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Lea diagrammes suivants illuatrent la m^thodo. 1 2 3 4 5 6 • ^ : K ' -l; H f ' < , - r • ff ' f \ , -^ ^. / 4 , » • > t * t B^^^^l ■ L« ^;- . -- "\ * »i • < , f '•,'• ' ^^^^H ■ ■i 1 . 4 \ ' 1 * • 1 » ■ /, ' ^^^1 ■ 1 1 ■ • t • ^^ ^ • » . , ■J .-■4 ■ ''--i. ^E ■ ■ • • / /' % 4 i I'j ■ • • « , 1 • ■ ■.'■', ^^^1^1 I • , ■ . k y • ^ M «i ■ *-3 ^^^^^^^^H « ^ ' ' . - « *^ > , , >> * . ■ i ■■( i £. • ' i l'^ ti » \ » * ^ ,, . h » k - t "^ P ■ DESCRIPTION OF THE MINERALS OF THB LAUIjENTI/N FOfATIOl^ OF CANADA. QuARTZ.-^Quartz is the most common of all the materials ot which rocks consist; it is one of the hardest minerals: does not melt m the hottest fire ; is affected, but not dissolved, in the acids. A piece of quartz will write easily on glass. Tt is dis- tinguished from any other mineral it resembles by breaking like glass as easily in one direction as another. It is of various colors, but mostly white, or some light shade of yellow, red or brown C^uartz is often found in six-sided colorless crystals. Sometimes one end of these crystals is attached to a surface of rock, formino- brilliant groups. Purple-colored quartz crystals are the amethyst ot jewellery ; those of light yellow are the false topaz The agate IS another kind of quartz. The material of which quartz is made is called in chemistry Silica. Quartz, when pulverized and mixed with soda, potash, or some other minerals, melts easily and forms a glass. Common glass is made by melting together quartz, sand and soda. Hot water, containing soda or potash in solution, dissolves'^quartz, and deposits it again on its cooling. The water of hot springs often contain siHca, which they nave dissolved along ^with soda and potash ; by deposits trom such solutions fissures in the rock have been filled with quartz and the break mended. Sand and gravel beds have also by these solutions, been cemented into the hardest of rocks Quartz IS very often found in the veins of the Laurentian formv tion ; it also forms mountain masses, and then is called q-artzite. Silicates.— A great number of minerals containing a larae proportion of silica are called silicate. Of this the feldspar, orthoclase, oligoclase, labrodorite, etc, etc., are among the most important. Feldspar has generally a white or flesh-red color • resembles quartz, but is not quite as hard., though hard enough to' caiiea cleavage. Quartz has no cleavace. while feltkr,nr !><,<, cleavage m two directions. Wallastonito Zr.T ;I„ ?-f minerals resembling the spar. "^*"^'''°"'' '"'» seapohte are not sSchTnJ^' i "^'", 'f"^ TS'"^^' *^ "^ »°<^ '^aioate. does let^'S^tfr" i^rte'tZer' t'htfe"^"^ "'^r^'^ ="*^ j^frootXet7'cirnS^Si::t^^ BO dXf cX as to 't^%aSr" '"™"*""' ''"' '^ ^^"^•■''"y -ene^?v°sm3t w " ""'"T*', •■!''.«'"W!''S mica, but the leaves are „.,, ^^''F/TWE.-This mineral is soft enough to be easily cut with a kmfe, and IS generally of a green shade fYt s distShed wCe TtTould tr'r ''°'' ^P''""''"^ g.-oa.y feeling. l^qTar^ ™irifnearvait,^?^ " f"^ '"^'^ ^'""^^ ^""'^ b« of* some vaiue, It near lailway or water communication. It is often used p^^^ ^' """" "^ ?""'■= ^'"'^^-g^' -d man; oriamenW Other ^/*°"? '' * "?""'f^ somewhat resembling serpentine Other soft silicate are gie.seckite, volknerite and loginite . HORKBLEND.— Hornblend is hard enough to scratch »!«,« and somewhat heavier than ordinary rocg^ color W'-S greemsh black rarely white; present in irge quantiie, Tn th! Laurentian and the phosphate band, as a vein stone an llLdl Asbestos, often called cotton stone, i^ a variety Xrnblend- Pyroxene.— Pyroxene is about the same weight and hard ^e'yirh WW t.w"''"'' ,rr%*.-l«« -f green^^ll™ f; pyisn white, brown, or black. It is an mportant rock in th,. Laurentian formation and especially in the phosphate band the latter being almost always foUowed by this mineral, Td itis »T w fir ^ J. 3 Ert\i''(tna!ll ^?f'' '^f !:""' ^''^'^'^ ^'^ ^^y considerable output in (.anada; it does not, however, follow that phosphate m JNorway, are the nchest phosphate mines in the world but in these mines little or no pyroxene is found. ofred''ff^Z^^T^''.J^''l^^'^^'' '^^^^ generally some shade ot red, It IS present in the phosphate bands in bunches of small red crystals disseminated through many strata of gneiss stratJ?nSTlf' ^^"1 ''""^^^^ ^^^^^"8^ most Laurentian siJ^s'; "ist'sfxSd"^^^^^^ "^^"^^^ ' ^'^^ ^^"^^^ ^-^ -1^ ^^- ZlRC.>N often found in the phosphate veins in beautiful W ' t ''y'''^'f ^>^'«^^?^«h red color ; it is used in jewellery .mder the name of hyacmih, but is not very v^aluable. ^ . - ,r i J™^.'~^i^^ Orev.ously described silicates ; crystals of this the crljlk "''^ interspersed through most Laurentian strata ; lttirn;f..r-"^''\r^8| ^^P^^ ^^^ of a peculiar resinou lustie its color 1^. mostly a dark brown, grey or black Wille tT^''si^7«f *'' CWrodite, Tephroite an^d /docrase are Lau en- tian sihcates, and occur a^ crystal through the rocks and in veins. Quart^''nyi''''^r"'^^'i '' ^ ""^"^ ^^'^ ^^^^^^1 ^^d ^-^ill scratch quartz or anything else, except diamond; color grey, brown or black ; sapphire is a variety of corundum and very valuable Z Kuby, red ; Topaz, yellow ; Emerald, green ; Amethyst purple frJvV''^'! ?"'*y.^^ ^^^^^^^^^ and^s extend vely used of c?ay '""^ sharpening tools. Corundum consists chiefly corund™^^*'"^^'''^^ '^ another Laurentian mineral resembling Carbon and CABBONATE.-Carbon is well known as com- mon charcoal; the diamond is crystaUized carbon, and can be burned like charcoal, but it takes a very strong heat to ignite if carbon is present m the air, and in animal and vegetable sub- Snaies ' '"" "^^""^ ""^''''^^' ' ''' ^^^P^unds" a^e caUed 4 Graphite or Plumb A(!^.