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CIHM/ICMH 
 
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^ !1_ 
 
 T" 
 
 
 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
 
 ALFEED K. C. 8EI.WYN, F.R.vS, F.G.8., DmECToij. 
 
 GENEUAL NOTE 
 
 ON IIIK 
 
 MINES AND MINERALS 
 
 OF 
 
 ECONOMIC VALUE 
 
 or 
 
 'BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 WITH A LIST OF LOCAMTIKS, 
 
 nv 
 
 ^'^;' 
 
 GEOIUIE M. 1)AW8()N, Assoc. K. S. M., F G. S. 
 
 ■: vj:- -::. i-^- A-'- 
 
 '^?, 
 
 9* '>^,. 
 
 (Rcpn'iiteff, with Ad'lltlom and Alterations, from the Canadia n Pacific 
 
 Raihcay liq\<>rt, 1S77.) 
 
 
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 o 
 
 
 
 •> 
 
 ^^ 
 
 th-^ 
 
 ^* 
 

 7jnrir»rriTin— ,11 m , . 
 
/)t' 
 
 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
 
 GENERAL iNOTE 
 
 ON THE 
 
 MINES AND MINERALS OF ECONOMIC VALUE 
 
 or 
 
 BRITISH COLUMBIA, 
 
 WITH A LIST OK LOCALITIES. 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE M. DAWSON, Assoc. R.S.M., F.G.S. 
 
 [Reprinted, with additions and^alterations,from the Canadian Pacific Railway Report, 1877.1 
 
 Boyond the elevated western margin of the Great Plains, and interven- Mountainoui 
 
 be'fof the 
 
 mg between it and the Pacinc Ocean, l^s a reij^ion which may bo character- Pacificcoast. 
 ized as one of mountains and disturbca rock formations. This runs 
 north-westward and south-eastward, with the general trend of the coast, 
 and is divided into two subordinate mountainous districts by an irregular 
 belt of high plateau-country running in the same directio*-. South of 
 the 49th parallel, this region, from the Roelcy Mountains to the Pacific, in 
 various parts of its length, has been ibund to contain valuable metal- 
 liferous deposits of many kinds, and already appears to be the most 
 important metalliferous area of the United States. In the Province 
 of British Columbia is included over 800 miles in length of this 
 mountain- and plateau-country, with an average bi-eadth of about 400 
 miles. Noi'th of the 49th parallel the Rocky Mountains are now known correlation of 
 to extend to the Peace River, and even further northwai-d, to near the Snge»!"" 
 mouth of the Mackenzie, and to maintain throughout much the same geolo- 
 gical character with that of their sou! hern portion. The Purccll, Selkirk, 
 Columbia, Cariboo, and further north, the Omineca Mountains, may be 
 taken collectively as the representatives of the Bitter Root Ranges of 
 Idaho. The interior plateau of Biitish Columbia represents the great 
 basin of Utah and Nevsida, but north of the southern sources of the 
 Columbia this region is not self-contained as to its drainage, but dis- 
 
T 
 
 Cascado or Cowt 
 Rani;c ot 
 British 
 Columbik. 
 
 Auriferous belt. 
 
 Uniformity of 
 rooks in 
 north-west and 
 south-east 
 bearings. 
 
 CircumstancM 
 retirding 
 devolupnient 
 ot mining. 
 
 * MINES AND MINERALS t>y nRITISH CDLUMBIA. 
 
 charjOfes its waters to tho Pacific. Tiio Cascade, or i\ jt Range of 
 British Columbia, though in a general way bearing the same relation to 
 tho interior pUtoau country as tlio Sierra Nevaiia Mountains of California 
 and tho Cascade Mountains of Oregon, forms a system distinct from 
 either of these. Tho main period of uplift of tho Sierra Nevada 
 in its typical region probably antedates that of tho British Columbia 
 raountain.s, while! tho Casciulo Mountainn of Oregon are doHcribed by 
 Professor LeConte and others, as chiefly composed of comparatively 
 raodorn volcanic materials, which scarcely occur in the main ranges 
 of the west coast of British Columbia. The parallel ranges of Vancouver 
 and the Queen Charlotte Islands may, as far as their structure is yet 
 known, bo included with the Coast llango of the mainland. 
 
 In British Columbia a bolt of rocks, probably corre8])onding more or 
 loss completely with tho Gold Rocks of California, has already been 
 proved to be richly auriferous, and I think it may be reasonably 
 expected that the discovery and working of rich metalliferous deposits 
 of other kinds will follow. Promising indications [of many arc already 
 known. With a general similarity of topographical features in the 
 disturbed belt of the west coast, a great uniformity in tho lithological 
 chai'actor of the I'ocks is found to follow, so that while in a compara- 
 tively short distance from south-west to north-east considerable litho- 
 logical change may be found, groat distances may be traversed fvom 
 south-east to north-west and little dilferencc noted. In British Columbia, 
 so far as geological oxjilorations have yet gone, they have tended to show 
 a general resemblance of the rocks to those of tho typical sections of 
 California and tho Western States, and though metalliferous veiiis, 
 individually, are very incon.stant as compared with rock formations, 
 belts characterised by metalliferous deposits, and dependent on the 
 continuance of some set of beds, are apt to be very much more constant. 
 
 In the discovery and development of her mineral riches, British Colum- 
 bia labours under many disadvantages, chief among which may be 
 mentioned the comparatively short time during which the country has 
 been settled, with the inaccossl'oility of tho known mining i-egions, and 
 cost of labour and sup|)lies. In addition, a great part of tho country is 
 densely forest-clad, and the surface much encumbered with glacial drift, 
 which, though often tending to ])roduce a moi-e fertile soil, conceals the 
 indications to which the prospector trusts in more southern latitudes. 
 
 All these circumstances tend to retai'd the development of British 
 Columbia as a mining countiy. It is slowly advancing, however, and it 
 is nay opinion, that when the country is opened up and tho cost of labour 
 
I 
 
 MINES AND MINEllALri nV BHITISH CDLUMllIA. 3 
 
 iuid isiijiplics I'ctliicutI, il will lie t'oiiini caiialjU' ol' rapid (U'VolopiiR-iit, and 
 imiy soon taUo a lirst \)\nvv a> the ininiiii;' I'roviiiro ol' tlii' I'oiniiiiuii. It 
 inii.sl not lio oiiiitrc'<l to slalo thai, in oiu' wvy iiiH)oitaiil parlifular, lii 
 roi'Us of tills part of llio L'acilic (-'o«^t dilloi' Iroiii lliosu riirlliiT soiilli — 
 tlu' Crotut'ooiis sorii's cliaiiL;"i's foii>i(UM'alily in its ohanic-tor. and at iIk" 
 saino time bocuiuos eual-lA'aring, tiu-nisliiiiy t)ie I'ucls mined at Nanainio 
 and ('omox. 
 
 In I lio I'ollowiny pawl's, 1 jiavceiulfavoin^'ii to give a soiuuwliut syslcni- 
 titic, tiioiigli lii'iol' arcoiint, ol' llu- niinci'al ivsuiiiTcs and nlilK•^ ol' British 
 Columbia, ajiplying, whore necessary, to the pulili->hed ^Icmoirs ol" the 
 (ieologieal .Siir\;!y, and entering into somewhat greatei' detail with 
 loealitios ol' which no [)iiblisiieil accounts are yet accessible. 
 
 (io|,I). 
 
 It may, 1 think, be said without exaggeration, that there is scarcely a GoUiwiiiciy 
 
 , ,. . . ., I, !• II •,■ I /I 1 1 • • 1 • 1 distributed, 
 
 streum ol any imjtortance in the Irovince ol liritish Columbia iii wliicii 
 
 the " colour ' of gold can not bi' I'dund. The iliscovery of gold, lirst 
 
 made known in 1S5S, Icil t(^ the greal iidliix of miners of that and the 
 
 t'oUowiug year, (iold, tlius the tir>t cause attracting attention to the 
 
 country, has ever since been the chief factor in its j)rosperity. 
 
 The annexed tabular statement siiows the annual yield of gold from staUstics of 
 
 1 - . 1 1 . , _ . , • • T 1 ,. 1 II f''"''^ production, 
 
 lb.)& to the end ol l»<tj. As no otlinal record ol the gokl export ha.s 
 
 been kept, liie only means of arriving at an approximate result is to add 
 
 to that actually known to have been >hipped liy the banks and express 
 
 companies, an esiim;ite;l amount t(j ie[)reseiit that carried away in private 
 
 hands. A great pan of the gold leaving tho country unrecorded, 
 
 is carried away by Chinamen, and a p(M'lion goes from the Kootoniiy 
 
 district, without reaching Victoria. 
 
 When in Victoi'ia, with the kind assistance ol Mr. C. Good, Deputy 
 
 Minister of Mines, aiul b}' reference lo the various banks, 1 revised these 
 
 tigures, wJucli had been variously gi\ en by dill'ereiit authorities; and 1 
 
 think, thougli not ab.sedutely correci, lliey may bo accepted as being as 
 
 near the truth as we are now likely lo attain. Mr. (iood lias added to 
 
 the tigi'.resin the table, from his books, the number of miners known to 
 
 have been employed, and calculated the average yearly earnings per ' 
 
 man, giving the very high general average ol §058 per annum. 
 
 
 t. 
 
Total yield. 
 
 Fl not nation in 
 yield. 
 
 4 .MINES A.NL» JlINEllALsi UF imiTlSll COLDMBIA. 
 
 TABLE jroiii the iSecond Annwil Jiejiort of the Minister of Mines of 
 liritmh Ci.'hmiljiti, alioiciiuj the actualli/ known and esthnated yield 
 vj (jAd ; the l\ umber of Miners eiiijilotjed ; and the ((renuje earninys 
 per nuin, /ler year from 1858 to 1875. [7b which is added the known 
 and estimated yield of (jold in lS7(i,J 
 
 Vkar. 
 
 AiiKiiint lutUmll.v 
 
 kliDWll tn lliiM' llfl'll 
 
 e.\ii.iito(l 
 li.v l;uiiks, ,vi:. 
 
 Addunu'tlilrdiiiiirc 
 fstiiimli- '<\ ({"Id 
 
 ciirriiid luvay 
 ill piiMitc liaiidM. 
 
