remains in the gold 119 REMINISCENCES bearing rocks of Nova Scotia, by which the geo- logical horizon could be determined, would be an exceedingly important discovery. From time to time forms which were thought to be of organic structure have been found, as the following re- marks by the writer, taken* from " Transactions of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science," Series 2, Vol. 1, will prove. But in all cases a micro- scopic examination of these forms has proved them to be concretionary bodies " Many times between the years 1860-70 the late Sir Wm. E. Logan, and subsequently Dr. Selwyn, called my attention to certain concretionary forms found in the gold- bearing rocks of Nova Scotia. Some of these seemed to be organic, and I was requested to make and examine microscopic sections of them. In treating several of these with acid, they proved to be composed chiefly of dolomite, with a large proportion of siliceous matter, and generally a little iron pyrites, which formed a nucleus. " In 1890 a number of similar forms were found by Mr. Willis, in the rocks of the Northup Gold mines, Rawdon, Nova Scotia. They were handed to Professor Hind, who supposed them to be fossils, and assigned them to Lower Silurian age. Wishing the "judgment of a specialist," he gave them to Professor Kennedy, of King's College, who confirmed Professor Hind's opinion and pronounced the " fossils " to be Stromatopora. Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Faribault, of the Geological Survey, while in the vicinity where this discovery was made, visited the mines, and brought away a number of these so-called fossils. They were given to me by Dr. Selwyn, director of the Dominion Geological Survey, for microscopic examination ; and I regret to say, the result is precisely the same as for those examined thirty years ago. 120 AMONG THE ROCKS. " They appear to be composed of dolomite, and, when dissolved in hydrochloric acid, leave a good percentage of insoluble matter, probably felspar and silica. It is likely that they were spheroidal or ovoidal in form before being flattened by the pressure of overlying beds. One of the specimens before me is a piece of greenish-grey laminated mica-schist five inches long and one inch thick. Inclosed in this are four of these concretionary forms broken through the centre, each measuring one inch in length and half an inch in breadth. Two of these are connected with each other by a thin strip of the material of which they are composed. "In broken sections some of these bodies show slight concentric layers which in microscopic sections are not seen. Not a trace of organic structure was found. ' ' I quite agree with Professors Hind and Kennedy as to the importance of finding fossils in the auriferous rocks of Nova Scotia, and trust they may be more fortunate than I. " It is well known that concretions occur in all rock for- mations. One or two instances will be worth recording to show how careful one should be in referring any forms of a concretionary nature to organic structure (Read Nov. 9th, 1891.)" It was chiefly to try and discover fossils in these auriferous rocks that the present journey was made. Gold-bearing deposits occupy a great portion of the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. The rocks consist of greenish and grey slates, quartzites and other rocks, which, if as stated in the Geological Survey Reports, belong to the Primordial Silurian and Cambrian formations should contain fossils, but at present nothing with decided organic struc- 121 REMINISCENCES ture has been found. The so-called Eophyfon from the " Ovens " gold-bearing slates is in my opinion not of organic origin. Many miles of coast rocks between Digby and Yarmouth were examined, especially those of Wey mouth, Church Point, Montegan, Salmon River, Bear Cove, Cape St. Mary, Cranberry Head, &c. Having a good camera and dry plates with me I was able to obtain excellent photographs show- ing the stratification, folding, &c. of these rocks. The Nictaux iron ore deposits were also visited. Here the Hematite ore-beds contain well de- fined fossils which belong to the Devonian for- mation. I travelled along the coast road by stage or buggy. The journey through the Annapolis val- ley is a most pleasant one. It is the great apple raising country of Nova Scotia. Continuing along the coast and shore road I reached Yar- mouth, where after a few days' work among the rocks of that vicinity I left for Lunenburg the oldest British town in the Province of Nova Scotia and on the 9th of July, crossed the harbor to the u Ovens," already mentioned with regard to the so called Eophyton, (Torell), eos, dawn ; phyton a plant. From the harbor of Lune-nberg are seen on the west side a range of cliffs con- taining a number of even cavities, the regularity of which whether made by human agencies or 122 AMONG THE ROCKS. by the action of the sea no doubt suggested the name " Ovens." These rocks were known to contain gold many years ago, and considerable excitment has at various times prevailed, when a specimen of quartz or slate had been found which held a good sample of the precious metal. The only mining going on at the time of my visit (1879), was done by a few of the fishermen of Spindle Cove, on the " Ovens " shore, who with a rude cradle, shovel, or other simple implements gathered from the sea sand of the shore, gold dust to the amount of from fifty cents to a dol- lar a day. But my visit to the Ovens was not for gold ; but for fossils, which after a most dili- gent search I failed to find, nor could I find another specimen ot the so-called Eophyton marks, which could readily be made by a bit of rock passing over a soft substance such as these slates were once. At the time of my visit to the " Ovens " there were only five or six families living near thie shore ; they were fishermen. 