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ELLS GRAHAM ISLAND 2

These outcrops help to fix the western limit of the formation, since the rocks
bordering the inlet on the west are apparently all of igneous origin.

The rocks of the Skidegate shore were described in 1872 by Mr.
James Richardson, when he visited the Cowgitz mine on behalf of the
Geological Survey, and later (1878) by Dr. G. M. Dawson. Large eol-
lections of fossils were made by both parties, and were supplemented
(1895-97) by Dr. C. F. Neweomb. These collections were examined by
Dr. J. F. Whiteaves, and the results of his work were published in several
bulletins on ‘‘ Mesozoic Fossils’’ from 1876 to 1900.

At Skidegate village, there is a large area of igneous rocks compris-
ing diabase, felsite, agglomerate, ete., which have been described by Dr.
G. M. Dawson as older than the Cretaceous. These rocks extend from
the point northeast of the Indian village as far west as the point beyond
the oil-works at the post-office, a distance along the shore of about
three miles. These are probably the oldest rocks on the island, unless
we except certain small areas of sandstones, shale and limestone which
occur on several islands in Skidegate harbour, and also near the west
entrance of Skidegate channel. These may be of Triassic age.

The structure of the sandstone, shale and conglomerate, which are
the rocks of the Cretaceous formation along the coast west of the oil-
works point, is quite simple. These rocks lie in the form of two syn-
clines, separated near the mouth of the Honna river by a low anticline
which extends from the shore northwest up the valley of that stream.
The lower beds which rest on the igneous rocks on the east side of this
basin are somewhat coarse sandstones with interstratified beds of shale,
generally greyish, but sometimes blackish-grey. The sandy beds con-
tain scattered pebbles of igneous rocks, sometimes of large size, mostly
of a fine-grained diabase. The dip of the sediments for several miles
is about S. 30° W. < 20” 30°. Ribbed shells (Inoceramus) are found in
some of the beds, and the lists of fossils collected at different times
will be found in Mesozoic Fossils, vol. I, pt. IV, 1900, pp. 305-7, by
Dr. J. F. Whiteaves. Owing to the general strike of the beds in the
eastern part of the shore section almost directly across the beach, and
the unequal weathering of the shales and hard beds, this part of the
shore is somewhat rough; but going west the sandy beds gradually
decrease, and shales with occasional bands of ochreous dolomite come
in and extend beyond the mouth of the Honna river. The dip of
these beds, for a mile or more west of Maple island, is west, or varies
a few degrees to the north or south, at angles of five to ten degrees.
Approaching the small point one-fourth of a mile east of the Honna
the dip gradually inclines to the north, and at one place is N. 10° E. < 7°

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