 Tdtiil. 
 
 ? 
 520,353 
 
 1,015.072 
 
 2,228,;)43 
 2,0o0,118 
 
 4,240,206 
 
 3,735,850 
 3,491,205 
 2,062,100 
 2,480,868 
 2,372,972 
 1,774,978 
 1,330,950 
 1,799,440 
 1,010,972 
 1,305J49 
 1,844,018 
 2,474,904 
 1,780,648 
 
 Nuiiilitr (if 
 
 Miiitr» 
 t'liiplipvcd. 
 
 $ 
 
 3,000 
 
 I .« 
 4,000 
 
 4,400 
 
 ^4,200 
 
 j ,4,100 
 
 \ 4,400 
 
 4,400 
 
 4,2;.4 
 
 2,982 
 
 3,';44 
 
 2,390 
 
 2,309 
 
 2,348 
 
 2,450 
 
 2,400 
 
 2,300 
 
 2,808 
 
 2,024 
 
 AveruKi' 
 yearly tiiiii- 
 iiiK>i per iiiiui 
 
 1858 ■> 
 (0 iiKPiiths,) / 
 
 1859 
 
 1800 
 
 1801 
 
 1802 -1 
 
 1803 / 
 
 1804 
 
 1805 
 
 1800 
 
 1807 
 
 1808 
 
 1809 
 
 18V0 
 
 1871 
 
 1872 
 
 1873 
 
 1874 
 
 1875 
 
 1876 
 
 390,265 
 
 1,211,304 
 1,071,410 
 1,999,589 
 
 3,184,700 
 
 2,801,888 
 2,618,404 
 1,990,580 
 l,800;05l 
 1,779,729 
 1,331,234 
 1,002,717 
 1 ,349,58(^ 
 1,208,229 
 979,312 
 1,383,464 
 1,856,178 
 1,339,986 
 
 $ 
 130,088 
 
 403,7(i8 
 557,133 
 600,529 
 
 1,001,506 
 
 933,962 
 8 72,801 
 065,520 
 020,217 
 593,243 
 443,744 
 334,239 
 449,800 
 402,743 
 320,437 
 401,154 
 018,720 
 440,602 
 
 173 
 
 403 
 506 
 634 
 517 
 482 
 849 
 813 
 893 
 814 
 992 
 749 
 569 
 734 
 671 
 567 
 643 
 1,222 
 
 
 
 
 ;i8,166,970 
 
 
 Avumgu uumbur of miners employed yearly 
 
 Average earning.>i per man, (ler year 
 
 Total actual and estimated yield of gold, 1858 to 1875. 
 
 3,220 
 
 $658 
 
 $38,166,970 
 
 AtUliiif:^ iIk' product of IHT(!, the u'liolc ;imouiit of gold exported from 
 the l^ivjviiiL-o, ill oighteoii and a-half ycais, is t'omptited at 8l-{9,!>53,618, 
 01- Htatod ill I'oiiiid iuiml)er.'^, forty inillions. a very remarkable result 
 troni a colony, tlic total Huropean pojiulation ol' whieli probably did 
 not averaye dni-ing the same pei'iod, 1(*,0U(I. 
 
 Tlie gold yield shows a fluctuation from year to year, which 's due not 
 
 only to the iincertaiiily of liie deposits worked, and number of miners 
 
 employed, Imt depends also (jn climatic conditions. Thus thedecrea.se of 
 
 18T<i, as eoinpared with 1875, ma}- be attributed in the Cariboo District 
 
 , to the great quantity of snow falling on the mountains during the preced- 
 
MINES AND MFMEnAr.S i)V BKITIStl ror.CMniA. 
 
 5 
 
 in^ winter, and inoro iliaii iiviTiit^o riiiiiliill of tlii' siiinmci' : cifcmnstiDici's 
 prcvciitiiiu; (lie <'U':iriiiij oj' llic (Iffp claims ■ walcr till laic in llio 
 season. In ('a>siar, the nnt'avorahle sprini;- , ..iled lire miners t'rDni 
 reacliinij their claims till late, and heavy IIddiIs imjtoded llieir oporatiuns 
 (liirinif the snnimor. 
 
 Tlic Vi'vy n'cneral distriluition of .•illiivial i;-uld over the I'rovince, nniy ^"iriirpiacor*. 
 indieuU' thai several dilVerent rocl< Hn-m.'itions proiluce it in greater m- 
 less (|nantity, llioiiijii it is only wheie ''coarse '' ov " heavy " i;-old oecnrs 
 that the orii^inal aiiriferoii> veins must he su])pos(!(' to exist in the imme- 
 diate vicinity of the deposit. •• ( "oloiirs," as the Hiiei- partielos of yold 
 are called, travel far alonii; the IkmIs of the I'apid rivers of this coiintrj' 
 befbi'e they are reduced liy attrition to iiivisiidoslireils ; anil the northern 
 and other systems of distrilaition ot drift material have, no douht, also 
 assisteil in sprcjidinj^ the tine t!,'old. The n'old formation proper, however, 
 of the eountry, consists of a series of i.ilto.^c and (diloi-itic, l»!a(d<ish or 
 fj^recnisli-irivy slates or schists, which occasionally liecome micaceous, 
 and ii;enerally show evidence of tfrcater metamorpiu>m than the ifold- 
 bearin<;- slates of ("alifoi-nia. Tlieii' preoi.sc gooioi;"ical horizon is not yot 
 determined, no <fool()gical survey to that end having- heen made; liul I 
 am inclined to helievo that they will ho found to occupy a position 
 intermediate between the more distinctive mcmljci's of the Lower Cache 
 Creek g-roup of Mi-. Selwvn s first provisiomd classification of the rocks 
 of British (.'olumhia,^''^ and the base of the overlying- Mesozoie rocks, 
 called in my report for ISTof the I\>r])hyrite scries. If this be .so 
 they are not improbably the geological equivalents of some of the 
 richest auriferous rocdcs of California. By the denudation of the 
 auriferous veins travel ing these I'ocks the gold has been concentrated 
 in the placer deposits. 
 
 The gre;ite;'t ai-eas of these rocks appear in conno(;tion with the dis- Arciaof 
 turhed region l^'ing west of the Rocky ^fountain Ilange, known in ri'ekJ!'''*""^ 
 various parts of its lengtli as the Purcell, Selkirk, Columbia, Cai'iboo 
 iind Ominoca Ranges. Other considerable belts of aurif'erou.s rocks, 
 bowever, probauiy belonging to the same age, occur beyond this region, 
 an in the vicinity f Anderson River and Boston Bar, on tlie Fraser; at 
 Leech Rivei-, Vancouver Island, and elsewhere. 
 
 The Cai'iboo District, discovered in 18(50, has been the most perm.Jient cariboo District. 
 and productive. The fifty-third parallel of latitude pas.ses through the 
 centre of the district, which has been describeti as a mountainous legion, 
 
 ' Report of Priiuress Ocological 
 
 t Report of Progress, lb7 j-70. 
 
MINES AND MINERALS CiV URTTISH OOLUMniA, 
 
 Physical 
 
 cliaiaeti'risticti. 
 
 Shallow and 
 deep iilacer 
 mining. 
 
 Ancient buried 
 riTer chamtcU, 
 
 bill is ratlier to he ivganUd as tin' rtMuiiaiil of a groat high-lovol jdatoaii 
 witli an avci-agc eU'vatioii of from b,0{\i) to 7)S){)0 foft. dissectod h\ iiiiiu- 
 inoi-ablo slroams which How iVom it in every direflion. bill all ovunttially 
 reach branches ol' theFrasoi- IJivcr. Tiiesesti'oams, failing rajiidly about 
 their sources ov<'r rocky be 's. descend into great \''-shaiicd valleys, and 
 with the lessening slo|)e, the rock bec(iincs concealed ly gi'avcl deposits, 
 which increase in thitdou'ss and exteiil till the valli'Vs become T-shaped 
 or flat bottomed, and little swam))y glades :ire foi-med, through which 
 the stream flows tortuously and with gentle current. The stee])-sloj)ing 
 banks of the valleys are densely covereil w"th conifei'oiis forest, of wiiich 
 comparatively little has lieeii desti'o^-ed by lire, owing to tiie (lain[)ness of 
 the climate at this great altilude. The surface of the broken plateau 
 above is often diversitied iy (jteii tracts, ajfoi'iliiig good pasture in 
 summer; and the whole country is more or less thickly covered by drift 
 or deti'ital matter, concealing the greater part of the surface of the i-ocky 
 substratum. 
 
 As in all new gold mining districts, the sbaliowt'r placer dc])osits. and 
 gravels in the present stream-courses first attracted attention, but with 
 the experience of ( 'alifornia and Austi'alia. it was not long liefce the 
 " deep diggings ■' wei'e found to be by fai' the most profitable. Williams' 
 and Lightning Creeks have, so far, yiekled the greater partof tlie gold of 
 Cariboo. They were known from the tii'st to be rich, but have been 
 found speeiallv suited for deep work, in having a hard deposit of boulder 
 clay beneath the beds of tlie present watercourses, which prevents the 
 access of nundi of tiie sujicrticial water to the workings below. By 
 regular mining operations the I'ocky bottom of the valley is followed 
 beneath fifty to l.')0 tiact of overlying clays aiiil gravels, the course of the 
 ancient stream being traceable by the polishetl rocks of its bed, and the 
 coarse gravel and boulders which have filled its channel. In the hollow 
 of the rocky channel the richest '• lead '' of gold is usually found, but in 
 following the rock surface laterally, side-ground, rich enough to pay well, 
 is generally discovered i'or a greater oi" less width. The old stream- 
 courses of the Cariboo district are found to have pursued very mucJi the 
 same direction" Uiat their present representatives follow, ci'ossing cft'^n 
 fr<mi side to side of the valley witli different flexures, ami occasionally 
 running through below a p<jint of drift material pi'ojecti'ig into the 
 modern clianr.el, but never, I believe, actually leaving the old valley or 
 running across the modern di'uinage system, as is so often the case in the 
 deep placers of (California and Australia. 
 
