)
i
j

22 8B GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA

south from Rose point on the east side for several miles, and,
With the exception of the clay outcrops already noted near Lawn
hill and Cape Ball, the sandy character predominates. Between these
two places, there are great quantities of boulders which extend seaward
for some distance and have to be guarded against in boat navigation at
low water. At the high-water harbour of Cape Fife, where a shelter
for boats is formed by a projecting gravel bar, which extends north-
ward parallel to tke coast for several hundred yards, the banks are
stratified sand and gravel which overlie clays containing layers of pebbles
and, in places, shell beds, to a height of ten feet above high-water mark. A
small lake close to the shore at this place is partly surrounded by a strat-
um of peat which overlies the sand and gravel. :

This portion of the coast has assumed some importance in recent years
owing to the presence of gold-bearing black sands that extend southward
from the vicinity of Cape Fife. They were traced in this direction nearly
to Lawn hill. During the past season (1905) a number of mining claims
were taken up along the shore near the former place, and it is proposed to
erect a washing plant for the extraction of the gold. The original source
of the metal is unknown, but the present accumulation of the black and
ruby sands is evidently due to the destruction of the sand banks along the
shore and not from any rocks in place. The thickness of the sands, so
far as could be ascertained, did not appear to be great.

Rose point, which terminates seaward in Rose spit, is one of the most
dangerous places, as regards navigation, on the whole island. The sand
dunes on the former extend northward for some miles and form a long
area of shallows upon which, in any but a south wind, tremendous seas oc-
cur. There are occasional gaps in the sand of the spit, through which
boats can pass at certain stages of the tide in calm weather, but at other
times boats and canoes rarely make the attempt and much delay is often
experienced before a safe passage can be effected. During our trip round
this point we were delayed for ten days in the high-water harbour at Tow
hill owing to the impossibility of launching a boat in the surf that broke
all along the shore, and many lives have been lost in the attempt to round
the spit, or through being caught in heavy weather on this part of the
coast.

Indications of ice movement were observed at only one place around the
island. On the shore two miles west of Skidegate post-office striz were
seen having a direction of N. 40° E. or in the line of Skidegate channel,
the result probably of local ice movement from the high hills to the west.