— Graphite (erroneously called black lead), is, when unmixed, pure carbon ; it is familiar to all as the material from which lead-pencils are made, and as stove- blackmg ; it is one of the commonest of the Laurentian minerals and is found disseminated in most of the rocks ; also, in an impure state in beds ; the most valuable deposits are veins ; it is found m the phosphate band, but only in small (juantities ; the gi-aphite blind underlies the phosphate band, and where one of these two rninerals is found, there is but small hopes of finding the other m any considerable quantity. Calcite or Carbonate op Lime.— Cabite often resembles feldspar, but is cleavable in three directions, and soft enough to be cut with a knife ; coloress crystals sometimes resemble those of quartz, but ai-e distinguished by their softness ; in a rock form It IS the common limestone ; white or grey crystalline limestone ifc one of the most common rocks in the Laurentian formation, but is generally scarce near valuable phosphate deposits; all limestones dissolve with brisk effervesence in cold nitric or hydrocholoric acids. Veins of calcite or calcareous spar some- times carry copper ore. Dolomite.— Dolomite is distinguished from limestone, which it much resembles by not dissolving so readily in acids, except the solution is heated ; it is an impure limestone containing magnesium. Heavy Spar, or Barytes, is a very heavy mineral, generally white and much resembles feldspar in appearance, from which it is, however, easily distinguished, owing to its being heavier and softer ; it is largely used in manufacturing white paint, and was at one time of considerable value, but has lately so much depre- ciated in price that it could hardly be mined with profit ; it is often found in the veins of the Laurentian formation, sometimes carrying lead ore. Fluor Spar, considerably harder and heavier than calcite, but does not scratch glass ; color generally green and sometimes yellow, rarely red ; it is of some value for manufacturing purposes. Phosphate or Phosphate of Lime.— This mineral is never hard enough to scratch glass, and is considerably heavier than limestone i the color is generally sea green or bluish green, % Jl 4 T sometimes violet, blue or white, also yellow, grey, red ard brown ; its colors are uot very bright, and it is often translucent ; the powder of the mineral is always white, no matter what its" color may be ; it is composed of phosphate of lime with iluoride or chloride of lime, or both ; tho presence of fluorine or chlorine is variable ; the one in many cases nearly or wholly replacing tho oth'jr ; in most kinds botli fluorine and chlorine are present. The following is an analysis froni tho principal phosphate countries, taken from Danas' system of mineralogy ; the one from Canada is by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt :— MUROU, Spain. Phosphate of Lime. ..92.066 Chloride of Calcium.. 0.885 Fluoide of Lime 7 . o-i9 AnXTDAL. Norway. 92.189 .801 7.01U tSUAUMKK. Norway. 91.13 4.28 4.59 Bdbukb. Canada. 91.1i0 .78 7.60 Geeinkr. TyroL 92.16 traceH. 7.79 Apatite was named by Werner, a German mineralogist, from a Greek word meaning to deceive ; older mineralogists having referred it to ditierent other species. It is distinguished from other minerals by its crystals always being six sided, and is never hard enough to scratch glass, nor does it etfer/esce when heated with acids ; but, if powdered and heated in nitric or hy- drochioj;ic acids, it dissolves readily without effervescence ; if a small quantity of sulphuric acid or ammonii is poured into the solution, a white precipitate is formed ; the nitric acid solution also gives a white precipitate, with acit-ate of lead -^ these tests can be performed by anyone. The acids, acitate of lead or am- monia can be had at any drug-store, also test tubes, in which to perform the operation ; chemicals, enough to prrform a hundred tests with, say, half a dozen test tubes, can be procured at no greater outlay than one dollar. The nitric acid should be » iittle mixed with water. The following is the process :— Take about a thimble full of acid in a test tube, add'about as much of the finely powdered mineral as will lay on the point of a penknife, hold the test tube over the flame of a candle and let the acid boil for a few minutes ; should the mineral be pure phosphate, the result will be that it will all dissolve, any residue is impurity ; after the solution, cools pour in sulphuric acid or ammonia slowly, and it will sometimes be found necessary to stir the solution ; if it contains phosphate it will turn milk-white, and if the tube is left standing some time a white precipitate will be formed ; those who have the opportunity, should try the experiment with a known specimen of phosphate first, and they will afterwards have no difficulty of recognining the re-action ol tlie minemi. i;hosi)hate IS one ot the most abundant niineiaJH in tlie Lauieu- tian vein stones, of whicii it often constitute^ the entire mass • It then appears a.s a crystalline rock of uneven fracture ana sea green color, passmg into gi-eyish or redisl;, sometimes intermixed with scales ot black mica; in some instances, it forms a coarse crystalline mass, in which distinct prisms of apatite are observed penetrating the conlusod crystalline mass of the same mineral, which has apparently been deposited lound them: it is most trequently associated with pyioxene a-id mi<«a; also, calcite. generally ot a pink color, hornblend, granite, and nearly all specie.