 Ah an extimple of the methods employed, and extent of mining opera- 
 
MINES ANT) MINERALS nK lUUTISIT OOI.rMRIA. 
 
 tioiis re(iiiiro(l to rciicli llu' luii'icil clKimiels, tlie \'tui WinUk- Mino, on van winkio 
 LiiXlitiiiiii;- Creek, wliicli is ilie inosi -lu'cesst'iil lutw in ()]>oratioii, niiiy bo 
 trtkoii. This mini' is ln'ii'tly iidliced in tiie Desei-iptive Calaloiruo, pub- 
 lished ill eoimeetioii witli the ( reolonical Survey's eoileetion al the hito 
 Philailelpliia Exhibition. 
 
 Tlie claim eovers aiioiit 2, ();")() feet in leiiy-th of the valley, the deopesi outlay nmi 
 
 /I , 1 111 1 <. 1 • 1 1 1 I 1 . ' . priMluct. 
 
 p;>.rt ot tiie old ehaiinel oi which had Iteeii cletiivd out to a leiiii'th of 
 between 1, ()()(» to 1,700 teet in October of 1870. Much side n'l-ound, how- 
 over, yet vemaius. and (he workings sonietimes attain a width oj' from 
 200 to ;!00 feet, in followini,' this up as far as it can be made to pay. The 
 claim yielded llie first dividend in Decemlier. 1873, 840,000 haviiii; been 
 oxpoiuled l)efoi'e yold was found in the (diannel. It has since continued 
 to pay handsoinely, haviiiif j)rodiiced in one week i;'oId worth $15,700 
 and on other occasions at the weekly " clean ii]),"suins of §14.000, 812,000, 
 &e. At the date above mentioned the total product of gold had amounted 
 to the lai'n-e sum of 8500.!)()4.9ft. 
 
 Ill i'ea(dnn!i: the buried (diannel, a -haft is usually sunk at the lower, or shaft sinking, 
 down-stream end of the claim, on the sloping- side of the valley, where after 
 liaviii,i>; trone throuirha moderate depth of clay or a;ravel, the slaty rock of 
 the disti'ict is reached. The shaft is then continued throun-li this till a 
 depth supposed to be sufficient is attained, when adrift is started at right 
 angles to thecour.scof the valley, and if the right depth has been ciiosen — 
 either 1)}' rough estimation, or calculation liased <in that ref[uired in other 
 neighbouring workings — tlie old channel is struck in such a way as to Driftinsr for tiie 
 en;ibl(^ the subterranean water collecting in it from the wliole upper part of "''' '''*'"""''• 
 the chiiiii, to be pumj)ed to the surface by the shaft. On cutting out of the 
 slate io(d<, however, into the gravel, so much water is frecpiently mot 
 with that the pumps are mastered, rendering necessary a cessation of 
 work till the dryost part of the season, or the aj)])lication of more power- 
 ful machinery. When the drift is not found to be at a sufficient de])th to 
 cut the liottom of the old channel, it is generally necessary to close it, 
 and after continuing the shall to a greater tlepth. ,o drive out again. 
 The old channel once reached, and cleared of water, is followed up its 
 slope by the workings, to tiie up])er pai't ot the claim, and whoi'e paying 
 side-ground occurs it is also ojieiied. 
 
 In the Van Winkio Mine the average depth of the workings is only 
 ab.out seventy feet, the lowest shaft being placed 300 feet from the creek, 
 on the opposite side of wiiich the I'ock is seen to rise to the siu-fiice, 
 forming steep clifls. The water is raised to within forty ieet of the 
 surface, when it is discharged into an adit 3,000 feet long, which is also 
 
8 
 
 MINKS AND MINKRAI,S OF niMTISlI ('OIJ'MBIA. 
 
 Water. iisc(l hy DtluT cljiiiiis. Tlit'i't' arc two |)imi|is. ton iiiclics in (liiunctor. ivitli 
 
 vvoodoii i)i]K's. nirikiiii;- ;il">iit twelve fiiiii'-Hiot Nlfdkcs ;i ininiiti', (lu- pusvor 
 iK'ini;' sii))|)lio(l liy an (.'iii'litet'D-looi lu'ca-^l-wlu'i-l. Tliis doi's not adtMiiiatoly 
 I'opivsont till' voliinu' of water |)imi|)eil. Iiowever. as the n'l'oimd of this 
 elaitn is ])artly drained liy others lower in llie series, in wiiieli work 
 caiiiiol 1)0 carried on till later in the season. Tlie ri(dicst pay is olitained 
 in tiie rociv channel of the old stream, luit wln-ro this is iuii(di contracted 
 the force of the watei' has swept the yold away to those places wlicro 
 its widlli is increased, Thehai'iler rocks still |)resi«rve their polisluMi and 
 water-woi'n foi'nis, Init most of the slates are rotten and ci'iiinhlinii' to a 
 coiisideralile depth, and in clcaiiini; njt in the liotloin, a thickness of one 
 to two feet is taken out with a pick .nnil shovel, and sent up to the 
 
 Side work. sii!-face with the oxerlyiiiii- ^'ravel, toi- treatment. In the side-work, 
 
 as in the centra! channel, the ii:reater part of the ;;-()ld i> found lyinijj 
 dii'ectly on the " lied ro(d< " ami only occasionally are jiayinn' streaks 
 seen in the ijravel a few feel ahove it. The ^jde ground is worked 
 up from the channel in successive lircasts parallel to it. The averai^c 
 yield of the ]tai't heiny; worked at the lime ot my visit may be 
 stated at from two and adialf to three ounces to eacdi set of timhev; 
 the set uncoverini;' about, thirty-tive .square feel of bed I'ock, with a 
 heiji'ht of si.K feet. 
 
 Lowest deposits. The lowest layers of ya'avcl contain many lai'ii;er boulders of quartz 
 aixl slaty fran'inents not much watci'-worn, whiidi must have come down 
 fr<jm the hill-sides; the appearance bein^f that ol' de])osit liy torrential 
 waters to a de]ith i>f ionv to six ieot in the cliannel, above which the 
 i^ravel is <fenerally l)otter I'ouiided, and more eveidy spi-ead, though still 
 mi.xed with little clnyey matter. 
 
 Ill consequence of the unconsolidated nature of the i^ravcl. the pres- 
 sure on the siiports of the workings is excessive. The sets of timber 
 are in some places only a few inches apart, and the whole of the work- 
 ings are lineil with complete lagging. The timber used is very massive, 
 being from one to two feet in a\'erage thickness, and consisting of the 
 spruce of the country, .simply barked and sawn into lengths. It costs, 
 delivoreil at tiie mine, eight cents per running foot, all suitalile sizes 
 being taken at the same rate. The hijjging, which is merely s])lil out, 
 tour feet long, five inches wide, and two thick, cos<s seven ilollars a hun- 
 ilred j)ieces. With every preciiiil ion, the timbers are freqiH'iitly crushed 
 l)y the j)ressui'e, or th(> uj)rights even forced downwanl into thesbite. 
 Where large boulders are remov»'(l from the sides, or '' slum '" is found, 
 spruce brush requires to bo oxtousively used behind the lagging, and in 
 
MINES ANJt MINEKAL.S (IK BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 9 
 
 many parts ol' the mijie llu- water streams liom the ruel' like a lieavy 
 showei' of rain. 
 
 Tlio aiirilcroiis ijjrave! is raiseii to the surface Ity Imeket and rope, 
 with trietion yearin^' ami water power. 
 
 Tiie whiile oi' the deep workinys are annually tilled with water at the Pmnps. 
 time of tile spiiny Hoods, anil it is xmietimes late in the summer oi' 
 autumn hetiire the |mnips ayain acipiire the mastery. In Octobei' of 
 lS7(i the followinn' (•omj)anies on Liy-htnini;' Cieek wei'e driving' their 
 piitn])s day and inght. the \'an Winkle heim;- the oidy mine elear of 
 water. 
 
 Co^tello Claim. — Piimj). twelve inches diameter, nine-toot stroke, making 
 ten strokes a minute. 
 
 VulciUi Claim. — Pump, twelve inches diameter, six-foot stroke, makinii' 
 eighteen strokes a nnniite. 
 
 Vdncoucer Claim. — IMimp. twelve inches diametei'. nine-foot strokt', 
 makini;' ten .■^trokes a miniile (douhle actinii,'). 
 
 Wtii Winkle Claim — Pump, ten inciie- diameter, fourteen-foot -troki', 
 making ten strokes a minute ( two |>iimp;-j. 
 
 The (luantilyof water being raised at this time would, therefore, amount 
 toahoul lo.STO gallons a minute, or ^.>.^T (.**<•<' ]>er dicm. 
 
 In many cases t he m.'icliiiiery and ap|ioiiilniciit of ihc mines is xcry .Minos <i(.veio|iea 
 ereuitaule. and almost ilic waole expense ol the mining entei'jirises is lupitai 
 Liorne by the miners of the di^trict tlirmselves, wiihoiit the .aid of foridgn 
 capital, and with labour and materials of all kinds at exorbitant rates. 
 .Money earned in one veiitui'c is embarked in another, ami some of 
 the shareholders of a mine are freipieiitly at work themselves below 
 ground. 
 
 On Liglitning ('reck' aboiii pi, (MM) tcet of the valle}' may be said to be ugiitning Creek. 
 wcM'ked out. in >o far as the deep <lianiiel is concerned ; anil though 
 some bench (daims ;inil tributary cii'eks have paid well, the material on 
 sides ol' the vallev i? not ritdi eiioiiu'li to iiax for hvdraulic work at 
 jireseiit. In eiideavoiiiiL'' to •• bottom'' the old chaiinel further down the 
 valley, vei'v great dilliciilties are encountered, owing to ihe great (|iuintity 
 of water met with and the inereasid depth of the sinking retpiii'ed. 
 There is no reason to believe, however, that the lowest jiart of tlio 
 channel holding good pay has been reached. 
 
 The following table, sujtplied by Mr. James Evans to the Minister of 
 Mines ol lirilish Columbia, gives as eorrecl a statement as he has been 
 able to compile of the amount of money taken fi'om some of the more 
 proniiueiit claims ou Lightning Creek, up to November Isl, 1875: — 
 
 J 
 
^<pf 
 
 T 
 
 10 MINES AND MINERAL^ <il' liHITISII COLl'MBIA. 
 
 Yiclil of varinus Dutch and Sifgcl (now Pi THcveranco) §1 W,0()0 
 
 miiioa. 
 
