Observations on the Geology of Southern New Brunswick, Made During the Summer of 1864

A*SS'^A*SSS*A**^ AS s+S+Jfr <f»AV AAAS AO OBSERVATIONS ' QUEEN'S y>m GEOLOGY OP SOUTHERN R1W BRUNSWICK, ADE PRINCIPALLY DURING THE SUMMER OF 1S64 BY PROF. L. W. BAI'LEY, MESSRS. GEO. F. MATTHEW AND C. F. HARTT, PREPARED AND ARRANGED, WITH- A GEOLOGICAL MAP, BY L. ¥. BAILEY, A. M. PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, &C. IN THE UNIVERSITY OF NEAV BRUNSWICK, PATRON OF THE BOSTON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, AND CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF- THS NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF MONTREAL. PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. FREDERICTON. G. E. FEXETY, PRINTER TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 1865. i////<///^///^/«/// FRQK ) ptaija! |istorg £oqi<;tg OF BRUNSWICK. m , NEW The EDITF COLLECTl f Queen's L JAL MAP 'HE iNGS QUEENS, AND ALBERT; J& EXTENT OF EACH FORMATION, FROM THE CARBONIFEROUS BASIH TO THE COAST. .W.BAILEY ANO Mr. G. F. MATTH E W, 1804. OBSERVATIONS ON THE GEOLOGY Off SOUTHERN NIW BRUNSWICK, MADE PRINCIPALLY DURING THE SUMMER OF 1864 BY PROF. L. W. BAILEY MESSRS. GEO. F. MATTHEW AND C. F. HARTT, PREPARED AND ARRANGED, WITH A GEOLOGICAL MAP, BY L. W. BAILEY, A.M. PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, &C. IN THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK, PATRON OF THE BOSTON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, AND CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF MONTREAL. PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. FREDERICTOtf. G. E. FENETY, PRINTER TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY, fsoto - Bi V : I. diversity of New Brunswick, Frcderlctoii, February, 1865. Sir, I have the honor to transmit herewith, to be laid before His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and the Legislature, a Report of Observations on the Geology of Southern New Brunswick, made during the Summer of 1864, 1 have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, L. W. BAILEY, Prof, of Chemistry, &c. in the University of New Brunswick, The Hon. 8. L. Tie Provincial 8c OBSERVATIONS ON THE GEOLOGY OF SOUTHERN NEW BRUNSWICK. INTRODUCTION. The geology of the southern portion of the Province of New Brunswick lias long been wrapped in much obscurity, and many different and discordant opinions have been given with reference to the age and distribution of its rock -formations. The highly metamorphic character of its deposits, and the supposed absence of determinable fossils, together with the difficulties to be overcome in tracing the relationships of different groups, where much of the country is still in a wilderness condition, have all contributed in retarding the acquisition of any accurate knowledge of this interesting district. Within the last few years, however, much further light has been thrown upon the geology of this region. Through the labours of Dr. Dawson of Montreal, Professor Hitchcock of Massachusetts, and other eminent natu- ralists, but largely also through the agency of a few young geologists of Saint John, much of the obscurity which so long prevailed has been removed. Careful observations have been accumulating, and discoveries of great interest have from time to time been made ; and though much yet remains to be done in working out the history and character of this extensive and intricate district, considerable progress has been accomplished, and many of the groups represented may now be co-ordinated with the corresponding groups of other countries. It has been the object of the Survey, undertaken during the past summer, to collect together the materials thus accumulated, and, taking the facts already known as a basis, to carry on these observations over wider districts. In the pursuit of this object, by far the most interesting and valuable which can at present be undertaken, I have had the cooperation and assistance of those to whom the Province is especially indebted tor the labours which tirst threw a positive light on the age of these obscure groups, Messrs. Geo. F. Matthew, and C. F. Hartt, of Saint John. These gentlemen, during a portion of the summer, have been my travelling companions, and many of the observations hereafter mentioned were made by the one or the other, or by the three conjointly. Mr. Matthew's intimate acquaintance with the varied and puzzling metamorphosed nx'ks of the lower Counties has been of special service, while the professional studies of Mr. Hartt, together with his expe- rience among the allied formations of Nova Scotia, have well adapted him for the study of the organic forms, which many of these rocks contain, INTRODUCTION. Before proceeding to give an explanation of the districts which have been examined during the past season, it will be necessary first to briefly review what has already been published on this subject. The lower portion of JST ew Brunswick, especially including the Counties of Charlotte, King's, Saint John, and