84

those previously described as occurring in the vicinity of Victoria,
on the south-eastern extremity of Vancouver Island.

Ten miles north of Cape Ball the last exposures of the clayey
beds forming the lower part of the section were observed. The
clay is here very hard, and in some places distinctly bedded,
with occasional gravelly layers, but these are not nearly so prom-
inent as in the last described localities. No shells were found,
but fragments of wood partly converted to lignite—but still
quite distinct in appearance from the more highly altered wood
found in the underlying Tertiary formation—were noticed in
several places. The junction with the overlying sands is gener-
ally sharp, and forms as before in many places an undulating
plane. The sands are in thin and regular layers of pale yellowish
colours, with some beds of well rounded gravel. In consequence
of the undulating upper surface of the clays, these rise consider-
ably higher above the water level in some places than in others,
and where the hard clays are most largely developed, the more
prominent points of the coast are found. Above both the clays
and sands banks of wind-blown sand are occasionally seen in
section.

In the narrow sound leading to the wide southern expansion
of Masset inlet, eleven miles above Masset, at the mouth of a
small stream called Watoon, are some interesting exposures
probably referable to the upper part of the clay beds, or to the
sands overlying them. The bank here rises about eight feet
above high-water mark, its upper half being composed of regu-
larly bedded coarse sands and fine gravels of general yellowish
colour. Below this, and usually meeting it at a pretty well
defined line, is a hard bluish-grey sandy clay, thickly packed
with rounded pebbles, generally about the size of walnuts, but
in some instances having a diameter of several inches. One
small fragment of Tertiary lignite was also observed. This lower
part is filled with marine shells, but all the specimens are tender
and being imbedded in a hard matrix, difficult to preserve entire.
Several inches of the upper part of the shell-bearing layer has
been so affected by atmospheric waters, that the shells have been
completely removed leaving hollow casts. This part of the bed
has also been changed to a yellowish colour.