^ contained in the Laurentian strata ; the most characteristic are however pyroxene, cahjite anc'. mica. In most of the rich de- posits, tlie pyroxene prevails largely, calcite and mica: being present m very small quantit'es ; tiie pyroxene geueraily occupied the sides the veins , the phosphate, which is often intermixed with small pieces ot calcite and a few scales of mica, tills the central part. The apatite seldom forms a continuous belt of anv considerable exj.ent, but is cut otf by pyroxene ; many rich veins are niled with alternating iriegular masses of apatite and pyroxene ; some cf these masses of apatite are very large m a tew instances tive or six hundr . tons have been found in a body • these deposits otten terminate abruptly, but are generally con- nected by strings. In a gi-eat number of veins, they are, however entirely separated by the pyroxene vein .tone, in which they are imbedded ; but, in most of these cases, a crack or joint in the pyroxene will lead to the next mass of phosphate ; this in-egu- lanty wiU be better explained farthc r on PART II. KOOKS OF THE LaURENTIAN FORMATION. Granites.— Granite is one of the crystalline rocks, and is a mixture of quartz, feldspar and mica; it is a hard and compact rock ot red color, and is a valuable building stone. 1 J. .^NEiss.--Gneiss consists of the same material as m-anite but is divided into beds or layers of more or less thickness or regularity It is sometimes difficult to say if a rock should be considered gneiss or granite, as there are all grades from genuine -s* % granite to gnei-s ; when other minerals than quartz, mica, or fel.i- spaj- are present in gneiss, it is often named after these minerals as tor mstance, when pyroxene or garnet are one of the consti- tuents : p3'ro::enic gneiss, or garnetifrrous gneiss. So also rocks resembhng granite in structure are said to he granitoid • for example, some pyi-oxenic rocks are called granitoid pyroxene. Mica RnnsT and Mica Slate.— When mica is the pre- dominatmg mineral in gneiss, it is called micaous gneiss, or if in thin beds, mica schist, or mica slate. SiKNiTE.— This rock much re«pmble.^ gianite in hardness and color; it consists of nearly the me ii.inerals, the mica in granite being replaced in syenife ;>y hcrnbl end ; while granite consists of quartz, feldspar and mica, syenite is a mixture of quartz, leldspai and hornblend. "^he SJotch, and many of the so-called statuary granites, are reall}- syenites. Syenite Gneiss. -Gneiss consisting of the same material ^ syenite, is called syenite gneiss ; or if hornblend predominates, hornblend, gneiss, schist, or slate. Trap.— This mineral has come to the surface in a molten state^ It has flowed through fissures in the rocks, and has often overflowed the surrounding country r the part filling the fissure IS called a dyke; it is a hard, tough, close-gi-ained rock, of u rk color, and more or Ie«s crystalline. Sometimes it forms a mass o^ prisms Trap dykes are of frequent occurrence in the Laurentian distncts. PART III. Metallic Ores. The majority of metallic ores can be distinguished from most other minerals hy their metallic lustre; most of them are also very heavy, and as a rule not hard. Magnatitr— An iron ore of black color ; it contains 70 per cent, of iron, and is vevy heavy. It is known by being attract- able by the magnetic. This very important ore is found in large quantities through the Laurentian formation of Canada : valuable deposits are generally beds. 8 Hematite —A steel grey ore of iron, often also of a red color, the powder always being red; red ohre is an earthen hema- tite ; It contains, when pure, abo-it 70 per cent, of iron. Iron PYRITES.-Cubic pyrites is of frequent occurrence in the Laurentian range, sometimes in crystals imbedded in other minerals, and, other times filling considerable portions of the veins, associated with apatite, pyroxene or mica ; it is of a brass color, worthless as an iron ore, but of some value for the manu- lacture of sulphuric acid, if found near a railway or navigation It occasionally contains nickel and cobalt. Magnetic Pyrites resemble the cubic pyrites, but is attract- able by the magnet and softer. Copper Pyrites.— This very important copper ore resembles magnetic pynf es, but is not magnetic ; it occurs often in the Laurentian veins often associated with calcite, sometimes with iron pyrites, contains, when pure, 34 per cent, of copper. Mispickel.— Mispickel, or arsenical pyrites, is of silver white color, hard enough to scratch glass, and extraordinarily heavy; it has been found in several places, through the Lauren- tian range but sc far only in small quantities, contains about 40 per cent, of arsenic. ^ ANTIMONY.-Sulphuret of antimony is a soft but hea^y mineral, of a lead grey color, but tarnishes black; can be cut in slices with a kmfe, and is easily melted ; contains 70 per cent of antimony ; has been found in small quantities in Canada. • ^.^I^YT^^^ENITE.— Molybdenite, or salphuret of molybdenum IS a soft and heavy mineral of a lead grey color ; it much resem- bles plumbago but is decomposed by nitric acid while plumbago IS insoluble. It is a valuable mineral mostly found in quartz veins, I y^ 1 J ^ALLNA.— One of the most valuable of minerals. All the lead and a large portion of the silver of commerce are obtained from this ore; it is soft, lead grey in color, very heavy, and contains over 8G per cent, of lead ; can be melted in a common torge with charcoal ; found with quartz, feldspar and pyrites in the Laurentian veins. •«* t ■^f PART IV. Geology. Gholoqt derives its name from the Greek, ye the earth and logos a discourse. It is a science of the greatest importance to the miner, especially to the Canadian phosphate miner. Engaged in what may be called a new enterprise, he cannot learn as much from the experience of others, as he could, if engaged in the mining of other minerals, but must, observe for himself, and note the facts which, are likely to help him in explaining the nature of the phosphate deposits, and thus enable him to decide which deposits are valuable