 F>uiil)ar :{0,(t(l(l 
 
 Discovery and Hutchur l'J(»,()(tO 
 
 (.'uiiiiplicll and \\ liitoliall l'0(»,00l) 
 
 Smith Wak'.s 141,031 
 
 l,i,ulitning l.V^.'K)'.* 
 
 I'oiiit i;u;.(;25 
 
 Spiiicu !l!l,',K)!S 
 
 Costellt) •J0,47(» 
 
 Vulcan 5(),'.K">,'i 
 
 N'ancouver '214, I'M) 
 
 Victoria 4ril,()4'J 
 
 Vail \\iiikie ;iu:i,»s;< 
 
 Williams' frt'ck. Oil \Viili;im>' CiOfk, on uliicli till' towns of IJiii'kci'villc ;tii<l IJichlield 
 aiT sitnutfil, tlic cliii'l' woi-lxiims li:ivi> liocn in a space of aliout two and 
 tliree-(jiiai'ti'r iiiilos in li'iiulh. In tln> tlic (icri» flianncl lias been woikcd 
 tlii'oiiii'li, and also as luucli ot' thr sidi- ^'I'oiind as woidd pay at tlic timo 
 at wiiiih tlic niiiiin<^ took jdacf. Many of the lateral crcoks and gullies 
 iu'iv have paid i'eniar!<aMy well : and the hillsides, in soini' jilaces to a 
 lieighl of 100 feet oi' tnoie, have proved to lie sidlieienlly i-iih l()i' tlie 
 liydfaiilie inetliod of 'i-kini;', wliieh is now extensively practised. 
 Williams' ('ii'ck, however, will not eoiiipare with liiglitnino- (Veek in 
 ri(dines^, its yield for ISTf) heiiiu'. accorilinu' to Mr. IJowren's estiniati', 
 only §(!8,0()0. l'>arkervillc. however, has a certain iniportaiu'c in hcing 
 the ci'iiti'e of a iiiiinher of (Mitlying niiniiiu- districts. 
 
 Distiihutiuiiof 1'1'L' "canon'' between Baikeiville and liieidield divides the creek into 
 vaiic.'-'.' '^ t^vo ])arts. Ynv about half-a-nule above it, the ground was shallow, and 
 
 has been woi'ki'd open to the bod rock. Fiirthei' up, deep drifting was 
 practised in former years; hydraulic work is now carried on. lielow 
 the Oinlon all the woi'lc has been dec}), in the old channel. Though 
 streaks ot " i»ay " were sometimes found after getlingtlown about twenty 
 feet, these were usually <lisregarded in early days. In the Cameron 
 claim. Iiowevei', half-a-mile lielow Barker^ille, the dirt |)aid nearly to 
 the surface, and was worked in stages from below aftei- the old channel 
 had been cleared out. The workings were ab(Mit sixly I'eet deep at 
 Barkerville. only thirty-tive i'eet at the former siti' of Cameronton, and at 
 the Ballarat claim, — three-Hiurths of a mile Ik'Iow Barkerville — eighty 
 feet. This is the lowest claim in which the old ciiannel has beci; bottoiuod, 
 and most of the gold obtained was light and scaly. The valley is hei-e 
 wide, the ])re^ent stream turning abruptly to the west, wliile a wide, low 
 hollow, known us Pleasant V'allcy, runs ott' in the opposite dircetion, to 
 
 I 
 
MINE9 AND MINERALS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. 11 
 
 Aiitlor ('rcoU. It is siipij^wod by iiuiiiv tlial the main clmmiol of the bmor part of 
 
 ■ • -^ • Williiuns' Creek. 
 
 aiicioiit waloiTDiirse tni-iis ott' in thi> (liivrtion, but, nwinii,' to liic ^-I'oat 
 quantity of wati'i- ami loose character of the ii;round, neither tins nor the 
 pi'CNont valley of Williams' Creek, below the Ballarat, has vet been proved, 
 though much money has been expended in the attempt. The T.ane and 
 Kurtz Company imported expensive inachinory and erecteil very com- 
 plete works some years an'o, but have not succeeded in pi'ovinn' thi'ir 
 •ground, anil iiave. for the |)resent, abandoned the atiempt. As some of 
 the tributary streams iiave paid wi'll, there is reason to believe that a 
 j)ai't, if not the whole, of the dee]) channel of the lower part of Williams' 
 Creek must be ricdi, notwilhslaiulinn- the i^enerally tine character of the 
 gold in the Ballarat mine. 
 
 As already stated, Lightning and Williams' Creeks have been i„iuie(iu.ite 
 y iavourai)le ones lor deep working, luit even in these it has 
 often been barely pos>ible, with the appliances which can at present 
 be obtained, to bottom many parts of their upper reaches, while the 
 more ditHcult lowei portions ot the channels have not been proved 
 in either case. As Mr. Kvans veiy wisely remarks: — "Had many of 
 the companies ma( iunery of powerful capacity at tirst, one-third of the 
 exjjenne would h.'.ve sufficed to prospect their ground, but unfortunately 
 many of them were pool", struggling for existence, and coping with 
 enormous difficulties." 
 
 Owing to the isolation of the district, and length and character of the oreatoostof 
 road by which it is reached, the price of food — the whole of whicdi is labour. 
 imported — and of labour is excessively high. The average rate of fn-ight 
 from Yale — the head of navigation on the Fraser — to Bar kervi lie, accord- 
 ing to Mr. Bowren, is from seven and a-half to eight cents per pound in 
 spring, and about twelve and a-haif cents in autumn; or may be said to 
 average nine cents a pound — a heavy tax on mining machinery and 
 other weighty articles. 
 
 The prices current of some staple art les in Cariboi;, are as follows : — 
 
 Flour per lb 8 oeuts. 
 
 Beans do I'y " 
 
 Bacon do 35 " 
 
 Grain, for horse feed, per lb 7 " 
 
 Hay do 5 " 
 
 Ordinary labourers receive $o per day; mechanics, from $5 to $7; 
 Chinamen and Indians, $3. These pi-ices, though a jj;reat reduction 
 on those ruling before the construction of the waggon road, pre( hide 
 the working of any but the richest deposits, which nece.ssarily bear but 
 
12 
 
 -MINES ANT) MINKKALS OK ItlUTISII COLUMBIA. 
 
 Proposed flume. 
 
 fjdid ruMiiiiiiiMu ii small |pi'r)i)orli(iii lo tlioso with a iiio(l(Ma1t' or small amoiuil of n'old ; 
 
 111 j,'l(Hlllll ' ' ."^ 7 
 
 Worked »vor. ;iii(| in \vn|•|<ill^• over llic (lcc>|) t;i()iiii(i iti early days miicli was Ici't tliat 
 woiilii I'vcii now |iay liaiidsomcly, Init cannol lie I'iiiikI or ri'aclicil on 
 acconnt nl' \\\v trcaclicrous nalinv ot llic moved y'ronnd. filled with old 
 limln'riiii;' and watci". I do not (liink il would lie an I'.xtra vacant slato- 
 nii'iit (o say that tin- (iiiaiilily oT ^nld still reinaiiiini; in the part of 
 Williams" CreeU which lias lu-en worked over, is ahoiit as ureal as that 
 which has already Ih'cii ohiaiiieil. With regard to Liifhtning Ci'eok. thi.s 
 statement would sc;ircely hold, though there nnist he a ,i,'reat quantity of 
 U'old ill ground of medium rii hness even lu're. To rondei" this gold avail- 
 ahle. htiwever, and tn prove successfully the lower and more diflicult 
 parts of the valh'vs. greater and more exact enn'iiieerinn' knowleilifc, 
 helter and larijei' machineiy, and, aliovo all, cheajier lahoiir anil suj)])lies, 
 dependent on lifreater facilities of iranspoi-t. aiv re<|uired. 
 
 As an illustration of what miiiht he done in this way. it may lie iien- 
 tioneil that it is alivady suiin-esteil, that hy ciittiiiif a tl.ime to Antler 
 Creek — part of which would re(|uire to he a tunnel — free drainaj^e fif the 
 whole upper |iarl of Williams' Creeu woidd he ohtained ; enahlinii; the 
 valley from its soinvt's to the flume level, wil;h all its old \vorkin.<i;s, and 
 tlie ii'reat depth of tailinj^s lioldinn- more or li'ss yold, which have accu- 
 mulated, to he eomjtietely strip)ied hy extensive iiydi'aidic works. 
 
 .So fill', mention has lieeii made of Williams' and Li,i;'litningCreeks only, 
 hut thei'c ai'c many olhei' loealilies in the ('aril)oo distriei which have 
 yieliled mutdi gold in suif'ace work or shallow diggings, wliich it is 
 helieved hy those hest ahk' to form an opinion, would ])i'ove ricii in their 
 deep ground, if proj)erly ex])lored. Owing, liowever, to tlie great cost 
 of prospecting, and of suitable machinery, this has not yei hecn done. 
 Antler, Cunningham, .lack of Cluhs, and AVillow IJiver, arc supposed to be 
 especially jiromising. and attempts are now being made to bottom some of 
 them. ^fr. Bowreii states, however, that the Nason Company luive 
 already spent SiiO-OOO on their claim on the lirst-named stream without 
 having been aide lo test their groiinil. 
 
 Jn most gokbhearing countries the placer mines, though often rich, 
 have eventually letl to the miiung and tiealnient of the auriferous (piartz 
 from which the alluvial gold has been ileri»ed. In British Columbia ti\e 
 alluvial deprsits have so far absoriied the mining energy of the country, 
 hut in view of the already diminislicd yield of tiie best knowii jilacers, 
 and the inevitable moi'c or less comjdete exhaustion ot deposits of this 
 kind, within, at best, a moderate term of jeai's, jittention can not ton 
 Koou or too larelully be turned to the more jjermaiioiit i^uartz-miniiig. 
 
 Prdinisin 
 crteks. 
 
 Alluvial 
 UepotjitH Old} 
 \v'<jrkcd. 
 
 i£fa^y.i,jiL 1.x. 
 
MINES AND MtNKIlALS OF URmsH OOLI'MUFA. IH 
 
 ThoiDfli tiiMcli of tlio tc<»l<l accmniiliilril in tlio licis of llio i)l<l sli'caiiis of i'r..s|>uc'ts for 
 
 ^ iHiai tz iniiuiii,'. 
 