1 found board and lodging with a German family at Spindle Cove. Among my accounts of this journey I find the item : Four days' board and lodging at " Ovens " $2.00, but besides this I paid $2.50 for boating and assisting with my camera. This small sum of $4.50 to these poor people meant much. When shown to my room the first night 123 REMINISCENCES of my stay with these fisherfolk I found there were two feather beds only. Thinking they had forgotten the sheets and blankets, I found my way down stairs where already they were at their family devotions. Waiting outside the room till prayer was over, I then requested the man to go up to my room where I explained that there was no covering to the bed. He looked puzzled and called his wife up, when I made known what I wanted she looked surprised, but a happy thought seemed to strike her, and she went away with a smile on her face, soon she returned with a quilt, but at the same time thought I would find it more comfortable to sleep between the feather beds. I have spoken of catching mackerel with a hook and spoon, but that fishing was tame to the sport I had at Spindle Cove. Shoals of her- ring the well known Yarmouth bloater came into Lunenburg harbor, followed by the horse mackerel even into the fish traps, or seines. It is a powerful fish and much dreaded by the fish- ermen who have herring nets or seines set, and who lose no time in getting them out of the way by harpooning. During my stay at Spindle Cove I assisted in harpooning two of these creatures which were at last killed by severing the caudal vertebrae with an axe. One of these measured five feet long and was over two feet in diameter. I had it 124 AMONG THE ROCKS. towed to shore and then photographed it. In appearance these huge fish are just the same shape and color as our mackerel ; but the tlesh is coarse ]ike that of the seal. On the 12th of July, I crossed the harbour again (four miles) with the people I had been staying with. They, at least the man and his two daughters, were taking fish to the Lunenburg market. There was a light fog when we started which soon increased till we could not see a yard before us. At last the man and his daugh- ters ceased rowing, confessed they were lost and did not know where they were. Fortunately the man knew the compass bearing from his shore. I looked at my compass and found we were headed almost in the opposite direction. This however, these folks could not believe, but at last decided to be guided. After pulling an hour or so through the dense fog we ran right against the wharf at Lunenburg. I wished my companions of the fog good-bye, took steamer and was soon at Halifax, were I spent a short time with my friend Kev. Dr. Honeyman, cur- ator of the Provincial Museum, who had been in 1876 my companion for eight weeks at the Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia. While on this journey I had received official instructions to visit on my way back, the Jog- gins shore and get photographs of various cliffs, to illustrate a paper Sir William Dawson was 125 REMINISCENCES writing for the Royal Society. I was fortunate in getting what Sir William wanted, and these were published in the Royal Society Reports. I reached Montreal on the 20th of July. On the llth of August I started out again to the Eastern Townships, visiting West Farnham, Bedford, St. Dominique, Richmond, St. Pie and again to West Farnham. October 1 9th, I accom- panied Mr. Richardson to St. Armond and Grand Ling. This was the last official journey Mr. Richardson made. He was superannuated greatly against his will shortly afterwards, This completed my field work for 1879. The winter of 1879-80 was occupied in my usual microscopic and museum work. A great number of microscopic sections of rocks and fos- sils and preliminary examinations were made. In the museum many new fossils were labelled and arranged in the cases. In some of the work I was assisted by Mr. Willimot. 126 CHAPTER VIII. BAIE DE CHALEURS AND ADJACENT DISTRICTS A FOSSIL PISH AND A PIOUS CRITIC A LIST OF TITHES -REMOVAL OF THK HEADQUARTERS OF THE SURVEY FROM MONTREAL TO OTTAWA THE JOGGINS COAST, N. S. CAMPBELLTON AND THE RESTIGOUCHE RIVER A TRIP TO SAULT STE MARIE THE CYPRESS HILL AND THE NORTH-WEST A THREE MONTHS GEOLOGICAL EXPLORING TOUR. of the summer of 1880, was spent in the examination of the shore, rocks of Baie des Chaleurs, Cascapedia and Matapedia Rivers, Campbell ton and other localities in that district. The shore rocks of the Restigouche River near the back of Campbellton Railway Station and those on the opposite shore are highly interest- ing, containing as they do, a remarkable fauna and flora of fish and plant remains of Devonian age. Many fine fossils were collected from this locality by myself and later by Mr. Foord. On the llth of June, I crossed from Dalhousie to the north shore of Scaumenac Bay where I got board and lodging at a farm house, the occupants of which were an old couple and a grown up son and daughter. My field of research here was along the shore towards Pt. Maquasha, Baie des Chaleurs, but chiefly on the shore of Scaumenac Bay. Here high cliffs of lightyellowish grey sandstone occupy 127 REMINISCENCES the shore. The rocks are of Devonian age and o underlie the lower Carboniferous conglomerates of the north shore of the Restigouche River. It was in these Devonian cliffs of Scaumenac Bay that Mr. R. W. Ells of the Geological Survey in 1879, discovered that curious crustacean Pterich- ihys ; or fish belonging to the Ganoids which- ever it is. This discovery led to my present researches and during the next summer to those of Mr. Foord, also of the Geological Survey staff. Some of the beds of these great sandstone cliffs contain nodules, or concretionary forms. The following description from my notes on concre- tionary forms published in Transactions of the Nova Scotian Institution of Science will suffice. 