and which are worthless. Wit' .out some knowledge of geology, he is poorly qualified to make these ob- servations. We will, therefore, for the benefit of those who have not had the advantage of a liberal education, endeavor to explain a few of the leading facts necessary to become familiar with. All are aware that the solid parts of the earth consists of distin(;t substances, such as clay, chalk, sand, limestone, coal, slate, these, with a number of other substances, forms what is called the crust of the earth, or that part of our globe which is open to our observation ; this is. of course, but a small part of the earth. Many would think only the surface, but the geologist is often, by reasoning from what he can observe, able to predict what will be found at great depth. This is plainly proved in digging artesian wells, water being invariably found as predicted by them. The rocks, forming this crust, are arranged in a certain order, and it is found convenient to divide them into four great classes, viz. : 1st. Aqueous rocks ; 2pd. Volcanic rocks ; 3rd. Plutonic rocks ; and 4th, Metamorphic rocks. With reference to the different circumstances and causes by which they were produced. Aqueous "Rocks. — These rocks are also called sedimentary or fossiliferous. and cover a greater part of the earth's surface than any other ; they are stratified or divided into distinct layers ; the term strata means a bed or anything spread out. It is plain, judging from the appearance of these strata, that they have been spread out by the action of water ; we see the same thing going on every day at the mouth of rivers, and on river flats during fresheis or high water ; running water is always charged, more or less, with mud or sand, especially if th^ current is strong ; Id where the current stops, as at the, mouth of rivers, or where river, flats are overflo^ved, the mud or sand sinks to the bottom and forms strata or beds. In these beds we find pieces of wood, shells, the teeth and bones of fish, etc., etc. The same are found in the aqueous rocks, ail the difference is, that they are petrified or turned into stone like the sand and mud; these petrified remains of animals and plants are called fossils ; they are of great importance to the geologist and miner ; for example it can be often told with certainty, if a coal deposit is valuable or not, from the fossils found in the coal. Aqueous rocks vary as to the mineral composition, color, grain and hardness, but they are properly classed together as having a common origin ; they are all formed under water as mud and sand banks are at present ; all^ the difference is, that rocks have had time to settle and solidify. Volcanic Rocks.— This division of rocks are such as have been produced near the surface, not by water, but by fire or sub- terraneous heat ; they are not stratified, and carry no fossils ; they consist of different sorts of lava, t.e., a rock that has been ejected in a liquid or molten state by volcanos, and has cooled and soli- dified in the air or under water. We find volcanic rocks in many places where no volcanos exist at the present, frcm this we come to the conclusion, that volcanos have, at some day or other, existed in nearly every couiitry. Plutonic Rocks.— These include all the granites and some other important rocks ; they are supposed to be of igneous origin, but to have been formed under great pressure at a considerable depth in the eai'th ; like the lava, they have been melted and have afterwards cooled and crystallized, but very slowly, and under very different conditions to bodies cooling in the open air ; as a consequence they are more crystalline and more solid than the lavas. It would take too long to explain the long chain of facts and reasonings, by which this theory (the Plutonic theory) is established ; suffice it to say, it is well established by facts and accepted by all geologists. Plutonic rocks have neither stratafication, nor fossils ; they have often pushed through other strata, but rarely, if ever refits on them ; some of the pyroxenes in the Canadian phosphate regions belong to this class. Metamoephic or Stratified Crystalline Rccks.— This groat division of rocks is the crystaiiiue strata and slates, called '*'.'**» '*'.'*>» 11 ^®^^\,"^^ca> schist, clay, slate, etc., etc. They are often as crystalline as granite, yet are divided into beds; the beds are generally an alternation of substances, varying in coinposition, color and thickness, precisely as we see in the aqueous rocks. According to the Huttonian theory, which is universally adopted, these strata were originally deposited by water in the usual form of sediment, but they were afterwards so altered by subterranean heat as to assume a new texture, having been heated to a semi-fluid state, and have afterwards slowly cooled and crystallized in a manner similar to granite. The animal and vegetable remains have mostly been destroyed by the great heat, still the remains of some shells are still found, seme of them in Canada. The Canadian phosphate rocks belong chiefly to the metamorphic rocks. LiMESTONES.