 ('arilioo may Ikuh' Ik'cm dt'i'lvcd from wins too ,>mall to work iu'lix idiialiy, 
 it Nooms sc;irc('l\' to adinit of doiilit, that in :i I't'n'ion where >o lariio a 
 quantity of gold lias Ikhmi obtained witliin so sn\ail an area, ricli lodes 
 will be discovered and worked, indeed, notwillistandiii;;- the want of 
 attention to these deposits, and the very dilHeult nature oi' the eonnlry lo 
 j)rospeet, several are aii'cady known, wliich in olhei- jiarts of the world 
 mi^'lit jnstit}' extiMisive miniui;' o|K'rations. Some of thest- have lu-cn 
 traced with considerahlo and well-maintained widtli for several miles. 
 Specimens collected from several of the outci'ops in Oetoher. 1S7<>. proved, 
 on analysis, the average content of gold and silver to be low. probably loi> 
 
 low to repay work at jiresent Caril jtrice.s. By selecting foi- i-i'iishing, 
 
 however, only the richer jxirtions of the ore, it is possible that the pei'- 
 -(•enlage might be raised to a remunerative figure. A i»i'aiscworthy ctVort 
 is now being made. iin<ler the auspices of the Local < iovernnu'nt, to test 
 the better known lodes (ui a jiractical scale, and it is to be hoped that 
 this, coupled with the cm-rgetit; prospecting (»t the many nioro or les.s 
 important veins in the surrounding country, will he persisted in, till that 
 eventual success, which in this district may almost be regarded as assured, 
 shall be achieved. The remarks made in coiineetioii with the plaier 
 .mines, as to the co-t of labour and provisions, apply in this connection 
 Avitli even greater force. \'ein mining, (jiice initiated, will, I believe, 
 rapully develop, giving to the district a piii'inanent character which it 
 <loes not now j)ossess, and indirectl}' tending to cheapen labour by 
 affording emplo\'inent summer and winter. The gold occurs, as is usual, Association of 
 
 the yold. 
 
 in association with iron pyrites, but also often with considerable (piaii- 
 tilies of galena, through crystalline masses of which the juccious metal 
 is sometimes stniiig. 
 
 Of the districts of Ivootenay, Omineea, ami the new Cassair legion, I otiicr nuriferous 
 
 '' ' _ o ' di^tl•icU^. 
 
 know nothing personally, nor have tlu-}' ever been visited by any iiiem- 
 ber (»f the geological staff. Situated on the same belt of auriferous rocks, 
 they, no doubt, in the main features of their dcjiosit.s resemble those of 
 Cariboo. Tlu're are also aevei'ul other localities on the line of the main 
 development of the auriferous rocks, which havefrom time to time attracted 
 attention and yielded more or less gold ; but from their inaccessible 
 position, limited character, poor jiay, or depth of cover, they have be<ii 
 abaiuloned or allowed to fall into the hands of Chinamen. The greater 
 part of the f'old JJange, especially toward the north, is vei-y densely 
 timbered, and covered with mo.ss, peaty swamp and tangled vegetation, 
 rendering its examination very tlitticult, and the discovery of the rich 
 
 i 
 
14 
 
 MINES ANP MINEI(AI,S OK URTTISTI Odl.t'MnrA. 
 
 Omiiieca, 
 
 s))0<s a TDJitlc"' r('(|iiii'iiiL'' \'iuw aixl laliour , in lliis rosjuH-t it ditt'oVH 
 iilton-cllicr fVoin tlic liair sliincs of (' .lit'ofiiiii. It is to lie roinarked, liow- 
 ovor, that tlu- rccniiiiisi'd aivns of all tlic icoM-lii'lds will In' vory iiiiudi 
 cxtoiidod wluMi altered CDiiditions ivTidci- d(')tf»sils (>r the lower urados 
 ivn'MiicM-ative. and that i.iany ol those which liave imw fallen ont of 
 iiotiee will ai'aiii sjii'iiii^ into iniportanee, 
 Kooteniu The yield from Kootenay, for ISTf), is stated l>y the Ministoi- of MincK 
 
 to have heon ahoiil :?4l.0(»0 — forty White and fifty Chinese ;nineis lieini^ 
 einployt'd; the yield for 187<i, aeeordiny; to the same authority, was only 
 al)otit 825,(100, Much lahour aiul nioney is heinj;' expended to bring in 
 water at a suftteient height to work the hills and bcnohos of Wild liorse 
 Creek. 
 
 The Omineea district has certainly not proved as rich as it was at one 
 time su]i])osed to he. and has in great part heen abandoned for tiie new 
 Held of (^assiar. In 1S75 the total |)opidation was sixty-eight; the 
 estimated gold ])rodMct. S3-,000. The niimher of miners in ]87(> was 
 still smallei'. I have sj)oken to several men who have left this uistrict, 
 hut who still appear favourably impressed with its prospects. Thetru'is- 
 portof supplies from Vide costs eighteen centsa pound, causing provisions 
 of all sorts to be so dear that a miner cannot afford to stay unless he has 
 a ri( h paying claim. Kxtensive j)rospecting is (juite out of the (piestion 
 as a ])rivate enterprise, and, in consequence, great areas remain yet untried. 
 Mr. l*agi\ late governmcid agent in the district, believes the Findluy 
 Brancli to be sjiecially worthy of examination. 
 
 A sam]tle oi (piaitz, with some galena, obtained on a stream running 
 into MiMison Creek, thirty miles from Dunkeld, which was transmitted 
 by Mr. travin Hamilton, of Stuart's Lake, proved on examination by Mr. 
 Hotfinan, in the laboratoiy of the survev. to contain 8.0tl oz. of silver to 
 the ton, with traces of gold ; the silver being contained in the galena, 
 which is conHned to a small portion of the vein-stone oxamine<l, and must 
 be highly argcnliforous.* Other veins reported in this district have not 
 been examined. 
 Native silver. Niiggets and pellets of native silver, generally worn and rounded, but 
 
 occasionally rough, and seeming as though reeci *iy freed from the matrix, 
 have been found in considerable abundance in ">mo streams during gold- 
 washing operations. The}' are specially noticeable in Vital Creek, I 
 believe, but have attractjd little attention, and have not been traced to 
 their source. On analysis, the nuggets are found to contain a few per cent. 
 
 ArgentifonmH 
 galviia fruiii 
 Omineru 
 
 Report of Progress. lS7r> 76, p. 430 
 
MtNRS AVn MFNEPU.S OF HKITISH roi.lJMniA. 15 
 
 of T)i(<i'ciii'v in comltiiiatii'ii. aiKl iiuiy, tl (mtIoi'c. lie inoiv cDiTcctly 
 (•l.'i'^scd as native atnaliciun. 
 
 Tiic Cassiar (listi-ict is tli'.' latest and most noi'thorn disfo^orv on tlio cwsiur dihtriot' 
 aiii'ilt'i'oiis ln'lt of f5rilisli (;()luinl)ia. Iteiiiir situated al'ont north lalitudo 
 5l>°, and separated tVoni Oniineca liy over ;{00 miles of roii!,'h eountry, 
 unknown •jTOotfrapliieally, ard scarcely if at all. prosjiectod. (Jold lias 
 loni; been known on tlie lower |iart of the liiver Stiekcne, liy which 
 Cassiar is ajiproaclied from (he coast : Imt it occurs there in liixht scaly 
 particles, like those ohtained on many of the hars of the Kraser. The 
 rich deposits lately discovero(l. lie on the sources of the River l)ease and 
 ahoiit Dcase Lake, the njtper end of the latter heini; separated by only a 
 few miles of low country from a part .)f thoSlickene. The Deaso empties 
 into the Mackenzie, and thus passes to the Aix'tic Sea. The discovery of 
 this district is due to Mr. Thihcrt and a comj)anion, who reached it trom 
 the east in 1H72, after three years spent in trappinir and pros|tectin<f. 
 Mr. fJood, in the report already referrtii to. states that the areii of the 
 Cassiar yold-tield, as at present developed, comprises a tract of country ol 
 at least iJOO s(nuire miles. The ntimlier of miners employed diirinii; the ooidyieid. 
 summer of IS75 was over SOO. and the i^'old olitainod is estimated at a 
 little less than a million ol dollars. In ISTti. accordiui'- to the IJeport of 
 the Minister of .Mines of Mritish ('ohimhia, the estimated ^'okl yield was 
 ?55(i,474, and 1.5(10 miners and others visited the mines. The yield for 
 1877 is estimated hy Mr. V'owell, (iold ( 'ommi>sioner, at §-HI!l,837. The 
 r.umlier of men at the mines, exclusive of rn<lians, is said at no time to 
 have excei'ded l,li(t(>. of whom 3<)0 to 400 were (.'briese. Pease ami Mc- 
 Dame Creeks, the two most important in the district, are ahout one 
 hun<lreil miles apai't, while discoveiMcs have been pushed northwar<l and 
 eastward on river systems connected with the IVase to a distance esti- 
 mated at 370 miles, in a reu;ion which pi-ohahly lies beyond the Province 
 of British Coliinibia. and in tlie as yet inioruanised North-west Territory. 
 A promisiui; (]nartz vein, containini;' ,ii;old, silvei' and copper, has been 
 discovered on Mcl)ame (.'reek, and a lode ot ary'entiferous galena on the 
 River Francis oi- l)eh>ire. 
 
 The Cassiar mines are worked under enormous disadvantiigcs. situated nifflonlties of 
 in an almost arctic climate, where the soil is permaiuoitly iVozeii at a stnall e'lL'siar."'"''' '" 
 depth below (lie stirfuee on the shady sides of the valleys, with a short 
 
 j season during which the water-courses are liable to floods, disawtroiis to 
 the mines; reachdl after a sea voyage from Victoria, hy the Riv(>r 
 
 , St'ckene, only a part of which i> navigable even under tlie most favoraltle 
 circumstances, and with supplies of all sorts at lamine prices — oJily iho 
 
 J 
 
16 
 
 MINES AM» .MINERALS (IK HUITI.SII COLUMHIA. 
 
 Pincers of the 
 Frascr Uiver. 
 