'The Upper Devonian fish and plant-bearing beds of Scaumenac Bay, New Brunswick, are prolific in fossilifer- ous concretions, which are composed of calcareo -arenac- eous rock, and take various forms according to the shape of the nucleus, which, when a fish, is often so well pre- served that every bone can be seen. One of these con- cretions obtained by A. H. Foord measures over twenty- one inches in length, and contains the skeleton of a fish almost as long. It is Chirolepis Canadensis (Whiteaves). In other concretions from this locality the writer and Mr. A. H. Foord found : Glyptolepis microlepidotus (Agassiz), Phaiwroplenrvn curium, Pterichthys Canadensis (Whit- eaves), Eusthenopteron Foordi, etc." These concretions are scattered along the shore, being washed up by the waves of the bay. It was in one of these that I discovered the first fossil fish known to the Survey, from these 128 AMONG THE ROCKS. rocks This find is always associated with the old couple with whom I boarded. When in the barn carefully chiselling off a portion of rock which concealed part of my fossil fish, the old lady came in, and after watching me for a short time said : " Well now, it do look like a mackerel, but if God made stone fishes it was for some wise purpose that we poor mortals can't understand and ought not to meddle with, and Sir, it would be much better for you to leave them where the Lord placed them." I tried to explain that a few million of years ago this fish swam in the sea, then died and was buried in the sand and mud at the bottom, then the sand and mud became stone. But the few millions of years seemed to frighten the old lady and she left me. Then the old man came to interview me on the subject, and chided me for even thinking of a few millions of years ago, said he " Do you dispute the words of the Holy Bible, etc., etc." That evening I was requested to attend service before retiring for the night. The old man read a chapter from the Bible explaining the same as he went on, then the family sang a long hymn, drawling out each word till I dozed off to sleep. But at last sing- ing was over, and then the old man delivered what some church people would call a most pow- erful prayer, full of beautiful thoughts, which ended with " Oh Lord bless the stranger within our gates, and keep him from vain babbling ; and J 129 REMINISCENCES turn his mind from things of the past, to his future salvation, Amen." No doubt the few mil- lions of years was in the old man's thoughts when he spoke of vain babbling. The following day I collected from these same fossil fish-beds, fossil plants, among which were specimens of an old fashioned fern which Sir William Dawson has since named Archaeopteris Jacksoni. This specimen puzzled the old man of my boarding house, but no further allusion was made to vain babbling in the old man's prayer that evening. Leaving Scaumenac Bay July 1st, I proceeded to New Richmond, where a few days were spent on the rocks of that vicinity, a journey was then made to Causapscal railway station, on the Inter- colonial Railway, and on the Campbellton road, near the Matapedia River. Here I obtained lodging at the trackman's cottage, where I fed on fat pork, brown bread and potatoes, while H. R. H. Princess Louise two or three hundred paces away lived on the best of the land, and while I fished with my hammer among the rocks for fossils, she fished in the river close by, for sal- mon ; and got them, too. Several members of the Royal family have been the guests of Sir Donald Smith, who has a summer house or fish- ing station on the banks of the Patapedia River, a lovely spot close to the Causapscal Ry. station, which, since being patronized by royalty, has 130 AMONG THE ROCKS. become quite a noted spot on our long railway. The platform of this station is the lounging place for Indians while waiting to be engaged by sports- men who go up the Matapedia River, either to fish or shoot. Having completed my examination of the rocks at the Devil's Elbow, a turn on the river two miles or so below the station, with a canoe, two Indians and a few day's provisions, we left for a journey up a portion of the Matapedia River. The rocks of this river belong to the Gasps' series, and are almost destitute of fossils. One who has camped on this beautiful river will never forget the charming scenery, and if he is fortunate enough to " hook " a salmon or one of the large trout found in the rivers of this vicinity, and to have his Indian canoe-men cook it in their fashion, he will long remember his camp on the Matapedia River. Arriving at Campbellton on Saturday evening, I concluded to stay there nntil Monday. Judge who was on his circuit, and staying at the same house, invited me on Sunday morning to accompany him to service at a sraall Catholic church on the north side of the river. We en- gaged an Indian to paddle us over in his canoe. The little church was already crowded with people of various nationalities, with a good sprinkling of Indians. After the sermon in which the priest exhorted 131 REMINISCENCES his flock to attend to their religious duties more diligently, on pain of excommunication he pro- duced a roll of paper in which were the names of those who had and had not paid their tithes : John Brown, four cords of wood; Patrick O'Farity, ten pecks of potatoes ; Peter Basque, fifteen pecks of beans ; John Gabriel, one side of pork ; Francis Cye, one ton of hay ; Narcisse Cromk, NOTHING, and the priest looked round with fire in his eye, but he could not spot poor Narcisse, and so the list went on. My wanderings during the remainder of the field season of 1880 covered many hundreds of miles, and new geological facts were obtained from the rocks at Father Point, Rimouski, Negette, Bic, and many other localities on the St. Lawrence shore and in the Eastern Townships. The most important event connected with the Survey this year, 1880, was the removal to Ottawa. The director's summary report for 1881 states that : "The total number and weight of packages forwarded from Montreal between the month of November, 1880, and May, 1881, was 1,729 boxes; 101 barrels ; 162 miscellaneous packages gross weight, 282,585 Ibs. The work of packing all the type fossils from the cases, specimens from the drawers, wall cases and the large wall specimens, was done by myself and those under my direction. In this 132 AMONG THE ROCKS. work I was assisted by Mr. Broadbent and Mr. Holmes. It gives me great pleasure to record here the valuable services rendered in this work by Mr. Broadbent, a young Englishman, who had just come to this country to seek his fortune, and who, with the Director's permission, I engaged to assist in the removal of the fossil department of the Survey. Mr. Broadbent being a good writer, I appointed him the task of cataloguing the species and formation of every type fossil taken from the cases a work he accomplished most satisfac- torily, indeed, his diligence in the duties as- signed him decided me with the Director's per- mission, to take him to Ottawa to assist in re- organizing the collection. After assisting me for several months, Mr. Broadbent was removed to the mineral department, and was soon after appointed a member