—The limestones are deposited in a manne*- diffe- rent to the other sedimentary rocks, and are chiefly made up of animal remains ; they are at present being deposited on a grand scale in our tropical oceans, where coral reefs exist. Where limestones have not been subject to subterranean heat, we f^nd the remains of corals and kindred animals. Limestones exist in most parts of the earth ; thus, it is plain to us that whei-e we how find mountainous countries, or where the eterhal ice of the poles cover the giound, there once existed oceans of tropical temperature, in which coral reefs grew, as they are growing to- ^^da^ in the Indian or Pacific oceans. ■ift « ^ ^y fine grained granite veins. Fine-grained thinly bedded .nicaous gneiss traversed by thread-like veins of quartz are also of frequent occurrence. The limestones are generally white, granular and highly crystalline, in bands seldom measuring twenty feet across, often holding crystals and grains of phosphate, sometimes amounting to twenty per cent, of its volume. Pyroxene occurs in granitoid masses of different sizes and often forms whole mountains ; it has a variety of colors, but is generally of 'orae greenish shade; near the most of the valuable phosphate deposits, it is of a particular dark bluish green color. Crystals and particles of phosphate are nearly always found through it, and the veins, by which it is traversed, are generally filled with crystals of phosphate and mica, with more or less pyroxene as a vein stone. Apatite or Phosphate of Lime of Canada.— The exist- ence of this mineral in Canada has been known for a considerable length of time, say, from the early day, of the geological survey ; mining operations, also to some extent, have been canied on i;i the Rideau regions, but in most cases without any marked success, though this should often be attributed to want of per- severance and ability to conduct the work in an economic manner. On the whole, however, experience does not show favorably for the Rideau district. In the County of Ottawa, a very little was done in minine- until about eighteen months ago, but for the last twelve months 18 a genuine phosphate fever has existed. Hundred of openings have benn made with more or less succe'^M, but they were gt-ne- rally made in places where the prospects of a profit were slim. K» ery farmer in the county, on whose farm there is any rocks, of conrs^> forces on his imagination that ho must have a mine on his lan'l ; the farmers ask prices at, and speculators have been buying lands -, lt()gether at random, often paying considerable -=;ums for worthless locations; the work has, in most casas, been in charge of men, who are not alone entirely void of scientific know- ledge, but who had nof a 'Jay's experience in mining in any of its branches; how sensible business men can expect success when their interests are in charge of men of this class is difficult to understand. Phosphate must have been too much for some of them. Mining is the most difficult branch of engineering, and the mining engineer has the most extensive study of all professional men ; how, tnen, is he to be successfully replaced by men, having neither theoretical nor practical knowledge of the subject ? Where the operations have been conducted by men in pos- session of the nec2ssary knowledge, they have so far proved suc- cessful in the Ottawa district. Cases could be mentioned where large sums have been realized, and a number of persons have, by a trifling outlay, acquired lands that will before long prove very valuable; and even, at the present day, lots of one hundred acres that were purchased for from fifty to one hundred dollars with a royalty, a tew months ago, cannot be purchased under five to ten thousand dollars, and even far higher amounts than these have been paid. Of course, a number of losses have been incurred, but none of any great importance, but this we would mainly attribute to what has already been described as want of experience. Men who have a few hundred dollars to invest, desire to make a fortune in a month or two ; they buy at random a phos- phate location for a large part of their capital, and then " go it blind ;" in some but very few cases has success been met with, and they are owing to good luck more than judgment. Consi- derable capital is required in this as well as any other sort of mining to start with, although, in some instances, it may not be li 19 required, as, in many cases, not only expenses have >)een pMd, but a profit has been made from the day work commences ; never- theless, it should be considered imprudent, as it is in all mining, to undertake work without a liberal margin to enable preservance, should success not be met with as soon as expected. We have no doubt but that many places that have been abandoned for the want of funds will prove very valuable, ani in most worth- less locations there never existed indications warranting any con- siderable expenditure. The experience gained from the work done in the County of Ottawa goes far to prove that phosphate exists in inexhaustible quantities, and that it will soon become one of the staple produc- tions of Canada. At McLaurin «Sc Co.'s mine, in Templeton town- ship, over ten thousand tons of mineral has been taken out in less than a year, without going more than hwenty feet below the surface; a profit of not less than twelve dollars per ton mus' have been realized on this ; it is stated that the Ic cation with some land attached has lately been disposed of for forty-five thousand dollars to English capitalists. Mr. McLaurin is at present said to be working a mine even more promising than the one sold. At Mr. Main's mine, in township of Hull, six to eight men have been employed for about ten moniLj ; the production has been about one hundred tons per monih, the profits for the amount invested here must be large, owing to the short distance the mineral has to be drawn. Mr. Walter Brown, now of Buckingham, who may be con- sidered one of the pioneer phosphate men, has been remarkably successful in purchasing and selling lands ; his former experience having stood well to him, and euableu him to secure rich loca- tions. In some of the deposits discovered on the land owned by him, the production averaged one hundred tons per month, and where only two men were employed. There are many other individuals and a few companies doing a. prosperous and largely paying business, whose liauius aic tor numeivus to mention, but we might state that the iiuckin^ham 20 Mining Compariy, formed principally of Montreal gentleman, is considered one of the bonanzas of the country. Shipments this year will aggregate about seven thousand tons from the County ot Ottawa. I'he fact we consider signi- ficant. It should bo i-emembered that the so-called mines, with one exception, are surface digging, and the «~aly machinery used a common derrick ; many ot them have not even got this com- modity, but the minerals and rocks are carried out of the holes by hand. In nearly aU cases where water accumulates it is dipped out with pails. PHOSPH.