 Ociiurrciicf ul 
 
 Viiiit'oiivcr 
 Island. 
 
 Iiiiflily iiiiiit'crnii> cliai-acloi' of xxno parts of tlio iliNtrict continues lo 
 niidcr it atlractive. It is scarcoly liUt'ly liiat any itnpioveinont in lliu 
 niraii> <>!' c'dniiiiiiiiicalion in iho more scltlcil portions of liritisli Colnniliiii 
 will inalcriaily atli'cl Cassair, but tlic oxistenco of its rich tioposits is 
 important as slio\vin<;: the continuity of the auriferous Ijolt of iliecounli-y ; 
 and if rich metallitorous veins can ho proved to exist, on which more 
 pi-rmanent mining may ho carried on, (Cassair may yet rise on its own 
 merits to he an important mininj^ district, drawing its supphes hy im- 
 proMil trails, or hy a load, from tlie central portions of tlio Province, 
 lieel' cattle are even now tliiv*'n overland from the Lower Frasor to 
 Cassiar. 
 
 It will he unnoci'ssary to refer at any lenijth to i!h Frascr Ilivei'gold 
 (lc|)osils, the first to attract notice, hut rich in otdy a small portion of 
 their extent. It is estimatod hy .Mr. (iood, that aiiout 850.0(10 wortii of 
 'H'olil was produced on the Frascr diiriiii;- \H~'y. the minin<; hein^' chioHy in 
 till' hands of ('hiiiameii and Indians. For iSTd a partial return gives a 
 yield ot ahniit S 12,0(»0. The gold occurs along the whole course of the 
 Frascr, irrespeclive of the t(>rmufion over which the river may pu.ss. 
 Ili'avy gold has been (diiefly found from a few miles below Boston 
 Bar ti> SisUa Flat, near Lytton, and on the Thomiison, near Nicommcn. 
 It is iiodoiihl derived from the rocks of the neighbourhood, The richest 
 dejiosits are supposed to ho worked out, though it is quite jirohahle that 
 many of the benches would pay for hydraulic u^)rking properly aji- 
 jininted. 
 
 In \'aiici\,ver Island, the Leech River District, situated about twenty 
 miles from Victoria, attracted much notice at one time, and yielded a 
 considerable ([iianlity of gold in a small area. The total product has 
 been estimated at 8100,000. It is interesting in having been discovered 
 li\' a government prospecting expedition lifted out for the purpose. The 
 rocks I believe to be of the saine ago as those ol" the other gold i-ogions, 
 and if this be so it proves the persistent auriferous character of this 
 horizon over u groat area, embracing, it may bo saitl, the whole of British 
 Columbia, (rold in small ([uantities has also l»een found in other pai'ts of 
 Vancouver Island, but, owing to the impenetrable character of the forests, 
 comparatively little is known of anj' part of its interior. 
 
 ; .:,;] 
 
MINES AND MINERALS (tK nillTlSH rOLUMBIA. 
 
 17 
 
 (!i>Al, AND IjIUNITK IJkAKINO l"'iiKMArii)NS. 
 
 A liiK' ilriiwii oil llic iiiiii!! v-scvonlli iiu'i-idiiiii >('pftr;ilt.'s pri'tiy cxiiclK- ••'ii<i-i«irin(f 
 tlio coiil-boiii'iMii: I'triiialioiis of AiiU'i'ii-ii iiilo l\V(» chissos. \Vi'>l of I'lastci'D '■•'•^t ;uiii west 
 Xoltniskii, tin- Ciii'ltKDiri '.■(Ills toniialion. propoi'ly so calloil, wliiili yields 
 the coiils ot Nuvji Scotia ami llic Slati-s east ol' llu- .Missis>i|i|»i, ceases to 
 bo pfoliictivo. Tlie sliales and >aiidstoiios associated wiMi llie coals 
 of tlio oast ai'O i^i'adiiaily iv|ilaced ly limestones, wliicli underlie tlie ( ireat 
 Plains, and, lliouii;li the lorniation does not pfcserve its piu'i'ly calcareous 
 nuliiro on the west coast, it still shows little tcn<lciicy to n-^iiMie its coal- 
 bourin.i^characler. The coals and li'^nitcs of the wi'st are found at various 
 horizons in the Secondary and 'rerliary roc cs. which in the eastern iviiions 
 uro develo|)ed on a comparatively small scale, ami are not eoal-prodiiciiii;-. 
 Valiiahlo coal deposits may yet, however, ho found in tlu' Carhoniferous i>„Nsibiiit.v .if 
 
 .. .1 ,. .11 . i' .1 clinuiM'ry'iif 
 
 lormalion pro|tor ot llie lar wi'st ; and wiieic, as on >ome parts ot the I'uiu'uzDic coals. 
 west coast, calcjirooiis ro(d\s of tin* aife are largely ri'placcil by argilla- 
 ceous and arenaceous beds, the probability i f the discovery of coal is 
 iffoatest. I believe, indeed, that in a le\s localities in .Nevada, coaly shales, 
 used to some o.xtent as fuel in the aiisence of hotter, are found in rocks 
 supposed to be of this ai;'o. The discovi'iy of certain fossils in lH7(i 
 in llie limestones of the Lower Cache Ci'eek group now allow these- and 
 probably also the associated (piartzites and other rocks to be correlated 
 witii tills poriiKl; and it is worthy of mention that bla(d< shales, with a 
 considerable porcenlaii'e ol anthraciliv' carbon, occur in connection with 
 those in several places, and may yet be found, in some i)ai'ls of tlu'ir 
 extension, to become of economic value Mr. Kitdiardson has also found 
 small fra^'inents of true anthracite, in rocks whndi are very ])rol)ably ot 
 this age, on the shoi-cs of Cowitchen Ha}' ; and inlaml, seams ol' anthra- 
 cite, with regard to which notliing certain is yet known, are reported to 
 exist. Of these, several specimens have l»een l)rought out, and thoiigii 
 probably inconsiderable in thickness, they seem to deserve examination. 
 
 Tho fbrniations known to ])roduce fuels of economic value in Britisli The eoai-iienring 
 Columbia may be classed in three divisions, as follows : — 1. Lower c.'.'iumbia""'''*'' 
 Cretaceous or Cretacco- Jurassic rocks of Queen Charlotte Islands, etc., hold- 
 inij anthracite ; 2. Cretaceous rocks of Vancouver Island, etc., with bituminous 
 coal ; 3. Tertiary rocks, with bituDiiuouH coal and lt(jnite. 
 
 The tir.st-namod series of rocks is only as yet known to hold coal on 
 tho Queen Charlotte Islands, where, at a place named Cowgitz, the Queen 
 Charlotte Coal Mining Compattiy, formed by some gentlemen in Victoria,, 
 begun mining operations some years ago, but eventually abandoned then\ 
 
18 
 
 MINES AND MtNERAl.H OK DniTISII COLUMBIA. 
 
 Anthrarltc of 
 QiR'eii t'litrlotte 
 UlaiiUs. 
 
 Annlysis of 
 aiithracitr 
 
 on iucount of the ii'roi,'ularify of 1I10 ilcp "t. This locality han been 
 oxainiiuvl :iiitl i'0])orto(l on l)y Mr. Richardson,* wlio inudo a short viHit to 
 the island for that purpose. Th»« best seam had n thickness of a little over 
 six feet for a distance of about sixt}- or seventy feet, but became mixed 
 with shale and iiniestone, and wa* eventually lost. A second bed of good 
 anihrucite, two feet live inches in thickness, also occurs, with other thin 
 seams. A man who wus afterwuriU. employ(»d by the comp'uiy to under- 
 take explorations on their behalf, traced the continuations of the beds for 
 three or four miles, and reports having obsoi'veil outcrops of coal seams on 
 most (tf the streams he crossed. It is also reported by the Indians that 
 a well-marked coal seam occurs about fourteen miles from the original 
 locality in a soiith-ciisterly direction, on the south side of Skidegato 
 (jhunnel, which would give an extent of at least twenty miles to this area 
 of the ouul-bearing rocks in that direction ; the facts indicating, as Mr, 
 Richardson remarks, the general permanence and continuity of the coal 
 beds, however variable they may be in detail. Between Cowgitz and 
 Masset. on the north end of the island — from which .samples of anthracite 
 coal have also been brought — a level country is reported to exist, below 
 which Mr. Richardson .su})poses the coal formation may also extend, and 
 should it be touiid to do so, the total length of the coal area on the Queen 
 Charlotte Islands would be little short of one hundred miles. 
 
 In composition, the anthracite of the Queen C'harlotte Islands compares 
 favourably with that from Pennsylvania. The following analyses by Dr. 
 llarringtonf were from samples collected by Mr. Richunlson ; No. 1 being 
 from the six-foot seam ; JJo. 2 from the so-called three-foot seam (2 feet 
 5 inches) : — 
 
 I. 
 
 Water 1 GO 
 
 Volatih' combustible matter 5'02 
 
 Fixed Carbon «.S"0!) 
 
 Sulphur 1 '53 
 
 Ash 8-70 
 
 100 00 
 
 II. 
 
 1-89 
 477 
 85-76 
 089 
 l)t)9 
 
 10000 
 
 Equivalents of Rocks ol' the sauu' ugc wilh the coal-bearing series of .he Queen 
 
 ?8"and m'iti'""*' Charlotte Islands are probabl} present al.so on the mainland, where 
 
 elsewhere. fossils indicating a horizon both somewhat higher, and a little lower in 
 
 the geological scale have already been found, and apparently occur in 
 
 ditl'erent parts of a great eouibrmable rock series, though this cannot 
 
 yet be contidently stated. These rocks are extensively develojied on 
 
 ♦ Report of Progress, 1875-78, p. 66. 
 
 t Op. cit., p. 81. 
 
MtNES ANt» MINKHAI.S ol' HRITISII COLlMBIA. 
 