of the staff. He now holds the position of museum assistant in the mineral department. The work of replacing all the type specimens in the cases, and the thousands of specimens kept in drawers under the cases required much time and patience. Mr. J. B. Tyrrell, so well known now as field geologist and explorer in the distant lands of the North-west Territory, assisted me in part of this work. After spending most of the summer months since 1863, in travelling and field work, it was not pleasant to spend the whole of the summer, 133 REMINISCENCES excepting five days in museum work. The five off days were, at the Director's request, spent in accompanying Mr. Walter Billings, Mr. Ami and Mr. Souter to Paquett's Rapids, on the Ottawa river. It was dark when we arrived, with our camp outfit and a few days' provisions at our destination on the 5th of September. My three companions were students in Palaeontology, and so eager to obtain some of the fine Black River fossils which occur in thePaquette's Rapids rocks, that instead of pitching tent and getting off to bed, they started off with a supply of matches to hunt fossils. To an old collector like myself this was a strange procedure. When they returned I was rolled in my blanket and sleeping. Before my companions were up the following morning I had co lected one of the finest specimens of Stro- matocerium rugosum now in the geological museum. Mr. Ami, now Dr. Ami, M.A., etc., etc., is assist- ant palaeontologist to the Survey, and is one of the bright scientists of the Survey staff. I had a jolly time, and returned with renewed energy to deal with the Climactichnites tracks of which I spoke in connection with Lord Dufferin's visit to the Survey museum. Unfortunately the director who superintended the taking down of this large specimen had not calculated its weight, and in lowering it from the wall, when at an angle of about 45 it fell with a 134 AMONG THE ROCKS. crash, shattering the plaster casts round the speci- men into fragments and breaking some of the sandstone. The director got a black eye which he afterwards told his friends was not a disreput- able one, and the two men assisting got hurt. It is a wonder it did not go through the floor to the next flat. I was then requested to take it in hand. The fragments were boxed up and shipped to Ottawa, and after three weeks' work, assisted by Mr. Broadbent, a carpenter and a man who made new casts to fill up the frame, we succeeded in getting it placed against the wall once more. We made the best it was possible to make of it, but the specimen, which was one of Sir Wil- liam's pet fossil slabs, is far from looking as well as when in his bed -room in the Montreal museum. Before and while the removal of the Survey was in progress, the families of the members of the staff were removed to Ottawa at the Govern- ment's expense. After seeing my family settled in the capital, I returned to Montreal, and boarded, strange to say, in the "Logan House," which had been rented by the administrator of the Logan estate, Mr. Grant, to my friends the Austins. The room as- signed me was the one formerly used by Sir Wil- liam as library and sitting room, a delightful room opening by French windows on to the spacious garden. I spent many happy evenings in this old homestead where there were still 135 REMINISCENCES things left to recall the memory of our dear old chief, and the time when he was ever ready to welcome the humblest members of his staff, and to listen patiently to their troubles. I recall the time, one Sunday in 1865, when oppressed and despondent, I went to tell him I thought of re- turning to England. " Fiddle-de-dee " said Sir William. He then like a father reasoned with me and pointed to a brighter side of my troubles. When I left his house it was with renewed energy to continue my duties at the Survey. Such was the kind influence ever extended to those with whom Sir William had to deal. Many other incidents worth record ing occurred during the year of our removal to the capital, but I must hasten on with my travels. By the spring of 1882 the geological museum was in fair order and my field work was resumed early in June, by a journey to the Joggins coast, N.S., with a view to increase, by fossils, our knowledge of the Carboniferous formation. To the student who wishes to study the geology and palaeontology of the Carboniferous forma- tion there is probably no better opportunity af- forded in the world than the Joggins coast. Here he sees a magnificent range of cliffs extend- ing for miles along a shore washed by the waves of the Bay of Fundy. Occasionally in the great red sandstorfe cliff's one sees portions of erect trees, or rather the 136 AMONG THE ROCKS. casts of portions of large exogen trees, the woody structure of which decayed and disappeared leav- ing the bark standing, to be filled with the sand of the sea or lakes near which they grew. While in a decayed form the base of some of these trees were penetrated by small reptiles who no doubt took shelter there for safety. These little reptiles represent the first vertebrate animals of this world. Some of the sandstones and shales contain the remains of beautiful ferns and trop- ical plants, on the leaves of which we find small shells, representatives of the Mollusk family. Other beds are made up almost entirely of small bivalve shells, which Sir William Dawson called Naiadites carbonaria. In the geological museum can be found a fair representation of the Carboniferous fossil fauna and flora of Canada ; but as my last discovery in the Joggins rocks proves there is still much information to be gained with regard to the life of the Carboniferous period. The splendid geological work accomplished in the Carboniferous formation of Novia Scotia by Logan and Dawson in the early days of the Sur- vey, and later by other members of the staff, is a most important feature in the geology of Canada, for on the correct interpretation of the Carboni- ferous strata often depend^ vast sums of money. Having secured fine sections of the fossil trees, Siyillaria, so named from the seal-like scales on 137 REMINISCENCES the bark, and specimens among which were scales of fishes, ferns, and other fossil plants work in which I was assisted by Mr. James Devine, a coal miner, I spent a tew hours visit- ing the