Page:A sketch of the physical structure of Australia.djvu/78

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it appears certain that the tertiary sands and limestones extend northward from Swan River along the coast at least as far as Sharks Bay, and it appears equally certain that the hilly granitic and metamorphic country runs behind it for a great part at least of that distance.

From some recent explorations by the Messrs. Gregory and Lieut. Helpman, an account of which was sent about two years ago to the Geographical Society, we get some interesting information with regard to the country in about lat. 29°. From this it appears that much of the rock about Moresby's flat-topped range, Victoria Range, and Herschel Range is granitic, and on the coast both north and south of Champion Bay granite, and granite capped by sandstone and sandy limestone are mentioned, and it is almost certain that this sandy limestone is the same as that of Swan River. On the banks of the Irwin River, at a spot in lat. 28° 47', long. 115° 30', coal was found. Here it is said " two formations were visible, a lower mass of shales and sandstones dipping east,[1] and above in the cliffy sides of the valley red sandstone horizontally stratified." The coal had one bed, five feet, and another six feet in thickness. Some fossils from this locality were sent to the Geological Society,

  1. In a paper by Dr. Von Sommer on this locality, published in Journal of Geological Society, vol. v. p. 51, the dip is said to be W.N.W. at 72°. This would seem to be the more probable dip, but the remainder of his observations are little to be depended on.