 ID 
 
 tlio caKteni HiiriUs ol' tlio Coiist Uaiij,'i'. lu-ar tin; liciul wiitor-t of hoth 
 branches ((t'tlio Iloiuatlico, and proliaMy (icciiriii coiiMiilorahlo foi'ce, witli 
 a Himilai' iolatii)ri to tliis axi>i ol distiiihaiu'o llii'oii^liout lis loii^tli, as tlio 
 explorations of last suinnior have led to tlio discovofy ol' rocks near the 
 HUino horizon, on the litasyoiu-o and Salmon Itivors, in laliliuk) 52° 50. 
 T(^ vvliiif oxtent those lower .Mesozoio rooUs may conlinuo to hold 
 coal on t' > nuiinlatitl, or wliollioi' llioy ontiroly coaso to do so, remains 
 as H nuitar lor I'lilure iMMjuiry, tliou^li it may be stated hero that 
 on Tatlayoeo Lake and olsewliere, sumo carbonaeeous matter, with 
 brokei! fragments of jdants, oeciirs in eonneetion witii shaly bods. 
 Tho rooks of tiiis group well de>ervo a more oarel'id and extondwl 
 oxaminatioti; and lor tho purpose of ascertaining thoir thickness and 
 real charactci', the coast sections of tho (^110011 Chariot lo Islands ai'o 
 probably liest adapted, and once wo'ked up would serve as a standard of 
 com])arison for other and loss accessible regions. 
 
 The rocks of tho second class are best ropresoatod in tho coal-tiolds of cretaceous coal 
 Nanaimo and Comox, on Vancouvoi" Island, and are now well ascertained Vanoduver 
 to bo of Cretaceous ago. Coal is said to have boon discovered at Nanaimo 
 by the li.dians about twenty-two years ago. Through them the Hudson 
 Bay Company hoard of its existence, and Milisoqiieiitly began to work it. 
 In 1861 they sold their mine, now known as the Vancouver Colliery, tc 
 an English Company. 
 
 The Comox and Nanaimo areas have boon thoroughly examined by Mr. 
 liichardson. They ai'o described in lii> reports for 1871-72, 1872-73, 
 1873-74, und will l)o more completely treated of in a fortlicomiiig report. 
 
 Quoting from the rojiort of 1871-72, the coal measures are described as Extent of coal 
 resting in a " narrow trough, which may bo said to extend to tho vicinity 
 ol Capo Mudge on the north-west, and to ajiproach lo within tilloen miles 
 of Victoria on the south-east, with a length of about 130 miles. " The 
 surface of the country is, generally, rolling^ with no elevations rising to 
 a greater height than 800 loot, and, in somei)laces, is comparatively levol. 
 Tho rucks accompanying tho coals are sandstones, conglomerates and 
 shales, and are often false-bedded on a large scale. They hold abundance 
 ol fossil plants and marine shells in some places, and in ap])earanco and 
 degree of metamorphism much resemble tho true Carboniferous i-ocks of 
 some parts of Eastern America. 
 
 On the Nanaimo area there aro .three com|)Hnies now at work, tJie „ 
 
 ' ^ ' Nanaimo are* 
 
 mines being known respectively as tho Vaiicou\ r, Wolliiigton and Hare- 
 wood. Tho tAvo lirsl carry their coal lo llio wharf l)y s'lorl railways on 
 which locomotives aie used j while tho last named is pi )vidod with an 
 
20 
 
 MINES AND MINERALS nV nRITISH COLUMBIA 
 
 Number mid 
 thicknu^-i of 
 seoing. 
 
 Htatistius of, 
 laliDur aiiJ 
 out-put. 
 
 Comox area. 
 
 Suctions across 
 the basin. 
 
 acriiil vvii'f tramway. Two soains ai'c worked in the Vancouver Com- 
 pany's Mine, res[)ectiv'ely six tool and three I'loI in liiiekiiess, and 
 |)roi)ably averauiini;', toifother, eiy;ht toot of clean coal. The seams wore 
 hitely lost aL a t'aiill, but have been recovered at a sliylitly increased 
 depth by boring!,', the thickness oi' the upper .seam beiiii;" reported at 
 nine feet in tiie bore-hole. The coal bed worked by the Wellington 
 Company, at Departure Bay, avei'ai;-es nine feet si.v: inches, while ;i second 
 seam, stated to be six feet thick, is known, but is not used. The seam at 
 the Hare wood Mine avci-a^'cs five to six feet in thickricss, and three and 
 u-half feel iielow if is a seam three feet thick. It is dittteult to ascertain 
 the precise equivalency of the ditferent beds, but Mr. Richardson is f>f 
 opinion that those of the Vancouver and Wellinglon areas re])i'e.-<ent each 
 othe r. 
 
 The coal is \vorke(|. I believe, on the pillai- and stall system, though 
 parts of the seams have iieen so stee])ly inclined as to re((uii"e stoping. 
 The miners empl <yed are Whites, Chinese and Indians. Mr. Good states 
 the number of each, for the year 1S75. to be as follows : — Whites, 3iH) ; 
 Chinese, 17<) ; Indians, 51 ; giving a total of (')2'.]. The wages earned by 
 tile Whiles vary from $'2.iH) to $5.00 a day; l)y the (Jhinesi- and Indians, 
 from $1.00 to 81.f)tl. The total out-put of coal for 187.') is given at 
 110,145 tons, being an increas ■ of 2.'-' 507 tons 12 cwt. over that ol 
 1874. During 1870 the out-put is stated t<j havi' been 140,187 tons, 
 showing an increase of 20,042 tons over 1875. At the mines the coal 
 sells at $5.00 to $(i.00 a ton ; in San Francisco it commands about $10.00. 
 
 The Comox area lias probably a greater extent of productive measures . 
 anil may eventually become moi'e important than the Nanaimo, and "t 
 the present lime a comjiany are in a ])osilioii to shi]) coal there, having 
 coiLstructed a railway and the necessary wharves and works. Mr. 
 Richardson gives a number of carelully meahurcd .sections of the Comox 
 area,-'- showing liieir chai'acter along various parts of a line, which, 
 following the direction of the oiitci'o[ of the beds, is about th'rty miles 
 in length. On Briwifs River, furthest north, almost the entire mass of 
 the productive measures is exposetl in a tiiickness of 739 feet 6 inclioa 
 of beds. In this section nine coal seams occur, witii an aggregate 
 thickness of 16 feet 3 inches, the thickest beil being the lowest in the 
 series, and averaging 7 feet. In a section ol' 122 feet at the Union 
 mine, ten coal seams, witii an aggregate thickness of 29 feet 3 inches 
 occur, the thickest seam being 10 feet. This section represents only u 
 
 ' Rc|H)rt u( Frugreas, lb72-3, p. 85 et seq. 
 
JUNES AND iMINERAKS i>V lilllTISlI COLUMBIA. 
 
 21 
 
 small pai't of tlu! prodiiclivo divi-ion. In a third soctioii, on Trent 
 Hiver — a,i;'ain onihraciny,- nearly llie ontiro thickness of the prodnctive 
 measni'es — tliird-en soams are foiind, with an aii'i^regato thickni'ss of 
 only IS feet 1 iiH-li, the Ihiekest lie(l heini!.- 'A feet H inches. On the 
 area of the Raynes Sound Coin])any, in 2:i(l feet 10 inches of measures, 
 two seams of (i feet ami 5 feel 10 iiiclie-, I'especlivel}'. occur. 
 
 Mr. Richardsoir'-' estimates the extent of countr}' undei'lain by the Extent of busin 
 jiroductive measui-es at 300 s(|uarc miles, without takini^- into considera- 
 tion that wldeli may lie beyond the shore ; and computiuii,' the total 
 thickness of workable ctnd in the I'liion ('om])any's property at a little 
 over Iwcnty-Hve feet, calculates the (piaiitity of coal underlying the 
 surface at 25,000 tons ]ier acre, or Ui, 000, 000 tons per ,->(juare uiile for 
 this part of ihe ivy-ion. 
 
 it will be seen, from llu' oullines of sections yiven ai)ove, that the chamctcr of tho 
 productive coal rocks of Coino.K. thoui;h liirouii'iiout preservim^- their 
 carbonifei'oiis character, ;,i'oiiab|y vary considerably iu the number of 
 seams containeil, and even moi'e widely in the thickness of ihe individual 
 seams in ditl'erent ])arts ot' their extent. This variabiluy aj)j)ears to be 
 e(pudly found in all parts of the N'ancouver coal fields which have been 
 exanuned, and contrasts with the i!,-realer comiiai'alivo rcii'ularity of tho.se 
 of many pai'tsof the Paheo/oic Carbouiferou-> foiniation. In th' working 
 of these beds, ihe next mo.t imjiorlant ex|>loratioii afler the mere 
 definition of the co;il-basins, will b<^ the proving of the seams from point 
 to point by boring o]ieratioiis. To this end the dianioi,,! drill hasali-eaily 
 iieen used with good result. 
 
 In quality the Vancouver coals are found superioi* foi- all practical (^mviity of 
 
 II 1 n •/• .1 1 • Vancouver 
 
 purposes, to any worked on the I'acihc coast, and command, in conse- itiaiuicoai. 
 quence, a higher ])rice. The comparativcl}- limited scale on which the 
 workings are at ])reseiit carried on, is owing to the small demaiul for 
 local j)urposes ;ind »iie high duly iu )sed on the coal eiilering San 
 Francisco, the chief toreign mtu'ket. In spite of this, however, Xanaimo 
 coal is used on the western section of the Central I'acitic liailway. 
 
 As an impartial estimate showing the superiority of the Vancouver 
 Island coals, the following table eslablisliing .he comparative value of 
 these and other fuels for steam raising purpo^ os. by the War Depiulnicnt 
 of the United States, will be intere.stiiig. 
 
 One coj'd (8 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet) of merchantublu ouk wood is thorc 
 J said to bo equal to: — 
 
 
 * Ucport of ProfeTcss, 18V1-'-, p. SO. 
 
 ri'" - 
 
22 MINES AND MINEHALS OF lUlITrSIl rOLUiMBIA. 
 
 Comparative 1,800 lbs, Naniiiiud Coiil i Vancouver Island.) 
 
 wcstootuit. 2,200 " Hcllinuliani IJiiy Coil! (Wasliin.uloM rcnitory.) 
 
 2,400 " Siiittk' Coal \Vasliia;;t(in T>iiitory.) 
 
 2,500 " R()<ky ]Vi> nitain Coal i Wyoming, kv.) 
 
 2,000 " Coos Hay Coal lOrcgon.) 
 