mines, which are situated half a mile or so from the coast. In the superintendent's house I was surprised to see several mounted moose heads (Cerius alres) which my friend the superintendent said he shot at his hunting grounds a few miles from Joggins. At this time there was only one main road in the village and another, the coast road, which ran near the brow of the cliff. On these roads are dotted the homes of the miners. The coal is conveyed from the mines by tram-ways and dumped down a chute to schooners and other vessels Fifty years ago few people excepting those engaged in mining, or in the manufacture of grindstones were to be seen in the village, and along the Joggins shore. All communication being by stage, buggy, or boat. Having packed and shipped my specimens I again mounted the rambling old stage and after a pleasant ride through a verdant country over which refreshing sea breezes are wafted from the Bay of Fundy, I arrived at Maccan Station, and on June 26th, again landed at Campbellton where a few days were spent collecting from the 138 AMONG THE ROCKS. Devonian rocks on the banks of the Restigouche River. Among the interesting specimens secured this time were good examples of the fossil-plant Psilophyton princeps, (Dawson) .Miller says it is the oldest known plant in America, and is sup- posed to have grown in a marsh (psilon, smooth ; phyton, stem.) The agglomerates of this vicinity are rich in fish remains, and the conglomerates with their various bright colored pebbles of jasper, sand- stone, quartz, agates, and other rocks, enhance the beauty of this lovely spot where not so very many years ago the red man alone pitched his wigwam, built his birch bark canoe, and speared salmon as he glided down the often swift waters of the Restigouche to one of his wigwams, where now stands the little church of which we have read in previous pages of these notes. Now the whistle of the locomotive echoes among the hills and through the valleys, the white man plies his . axe, Royalty dips its fishing-line in the waters, and the geologist pokes his nose I mean his hammer into the rocks. A few days after my return to Ottawa I received instructions to proceed to Sault Ste. Marie, to examine and collect typical specimens of the rocks of that locality, and along the coast of Georgian Bay and part of the north coast of Lake Huron. 139 REMINISCENCES It was then, and is now, an important question as to the exact geological horizon of the red sand- stones, so largely displayed in the construction of the Soo Locks. It is supposed that they belong to the Potsdam formation, but the want of fossils to confirm this question still remains, as my researches revealecfnbthing which could definitely be pronounced organic. It is recorded that one fossil of a Potsdam type was found in some part of these sandstones ; but as no one knows when, where, or who collected it, I think we may con- sider it doubtful. Still I think with Logan that these sandstones are Potsdam, and that fossils will be found to confirm this fact. My short stay at the Soo was full of pleas- ant incidents > most of which were due to Mr. Cousins, a prominent Civil Engineer of that place. But our pleasant moonlight boating parties like all other good things, came too soon to an end. Leaving Sault Ste. Marie July 22nd, with two half-breed Indians and a boat, a journey was made down that beautiful stream called Garden River the highway for ships passing through the Soo Locks to Lake Superior. Returning to Sault Ste Marie a few more days were spent in the examination of the rocks of that vicinity, after which, providing myself with a horse and cart and an Indian guide, camp outfit and pro- visions, a journey was then made by road to 140 AMONG THE ROCKS. Echo Lake. All rock exposures were noted and typical specimens collected. Arriving at Echo Lake, I was cordially received by those in charge of the copper mines property, which is situated on the north side of the lake, two or three miles from Lake George. The rocks here are chloretic slates, quartzites, conglomerates, &c. They belong to the Huronian series and contain veins of yellow copper ore. Although extensive preparations have been made for mining and shipping the ore, I do not think up to the present time any profit has been derived from these mines. A short distance from the mines at Limestone Point, a stratified dolometic limestone occurs in large quantities as on the banks of Garden River. This limestone is well adapted for ornamental purposes. The scenery in this vicinity is wild and rugged ; it is a delightful spot for the sports- man. A pike weighing fifteen pounds was taken from the lake by my Indian guide. Returning to Sault Ste. Marie, I engaged two half-breed Indians and their boat and we started on a coast- ing journey down St. Mary's River, part of Lake George, along the north side of St. Joseph's Island, where at Gravel Point I secured a large number of fossils belonging to the Black River formation, and finally arrived at the Bruce Mines on the north side of Lake Huron, where at fifty fathoms from the surface, in 1847-9, 400 tons of copper 141 REMINISCENCES ore was raised. But the working of these mines was discontinued many years ago. At the time of my visit one oi the pioneers if not the discoverer of these mines Col. Rankin was engaged loading a barque with the quartz debris from the stamp mills. He hoped to dis- pose of this broken rock to a Boston firm who were to use it for covering the walks of parks and private residences. There were then many thousands of tons of this material, but whether Col. Rankin made a paying speculation of it or not I do not know. Associated with these cop- per-bearing rocks are great bands of jasper con- glomerates, which form quite a feature in the Huronian district. It is a beautiful rock, remark- able for its bright red jasper pebbles. Masses of detached pieces, some almost as large as a small log cabin were seen in or near the village of the Bruce mines. I shipped a large block of this con- glomerate to the Survey, together with many other specimens characteristic of the Huronian formation, and on the 19th of August, returned to Sault Ste Marie where I again engaged two half breeds, and with a good boat, provisions, &c. we started on a ten days' journey along the North shore of Lake