\TE IN NORWAY. Norway is a country which, in geological and mineralogical character, very much resembles Canada. In that country phos- phate has been mined t'. considerable extent for the last twenty- tive or thirty years, as at Kva^yero, Skuttorud, etc., etc., and during the last six years the business has increased to something enor- mous, in some of the n.^neK the yield exceeding one thousand tons per month. In 1872, the Odegaarden mine was discovered, and many more have since been found in the same district, which seems to be the richest yet discovered. The phosphate occurs in a manner quite difterent to most Canadian locations ; the immediate vicinity of the vein is occupied by spotted gabro, a sort of grr.nitoid rock, composed of hornblend and labrodorite ; the veins are mica veins caiTying phosphate enstati'- (p silicate resembling pyroxene in composition but containing mord magnesia), and rutile (a dark-colored very hard and hi .ivj mi. oral), ine veins are not as ii-regular as most Canadian deposits, the mica is black and occupies the sides of the veins, in the richest deposit the quantity being small, merely a lining between the wall rock and the phosphate, which, in some cases, terms a continuous mass for the length of two hundred feet ; the greatest width of pure mineral is of seven or eiglit feet. Sometimes the veins are Med with irregular masses a d crystals of hornblend and phosphate j in some cases, the hornblend is replaced by enstatine, seldom by spotted variety), hornblend, gneiss, granite, ordinary gneiss and ' 21 quartzite Limeatone is not found in the vicinity of valuable deposits, and little or no pyroxen.. Phosphate is not scattered in small pieces and crysUls through the country rock a^ in Ca- nada, but is found in the voitjs oily. It is the opmion of Norwegian geologists that all their phospnate deposits are irruptive veins or dyko.]. Mr W. 0. Brogger and H. H. Reuch, in a report to the ^^io^wegiau Govern- ment, express this opinion ; practical results prove them to be correct. Mr. Dahll, who has had an almos^. hu^-long experience in phosphate mining at Kragero, has come to the same conclusion. Thu gabro is considered in some way connected with the phosphate, and the eruption of the phosphate to liave taken plrce simultaneously with, or immediately after the jruption of the cjabro, before it wab solidified, in some instances the gabro is intersected by a net-work of paying veins. Messrs. Brogger and Keuch ryport the following:—- "The practical result of ex- perience in our phosphate mines is, that we can reasonably expect to lind apatite in gabro. especially if one or more of its charac- teristic associates, as onstatine or rutile, is found ; only deposits in or in the vicinity of gabro have yielded any considerable out-put." Abe our Phosphate Mines Permanent ? This is a question in which much interest is taken at the present. In Norway these mines have proved as permanent as any others, and it is more than probable that the same will be the case in Canada. We have here four classes of deposHs : 1st. Grains an' crystaJi* of the piineral scattered through the diflferent strati oi rocks ; 2nd. Crystals and irregular masses generally of a small size in pockets and crevices, or scattered at random through large masses of granitoid pyroxene ; Srrl various oi/iicr veins filled by infiltration from the surrounding strata- iuxucraiS m 22 4th. Phosphate associated with other minerals in iiTuptive veins or dykes. The first class is not likely ever to prove of any value ; the rocks containing the phospnate could be crushed, and the mineral, being heavier than ordinary rock, washed out. Under this process it would be necessary that 40 per cent, of the mineral should exist in the rock to ensure a protit. No stratitied rock has as yet been as rich as this ; the richest that has come under our obser- vation lias been a band of magnesian limestone, containing about twenty per cent. Uonsiderable work has been done in deposits of this nature, but iiot with the object of crushing the rock; the result has, of course, been unfavorable. Deposits of the second class have proved most disastrous to our miners. It is the general opinion that where the mineral is scattered profusely over several acres of ground, some rich deposit must exist ; this opinion has proved erroneous. It is surprising what a quantity of floating specimens will be thrown otf toy a small crevice or pocket ; a great number of these locations have been tested and have proved failures, and probably always will. Experience tends to snow us that phosphate does not exist in large irregular masses, except as a vein stone, and it is certainly most imprudent to attempt to work this class of deposit. The third class of deposits have often proved very satisfac- tory. It has already been stated that two classes of veins are found in the Laurentian range of Canada, and that many of the valual)le phosphate deposits are found in the second ; aiso, that many of these deposits may be expected to extend dow n to great depth, and to be as rich as at the surface. Norwegian geologists have proved