Albert, has been long known to be composed of rocks chiefly of a metamorphic character, extending, somewhat irregularly, from the western boundary of the Province eastward as far as Shepody Mountain, in the County of Albert, where they were known to gra- dually disappear under deposits of carboniferous age. These metamorphic rocks, though extensively altered, were early recognized as being in large part sedimentary, being composed, as usual, of sandstones, conglomerates, shales, and limestones ; but these were found to be so intricate in structure, and so much confused by the occurrence of beds of volcanic origin, that little if any attempt was made to separate them into groups, or to determine their relative age and distribution. By Dr. Gesner, who first undertook a systematic survey of the Province, but at a time when the ideas entertained of geological phenomena were much more vague than at present, the general character of the district to be described was recognized, and a division made into several groups. To the westward of the Saint John River, and in the County of Charlotte, the existence of a broad belt of granitic rocks, extending from the neighbourhood of Saint Stephen to the Saint John River, was pointed out, as was also the occurrence of another district southward of the above, and consisting principally of syenite and trap. The latter band of rocks was stated to be con- tinuous across the Peninsula of Kingston, and to constitute the broken tract of country eastward of the Saint John, in the neighbourhood of Loch Lo- mond, and thence to Shepody Mountain. South of the above, and stretching across the entrance of the Saint John, another group of rocks, classed as Silurian, and consisting of syenite, slate, and trap, with large beds of altered limestone, was pointed out, and stated to extend eastwardly into the County of Albert. The syenite was described as forming an anticlinal, against the slopes of which reposed the rocks of sedimentary origin. The limestones of the group, though well developed at the outlet of the Saint John, were found to be comparativel}7 local, not extending to the eastward beyond the Hammond River. To the west, however, limestones, referred to the same group, were found at several points in the County of Charlotte. The slates and "greywacke" of this system, on the eastern side of the Saint John, which were described as containing the remains of plants and mollusks, were stated to be of wider distribution, running parallel to, and leaning upon the "primary" rocks through their whole extent. Yet another group of altered rocks, consisting of micaceous, chloritic and talcose slates, with sandstones, conglomerates- and trap beds, and largely developed in the neighbourhood of Mispeck and Black River, was pointed out, and from the evidence of apparent unconformability and the absence of INTRODUCTION. fossils, was pronounced to be of earlier origin than the group already referred to as Silurian, and, like the syenite in the interior, was denominated "primary." It will hereftftet be seen that these rocks are really newer than any of the groups above described. ^ Upon the western side of the Saint John, the relations of the several groups were less clearly distinguished, and the geology of that portion of the Province has always been in great confusion. The great alteration of the deposits represented, the abundance and variety of volcanic beds, and the disconnected nature of the observations made, have all contributed to this result. Besides the band of granite above alluded to, however, the existence of a wide spread series of micaceous slates, frequently associated with trap- pean beds, was recognized, and was found to occupy a considerable area in the western portion of the Province, extending along both flanks of the anticlinal* o-ranitie axis, and thence bending northward and eastward to meet another and yet more extensive granitic range, occupying a wide belt of country, and stretching from the Cheputneticook Lakes completely across the Province. These rocks were classed as the Cambrian system. In the triangular space thus left, extending over an immense area, and widening from its western limit, the Oromocto Lakes, was placed the great coal field of the Province, separated however from the Cambrian system by a bed of sandstones, of variable thickness and occasional beds of limestone. The age of the limestone was rightly referred to the base of the Carbon- iferous system. The sandstones, surrounding the coal measures, and along its northern and southwestern sides consisting of but a narrow belt, were found to widen greatly to the southeast, occupying an extended area in King's and West- morland, stretching indeed from the Ivennebeccasis and the Belleisle, eastward beyond Moncton. Southward of the latter place and along a space of considerable width, extending through the central portion of Albert into the Parish of Sussex, other sandstones were pointed out and referred to the true Coal Measures.

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