Huron. It would be tedious to record all the incidents and adventures we met with in this long journey, most of which was made on foot with one man, while the other followed slowly with our boat, 142 AMONG THE HOCKS landing whenever signals were made for him to do so. Some of our night camps were made on the small islands near the shore. They are com- posed of similar rocks to those of the coast, but in many instances are smoothed by the waters of the lake, affording a good opportunity to study the stratification of the strata. On one of these islands, composed of chloretic slate^ we found although very much water worn, cavities made in taking the rock out with rude instruments, for (as my Indian guide said) making stone pipes. Each of my men carried away pieces for this pur- pose. They said this spot was known to their forefathers, who journeyed many miles to obtain this favorite " pipe stone." Arriving at Thessalon Point we ascended the river of that name for twenty miles or so, pass- ing over many of the typical rocks of the Huronian series. Returning we continued along the coast arriving at Algoma Mills Sept. 2nd, where my men were paid off. I saw them and their boat safely on board the steamer bound for Sault Ste. Marie, their home, and after spending a day or two on the large exposures of rocks in that vicinity, boarded the returning steamer for Owen Sound, and thence by rail returned to Ottawa which place I reached Sept. 6th, af cer a journey not free from dangers, and geologically, of less interest than any of the previous journeys I had made. A few days after my return from 143 REMINISCENCES the above lakes I was again in New Brunswick working up palseontological evidence regarding certain formations then under discussion. Returning to Point Levis a few days were spent among the Graptoletic rocks of the " Quebec group," and on the 5th of October, I once more settled down to my winter's work connected with the Survey, which consisted, as usual, in musuem work, mending and restoring a number of fossil bones collected by Dr. G. M. Dawson and Mr. R. G. McConnell. My microscopical work consisted in preparing 300 sections of rocks and fossils. A large number of specimens were developed and prepared for study and for the museum, and the remainder of my time was spent in arranging for my next summer's field work. The duty assigned me for the summer of 1883, was to make a geological examination of that portion of the North-west lying between the Cypress Hills, Manitoba, and the Rocky Mount- ains in the vicinity of Kootenay, or Water ton Lake, a distance of about 500 miles. As Dr. G. M. Dawson now director of the Survey accompanied by Mr. J. B. Tyrrell, also of the Survey was about to make a Survey of a portion of the North-west Territory this summer, it was thought advisable that I should accom- pany him as far as Fort McLeod, Alberta, near the line of the fifth principal meridian. 144 AMONG THE ROCKS. I left Ottawa, May 22nd, picked up my son G. H. Weston, then a student at the Agricultural College Guelph, Ont., who was to accompany me as assistant and proceeded to Toronto, there to wait the arrival of Dr. Dawson, who joined us a few days later. We left Toronto, May 27th, and started by rail via Hamilton, Chicago, St. Paul &c., arriving at Winnipeg on the 30th, and Bran- don the same evening, where we purchased part of our travelling outfit and chartered a freight car which for the remainder of our rail journey became a home not only for our horses, waggons, hay, &c., but for Dr. Dawson, Mr. Tyrrell, myself and our assistants. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway was then in progress, and in the vicinity where we were, the one train running on this section consisted of construction cars and one construction passenger car. We got our car attached to this local train and started towards Swift Current. The nrst town we struck, after leaving Brandon was called Red Jacket. It con- sisted of two large canvas tents, one a general store, and a sign on the other stated that it was " Red Jacket Hotel." We reached Maple Creek June 9th, where we found Mr. R. G. McConnell of the Survey, camped a short distance from the Mounted Police Station. This was the end of our railway journey, and here we pitched our tents and com- K 145 REMINISCENCES pleted our arrangements for the journey across the plains. Long before the great Canada Pacific Railway passed through that portion of the North-west Territory known as the Assiniboine district, Maple Creek./ was one of the principal Indian posts. Here Crees, Assiniboines, Sarcees, Bloods, Blackfoots and other tribes brought their furs and other produce and traded with the white men. Although most of the land of this district is now owned by the white settlers it is still the favorite camping ground of the aborigines. A mile or so from our camp were congregated a large number of Indians belonging to various tribes. In their tepees, we were told, they were preparing for their annual " Sun-dance." Thinking t-his a favorable opportunity to get a few good photographs we caused one of onr vehicles to be hitched up, then Dr. Dawson and I drove across the prairie towards the wigwams. When within half a mile of this camping ground we noticed that close to the tepees were probably a hundred Indian ponies already brid- led. A moment later, as many bucks in all their war paint and feathers issued from their tepees, hastily mounted their horses, formed a line and started at full gallop in a direct line for us. On they came till within a hundred paces or so of us. For a moment I sat paralyzed, expecting to be trampled under their horses' 146 AMONG THE ROCKS. feet, but when within thirty or forty feet of us they opened out in the centre allowing room for us to pass, and with a rush and the Indian salu- tation " How," they were soon far away. It was a beautiful sight, one not soon forgotten. Arriving at the Indian camp, Dr. Dawson attempted to get a photograph of some of the squaws and young Indians, but the moment we got the camera up, away they scooted into their tepees. However I seized the hand of an almost nude youngster, and he and I form part of a pretty picture (?) Both inside and outside the general stores of Maple Creek at this time, 1883, were favorite lounging places for the Indians. Many of the