that the phosphate deposits of that country are of Laurentian age, and there is good reason to suppose that the age of Canadian deposits is, at least, equal '^•o that of those in Norway. It is admitted that the earth's surface has been worn down or denuded many thousand feet during com- paratively short geological periods. If, then, our phosphate de- posits are of Laurentian date, they have existed through countless ages, and the denuding action has, in all probability, been as intense in Canada as in other couutries. These facts convey to us the conclusion that the deposits in times past extended to a level thousands of feet higher than the present surface. That 2S the denudation at this time has reached to w^'thin a few feet of the bottom of all these deposits, seems unreasonable to sup- pose. ^ The greatest depth yet reached in any of the mines in Ottawa County IS about one hundred and twentv (120) feet, and only in one case; at that depth the vein is fifteen (15) feet wide, and filled with pure phosphate. The fourth class are irruptive veins or dykes, and are the onlv depo ,its found in Norway. They have there been worked with ^reat success, and some of them have been profitably worked in Canada. In the locations considered, dykes or irrup- tive veins, many, but not all the characteristics of NTorwetrian mines, are present ; that mines, quite similar to those existing in Norway, will be found in Canada, is almost without a doubt. The writer has long wished to examine closely, certain dis- tricts m which he has good reason to think that such will be found. This being the only class found in Norway, explains why failures there have been less frequent than in" Canada. The chances are, however, greatly in favor of the Norwegian miner, he haying not only this class of deposits to deal with, which are most likely to prove valuable, and is not misled by the two worthless classes found in Canada. ^ Mining operations in Norway are always conducted by mining engineers of the highest scientific and practical kno^"- ledge, and the work done by old and experienced hands. Men of this class are, as yet, unknown in Canada. Norwegians are used to mining, and not likely to commence without the neces- sary capital In this country the phosphate miner, in the majority of c«ses, commences with a few hundred dollars, and to this limited amount of capital may be attributed, in many cases their want of success. Notwithstanding this, the production in some of the Canadian locations will compare favorably with thu best results obtained in Norway. At the Odegaarden mine, the production was three thousand two hundred tons during the two first years' work ; the operations were on a large scale, a number of veins worked and the greatest depth reached one hundred and twenty feet. At the McLaren mine, in Templeton township, a thousand 24 tons have been shipped in less than a year, without exca- vating twenty feet below the 8urfao<\ Mr. McLaren, who has himself su pel intended the work, is a mill owner, ard has spent his lifetime in the lumbering business ; his employees are his old mill hands, the average number of them employed being about fifteen. Judging from the amount of work done at Odegaarden mine, the number employed there must have been about fifty. This comparison shows very favorably for Canada, and this success can only be explained by the unparalleled richness of Canadian locaiions. Cases could be multiplied were it neces- sary ; but what has been said must Tif experience be considcied a guide) force the conclusicm that Canada will, before long, be- come one of the greatest, if not the greatest, phosphate producing countries in the world. ^ Explorations. — It is not the intention to say anything on mining proper ; to do so, would swell these few pages into a large volume. Most deposits are covered with clay or dirt ; this should be removed for a considerable space, and the surface of the rock exposed to view ; a careful examination of it should be made, so as to discover, if possible, the nature of the deposit ; too little of this work has been done in nearly all the locations which have come under our obser\ation ; had this been better attended to, a large amount of fruitless expense might have been obviated. It does not cost much to do a considerable amount of strip- ping, and miners should be ^)atient and not spare a few dollars at this. After the stripping has been duly attended to, and the rocks properly examined, it will, in many cases, be possible to determine the nature of the deposit ; if it belongs to the first or second class formerly described, no further work should be done, unless mineral enough u taken to pay expenses ; it is, however, very unlikely that su..'' "ill ever be the case. Large masses «f phosphate embedded in granitoid pyroxene may, possibly, yet be found, but must be very rure, none yet having been observed ; in consequence, it would be considered im- prudent to go to any expense in looking for such deposits. Should anything be found, indicating that the deposit be- longed to Class Nos. 3 or 4, stripping, in the direcoion of fche vein. 25 .. should be continued, and everything closely observed, bearing in mind, and remembering what has been said on dislocations, dykes and mineral veins ; this done, blasting may be resorted to if the plaoe appears promising, but should not be long continued, unless enough mineral is taken out to pay expenses. If, this is not the case, it will be found cheaper to resort to boring ; this opera- tion is very simple, and the tools necessarj'- can be made by any blacksmith, and can be had at a small outlay ; the principal tool is an ordinary drill of two inches in diameter and seven or eight feet long, to the upper end of which is attached a strong