aborigines were quite picturesque looking, adher- ing strictly to the Indian costumes of their fathers, while others adopted any of the white man's cast off clothing they could find. The respect accorded an Indian appeared to depend on how many ponies he possessed and his ability to support himself without the aid of the white man. In this district there appeared to be a great many Indians who absolutely refused to remain on the Government reserves, therefore obliging themselves to pick up a precarious liv- ing, one method being the collecting of buffalo bones for which so much per hundred pounds weight was given by men commissioned to receive and ship them to various towns to be used in 147 REMINISCENCES refining sugar, fertilizing, etc. It no doubt seems hard to those who a few years ago hunted the buffalo in all its wild grandeur to be gathering and selling for the small sum of money or provi- sions the bones which in their happy hunting days they left to bleach on the plains. By various signs I talked to an old Indian whose photograph now adorns a wall in the ethnological room of the geological museum of the glorious days of the buffalo hunt could one have photographed the various expressions of this aged buck's face and the beautiful way he illustrated by signs and gestures the buffalo chase, and later the total extinction of this noble monarch of the plains it would have been a picture indeed. We had completed our arrangements and pro- posed leaving the following morning, June 6th. Our horses, eight in number, two heavy waggons, one buggy, and one buck-board were all arranged round our tents. It was late when we left our camp fires and tumbled in for the night. At 6 o'clock next morning Thompson one of Daw- son's men reported that three of our horses were missing. We had been warned by the mounted police that Indians were stealing horses in all directions. This made us anxious and men were at once sent in various directions to look them up. It was dusk in the evening when my man Haultain returned with our horses, 148 AMONG THE EOCKS. which he said he found among a number of Indian ponies miles away. Dr. Dawson had brought with him a branding iron, a broad arrow, the government brand mark, and each horse was at once branded. A sharp look out was kept during the night and the following morning after an early breakfast and a good-by to our friends of Maple Creek we started on our journey towards the Cypress Hills. Our mode of pro- cedure was : Dr. Dawson and his assistant, Tyr- rell, in a buggy, Johnson on horse back, who chose the best road for our waggons, then followed their supply waggons. Next came my equip- ment waggon, and my son with a buck-board, and lastly myself on horseback. In five days we had reached and crossed a portion of the Cypress Hill and were camped in a valley about 150 miles from Fort McLeod. The discovery this year, 1883, by Mr. R. G. Mc- Connell of the Geological Survey, and later by myself, of mammalian and other fossil remains, had rendered the Cypress Hills' district a most interesting localities for the geologist and osteo- logist. But I shall speak of the rocks and fossils of the hills and valleys of the Cypress Hills in my notes of next summer's travels. The 12th of June found us in the vicinity of Pagon Creek on the Fort Walsh trail. Here we gathered as many mushrooms as we wanted. The scenery here is very fine. By compass we had 149 REMINISCENCES travelled over hills and through valleys where we had found both wood and water, but now we are about to journey for a few days through a district where wood is more scarce than the "Prairie dog," Spermopoilus Ludovicianus, and our men are filling every available space in the waggons with food for our camp stoves. As we travel these plains I can't help thinking of the time not many years ago when vast herds of buffalo followed each other, in single file, along the narrow trails we so often cross, which if we follow, we will surely come to water. Then the Indian was perfectly inde- pendent of the white man, for the buffalo fur- nished him his clothing, his tents to live in, and meat to eat. But all is changed now, bark and dirty rags form their wigwams, and those who will not remain on the reserves, furnished them by government, must eke out a living as best they can. The small cash treaty annuities (which I think average from $3 to $25 according to age and rank)is frequently spent the day it is received, generally on a few luxuries for the buck, not for his wife and children. While passing through the beautiful valleys of the Cypress Hills, and over the Sweet Grass Hills, we followed the advice of the Mounted Police and kept a sharp look out for Indian or other horse thieves, by having our men take turns in mounting guard during the night. The horses 150 AMONG THE ROCKS. were picketed near our camps and each man, well armed, took a two hours' watch. Many mishaps incidental to travelling the prairies were met with a break down while crossing a soft -bottom stream, an axle-tree broken, through a wheel dumping in a badger hole and so on. But the beautiful scenery and the impor- tant geological facts gleaned as we went along amply repaid us for the cares of the day, and at night when safely housed in our tents with the spoils of our journey consisting sometimes of Indian skulls, fossils, &c., new food for the osteologist and palaeontologist, we felt that we had done some little for our " Queen and country ". The chief incidents of interest during the next few days were the discoveries of small seams of coal (lignite) ; rocks with beds of fossil oyster shells, small herds of antelope ; water which when sep- arated from thousands of small red insects by straining through a handkerchief, was not so bad, no wood and a scarcity of buffalo chips (dung) for our camp stoves, a constant look out for red- skin horse thieves, and many other things which tended to impress this section of the Territories on one's memory. Passing through Verdigris Coulee and along the margin of Suds Lake we arrived at Milk River Ridge in the vicinity of which a remark- able fossil fauna was found. It is probable that fifty different species were obtained from a patch 151 KEMINISCENCES of rocks a couple of yards square. We named this spot Fossil Coulee. It can be found in Daw- son's map of this district. This unique collection together with all specimens obtained during our long journey from Maple Creek, now lies at the bottom of Lake Superior owing to the sinking of the ship Glenfinlas. It is fourteen years since this occurred, but I still mourn the loss of these hard-earned specimens which were shipped by bull-team from Fort McLeod to Maple Creek. From the top of Milk Ridge we got our first view of the Rocky Mountains. On the 25th, of June we struck the Benton trail and saw one of the interesting sights of prairie travel, a train of twelve great schooner waggons divided into four sections, each section having six teams of mules It is worth a long ride to see one of these cara- vans cross a soft-bottom stream, especially if any of the harness breaks and the mules get mixed up then one hears language which well I cer- tainly should not like to have a member of the fair sex with me at that time. The mule driver is swift in overcoming difficulties, but though his poor dumb companions may strain every nerve to straighten things out again, they never go unpunished for any mishap that may occur, and at such a time it is well for the tenderfoot not to interfere. Passing Ed. Mahan's coulee we camped for the night at tifteen mile lake, within a short distance 152 AMONG THE ROCKS. of a small encampment of Blood Indians who were not long in paying us a friendly visit, shaking hands all round and saying " How " We presented each with a slice of pork and while Dr. Dawson was fixing his camera to get one of his historical pictures I presented each one with half a plug of black tobacco, but at the words " all right, steady," from Dawson, off they went mak- ing a bee-line for their wigwams. June 27th, we reached Belly Valley through which the swift and often turbid Belly River courses. To our right are drift deposits forming high steep bluffs under which are extensive beds of coal which were being worked. The opposite side of the river is Coal Banks, so named from the coal deposits. The river here is said to be 437 feet wide ; the prairie level 300 feet above the stream, and the scarped banks which pre- sent beautiful sections of these stratified rocks 200 feet high. The rocks of the Coal Bank dis- trict belong to that portion of the Cretaceous formation known as Pierre shales, Belly River series, &c., some portions of which are almost destitute of fossils, while other beds are exceed- ingly prolific in organic remains. After days of travel over woodless plains, it is exceedingly pleasant to strike a verdant spot like Belly Valley where wood is plenti- ful and the blossoms of the thousands of wild roses perfume the air but, tread carefully, 153 REMINISCENCES for the deadly rattlesnake lurks among the plants. One would have liked to linger many days in this charming spot, but having secured some baking powder, a few other luxuries, and two or three good photographs, we crossed the stream on the Coal Banks ferry for which service we paid $4.75. The following morning we left Coal Banks, climbed the steep hill and were again on the prairie level ; continuing our journey we passed Rye Grass flat, of which I shall speak later on, and camped for the night on the banks of the Old Man River where a large number of Indians had pitched their tepees, and appeared to be holding a pow-wow. The following morning, after a journey of eight miles over an excellent trail, we arrived at Fort McLeod, one of the important trading posts of the Alberta district. Here all our precious rocks and fossils which I have already stated now lie at the bottom of Lake Superior were repacked and left with J. G. Baker & Co. for shipment by the first bull or mule train which left for Maple Creek. Lieut. Gov. Dewdney arrived at this time and was given a good reception by the few white men of the village and a dozen or so of Indian bucks who came from well I don't know where, but I do know that among them seated astride 154 AMONG THE ROCKS, on an Indian pony was a fair(?) daughter of the plains who cast sheep's eyes at our worthy Lieut. Governor. " Nothing venture, nothing have " was quoted by one of our men. How shall I describe this place where dirt pre- vaileth and righteousness enter eth not within her gates well perhaps it is better to leave that to a more prolific pen than mine. Sunday, July 1st, and the two following days we had a busy time getting horses shod, waggons mended, laying in provisions, &e., preparatory to our journey to Kootenay Lake, about 150 miles west. So far Dr. Dawson and his assistant Mr. J. B. Tyrrell, had been our guides and companions, but on July 3rd, they left us and started across the plains in an opposite direction to the one we had to take. Any one who has travelled with Dr. G. M. Dawson will I feel sure look back with pleasure to their journey with that most courteous gentle- man whose faculty for overcoming difficulties, and great knowledge, has won him the high position of Director of the Geological Survey of Canada. We watched the doctor's outfit till it was lost in the distance and a few hours afterwards the " Weston outfit " was heading for the Rocky Mountains. It consisted of one heavy waggon drawn by two fine strong chestnut horses 155 REMINISCENCES " Baby, and Dick ;" a buck-board with a yellow horse, " Buck," and my saddle-horse " Pink eye." Haultain our driver and my son G. H. West/on, camp equipment &c., for a journey of six or eight hundred miles over the plains. As on these journeys one's life often depends on one's horses, it is not surprising that they are well looked after and that their various peculiarities are noted. Continuing our journey, sometimes by trail and sometimes by compass, we reached Pincher Creek, an important fossil locality, July 9th. After leaving Fort McLeod, we journeyed over hills and through valleys, forded rivers and creeks. The high cut banks of the rivers in this locality often render it necessary to travel long distances before a crossing can be found, and then to cross these swift streams required a steady head. On one occasion Haultain had got his waggon safely over a broad swift river, and my assistant George on his buck -board was anxiously watching Buck's legs to see if they moved, but turning for a second to see how I was getting along, and seeing that my horse was turning round, shouted,