swivel, made so as to turn easily, but with a middling close fit. The hole is started in the same manner, as with an ordinary churn drill, but great care must be taken to go down perpendicularly from the commencement, the point of the drill should be nearly square, and of such a size as to make a hole large enough to allow of its turning with perfect ease, and the turning should be well attended to from the beginning, so as to make the hole as nearly circular as possible. When it is about five feet deep, the drill will be too short to wo. k any longer by hand, a ma- nilla rope of an inch diameter is then attached to the swivel (hemp rope will not do), and the drill suspended from the end of a spring-pole, 15 or 20 feet long, the large end of which is firmly secured to the ground in such a position as to leave six or seven feet of rope between the top of the pole and the drill, when the bitt or point is elevated about two feet fr^^m the bottom of the hole. After this, the drilling may be recommenced ; some con- trivance is arranp-ed for two laborers to stand on, who, by depressing the pole, allow the drill to descend to the bottom of the hole, when the strength of the pole raises it again; the weight of the drill, when suspended, stretches the rope, and it untwists, thereby turning the drill ; when the drill strikes the rock the weight is suddenly taken off and the rope twists back to its originsd position, moving the swivel to which it is attached j in this manner the drill is turned more perfectly than could be done by hand ; the hole is kept wet, as in ordinary drilling, and is cleaned out with a sand pump ; this is a sheet iron tube, small enough to be inserted into the hole, and fifteen to eighteen inches long, the bottom of which is a leather valve covered with a cir- cular piece of sheet iron ; the upper end had some contrivance by means of which a cord can be attached; when the hole is to be cleaned out, the pump is let down, and when the lower end touches the mud, the valve opens and the tube is filled; on raising the pump, the ralve closes, and the contents are brought to the 4 ^-' V^ff^^-agi^^rf^-^'^n-^"!'^"^^ , 26 surface ; to raise the sand from the bottom of the hole it is ne- ZZI:JT f'l P^P ' ''^r''' J^^^^' - - *- ^^ the sand up pieces of steel as large as the top of one's finger have been taken up by means of this simple contrivance. F?om eviry loot as the dnll goes down, some ot the mud should beTaved, ^ried and tested for phosphate, as before directed. Two drills should and ?. '\V"^ f t '' ^^"^P^^ ^'^^ ^hil^ *1^« other t n use and when the hole becomes deep it will be found convenient to »s to belumKt^ -'-'-''' '^ ^^- '^^ ^^^"- -^en^h^ jamJ^^h,^^^^^^^ be taken out, but it will, in most cases, oe cheaper to leave it rone Whl7rZ^TV''\ r^''' '' ^^" ^' P^^^^^ ^^^ ^'^h the rope When the drill is taken out after being thus stuck the cavity should be filled with cement, which ^11 set Tn a short fnnl"'. ^'^''V't 1?'^"^ ^^^ ^' continued. The cost of th. tools described should not exceed ten dollars, and two men will under ordinary circumstances, bore ten feet per day : the cost is consequently, about twenty-five cents per foot, exclusive of su-' perintendence, or a hole, a hund ,d feet, can be bored for from twenty.five to forty dollars, whi I a shaft ol tiiat depth would cost at least, one thousand dollars and the information obtrned by boring is about equal to that obtained by digging shafts .r.Ur^T^A''^ ""^ ^^^i P""*"^'"^ ""^^"^^ ^^ explored by boring only ; to do so will, of course, require <«ome capital while hv blasting a profit might be made from the outset ; but This w^f m many cases, impair the value of the mine. Systematic under- ground work will, undoubtedly, be found necessary fnma^^^^^^ ZnTr ^^T'^'\?P''^*^^^^^^^^b«<^^^"«do^>nota^sod should be moved or a blast fired unnecessarily, as, b^ so doinff n^ir^'/f '' IS admitted, which wiU afterwards We to^ pumped out -^^t a great expense ; in such cases the deposits should be explored and the mine planned on paper by a comDet^t engineer before blasting is commenped. ^ competent fK.Z^''''® ^^ ^*T ^?«^tity is to be removed, this, is by far mming om be done, wl^en we see coal miners, in Pennsylvank I • • 27 raising coal from mines hundreds of feet deep, ship it to Ottawa, and sell it for six to seven dollars per ton. - . P^if ^ diggings can hardly be worked with prolBt to a greater r ->th than fifty feet, be the vein ever so rich, while in extensive .1' arground works, a depth of several hundred feet make little or n. difference in the cost of the mineral. It is often asserted that phosphate mining is very risky and uncertain the same might, with equal justice, be said of any business, if entered into by men wanting the required knowledge Had our mining operations been conducted by competent mcD they would likely have been aa successful as operations of this nature ever are ; but exploring can seldom be done without cost and IS not hkely to lead to valuable discoveries if not properlv conducted. f f j In purchasing and exploring pboyphate lands, ic should al- ways be remembered that deposits Nos. 1 and 2 are worthless the mineral being profusely scattered through nearly all kinds of rocks m districts where no valuable discoveries have vet been made. *^ Nothing should be paid for any location unless it is evident that it belongs to Class Nos. 3 or 4, in this case it may be valu- able, but it may also be valueless, as veins are exceedingly nu- merous, and it is only exceptional cases in which they carry phosphate in paying quantities; however, with proper precaution and judgment, there is no reason to consider but that phosphate mining is as safe as most investments, and with the chances of its being far more remunerative.