 2,C00 " Mount Diablo Coal (Califoiuia.) 
 
 wm[iI*';tioni.f ^'■- nsiri'iii,o-ioii has i;-ivcii tlic toilowiiio- stiik'inoiit oi' llic avoi'a^c 
 Vaiicou. or cells. i-oinposUicjii of llic coal.s of VaiicoiiviT l.^laiid, as dudiKHMl Irom liis 
 uimlyso.s : -i^ 
 
 Sluw coking'. Kiist coking. 
 
 Water 117 1-47 
 
 Volatile conibustible niattiT I'H-l'j 32-09 
 
 Fi.Ked carbon 64-0,') r)0-5,5 
 
 Ash 0-29 6'29 
 
 lOO'OO 100-00 
 
 111 a sample from tho Union Mino, Comox, the ])ort'C'iiUiifc of asli i.s 
 only 2-8;J. 
 Other coal areas Nanainio aiul ( 'oiuox are not llu; only Unowii t-oal fields of Vaneoiiver 
 
 of Vancouver 
 
 i9iai>J- Island. Coal oe^-lll^■, and was woi-Ued al one time hy the Hudson J5ay 
 
 Cctmpany, near Fori IiLi])ert,oii lliu nortli-eastern ;'oast of t!ie island. A 
 low, flat eoiintiy is reported to stroteli from here to (iuutseno Sound on 
 the west eoast, where the eoal roeks are ao-aiii known. Some examina- 
 tion of the latter loeality was made al one time for an Eiio-lish t'oinpany, 
 who had aeijuired propei'ty thei'e, liy .Mr. Lan tail. Mr. 11. ]>. Brown, 
 the hotanist, also vi>iled the reii,'ion in IStjt), and wi-ites rei;'av(ling it : 
 " My opinion is decided that tlu^ ivoskomo (Quatseno) (-oal Held is the liest 
 yet discovered in \'aiicouver Island, ihi'iinh unopened out, not only on 
 aeeount of tlie sujierior (juality of the eoal, but the ready aeeessiliilily of 
 the mines from the I'aeific, without the tedious inland iiavioation roipii- 
 rtite for reaching- the mines on the eastern .sealioardof the island." The 
 main seam is stated hy .Mr. Ijandail to he four feet six inches in thickness, 
 and the ([iialily ol the coaU. as -^howii hy his analyses, is o-ood. !le 
 estimates the coal of the j)art of the (Quatseno basin he examined, makino- 
 jiUowance for faults, ki\, at ;ilJ,(tOO,000 tons. 
 
 Mr. Richardson also de.sci'ibes the oc(-iirreiice of rocks of the coal 
 soi'ies at the head o- Alberni Canal, opening- into liarcia}- Sound on the 
 west coast. Hpeciniens of c<)al have been ])Vocured there, but the mode 
 of its occurrence i> not known ; neither this locality nor ihoso on tin- 
 
 ' Ueporl oi Progreus, 18(-2-a, p. 79. 
 
MINES AND AflNERAI.S (iK RRirrSII roLUMBIA. 23 
 
 nortliorn part of llir i>liiiiil liiivinn- y.i hccii I'xaiiiiiied hy tin- (iooloificul 
 Survey. 
 
 The interior of Vancouver Islaii'l lieiiin" eoni|iarativeiy unknown, even 
 in rei^arcl to its main topogriijiliical features, ii is not iiHi)rol(al)le lliat a 
 geological examination may liriiin- t,, ijuht cojil ureas, wliicli may be 
 extensive and important, in tlie valleys i>f tlu' iniei-im-. A eonsideralile 
 pai't of the crumpliiii;' and inetanioi'|)hism of the older rocks is of post- 
 eretaeeOMs date, a fact which renders il (pute possihie Lliat oiillvers of tiiu 
 coal I'ocks maybe found toldi-d into otlicr>ynclinals, besides tlio.st> already 
 known alony the coast-line. 
 
 The (piolion of the possilile occurrence of coal-ljcariny,' rocks ot liio 
 age of those of Vaneoiivei- Island on the mainland of Jiritish Columbia, 
 is one on which little can be s:iid. 'I'he c()uivalents of these rocks have 
 not yet i)een d-stinctly rocogni/AMl. nor is it known whether it will 
 ^•entiially be po.ssible io sepi..ate them by any well marked line from 
 iC lowei' rocks of the Queen Charlotte Islands and their rei»resentativcs 
 on the mainland. 
 
 The coast sections of Vancouver and the (^uee-n Chai'lotte Islands 
 will probably atl'ord the means ot determining the relations (jf the two 
 series. 
 
 The Tertiary roeks of British ('olumbia aj)i)ear to hold both true coal 
 and brown coal oi- lignite, though tiiis series is bettei- known in its exteii- 
 Hion Houtliwards in Washington Territory than within the limits of the 
 province. At Ikdlingbam Hay. and at Seattle, on I'uget Sound, it has 
 been worked for a number >f years, and the mines of the lattei- locality 
 are now in a flourishing slate, and shi]) large (piantities of coal to San 
 Francisco, which, though inferior to that of Xanuimo, can compete with 
 it, owing to the i)i-otective duty. The Seattle coal seams are said to bo 
 five in number, and to vaiy from four to twelve feet in thicknes. In 
 quality they may be considered equal to the better class of lignites from 
 the westei-n plains and Eocky Mountain JJegion, which are ibund to bo 
 sufficiently good for steam raising and most ordinary pur])oses, but com- 
 pare unfavoi-ably with true coals. .Mr. Macfarlane, in his work on coals, 
 gives the f()llo\ving analysis oi' that of Seattle; — 
 
 ^^'ater H-CO 
 
 Volatile combustible matter 35-49 
 
 Fixed Carbon t5'97 
 
 Aah 6-44 
 
 The Tertiary rocks of Paget Sound have never been thoroughlj- ex- 
 amined, but it is believed by those who have studied them for the 
 
 Prnhahility of 
 further 
 (li»(,'( ivories. 
 
 Tcrtiiiry 
 
 cdiil-lioariiig 
 
 nicka. 
 
 C'cllllsilf 
 
 Wasliiii(ft(>ii 
 Turritiirv. 
 
24 
 
 MINES AND SriNKHAI.S (i|' HUITISM COI.rMniA. 
 
 Same measures 
 contimiMUs <m 
 Lower tVaser. 
 
 Tertiary rocks 
 elsewhere uii the 
 cuont. 
 
 )»iii'|i()so of traciiiif lln' senium of cunl, thai. Icaviiin' nut of coiisidei'ation 
 tlu' iiiiiior irrcuiiliii'ilic'. llicy lie in a wide Iroiiii'h Iictwci'ii tlii' Olympic 
 and* 'a^caili' Moiiiit;iiii';. In the icniral pari of this troiiu'li. ami strati- 
 1,'i'apliii'aily liic upper pait of lite x'rics. tin- fuels are liii'iiitcs; lower 
 down in tin' crifs tlicso are fi'placcd hy fucd- more closely rescml>liiig 
 true coals, and on tlic oiittrr edi^cs of tlic Iroiiuh \,y cojils in some phfos 
 so much allci'cd that llicy have lieen called anthraciles. It is possible 
 that all these 'I'ertiary rocks i'i'>t uncontormalily (Ui the Cretaeeoiis, and 
 ari' >eparatcd from it l>y a lap-«c of time durinu' which loldiii;;' of the 
 oldi'r lieds ami elevation of mountain- took place; hut i( is not iinpro- 
 lialile that in sduie places tncrt' may he a more or less complete series of 
 passag-e hetls between ( 'ivlaceous and Tertiary, as occurs mu tlie eastern 
 slopes of the liO(d»y Mountains; ov that there may evi'n be two uiicoiu- 
 formable series of Tertiary rocks. 
 
 The Tertiary coal measures of Puuel Sound and liellinn'hani Hay are 
 continuous nonh ol the 4'.Uh parallel, and mn.-t underlie nearly 1,(100 
 scpiare miles of the low country about the estuary of the Frasei' and in 
 the lower ]>art of its valley. Lignite has been I'ound in connection with 
 these rocks at Burrar(l lidet iind other localities, and specimenN of a 
 fuel reseudilinu; true bituininous coal (and coking- on the application of 
 heat) have Ikh'Ii obtained near the Fra>er above New Westminster. TJie 
 remarkably good specimen of coal from the River C'hilliwack, of which 
 an analysis iiy l)r. Harrington is given on page 9!* of the Geological 
 Survey Re])ort Ibi' 1873-74, is probably from this series. The seams, so 
 far as known, are (|uito thin, l)ut the low country underlain by the 
 formation is deeply covered with driit and alluvium, and exposures are 
 few. Mr. Iiichardson has made a slight exiimination of the coast 
 sections on the shores of Uurrard Inlet, but the rest of this district has 
 not been worked out. A geological examination, embracing all the 
 known outcrops, would jtrobably have to be supplemented by boring 
 opei'ations in well-chosen localities before the value of the coals and 
 lignites of these rocks can be ascertained. 
 
 Tei'tiary rocks holding lignite, are found fringing other parts of the 
 eo.'isf in greater or less width. They have been seen nctir Sooke, and at 
 various ](laees on the south-west coastof Vaiicotiver Island. They also 
 occur at (!lallam Bay on the south side of the Strtiit of Fuca, in W.isli- 
 ington Territory. None of these localities have been particiiiarly 
 examined, nor are thev likely to be of importance in view of the accessi- 
 bility of the superior coals of the Cretaceous, unless in some place thick 
 beds of lignite, somewhat j'e;->embling bituminous coal in its properties, 
 
MINKS AND MINTiRAI.S or nitlTISIl C(iI.rMHIA. 25 
 
 like tli.'it (if ScmMU', >1ioii1i1 lie IoiiikI (h ncciii'. II'mu'Ii \)ci\^ slmiild iirove 
 to I'.xist tlicy in;i\- ac(|iiirc mhim' iiii|inrl;iiH-c t'lom tlioir less dist'ii'luMl ;uicl 
 moio easily \v(irl<ali|c chaiactoi'. 
 
 liinMiitc ami coal t<)i'iiiali(iii> ol'Tci'liai'v nLfc ai'f kimwii tf> envoi' t^'roat 
 Iracis (»r llio iiitei'ior of I'rilisli ( 'oliiniliia, and il laii now lie sliowii, 
 fVnin sevei'al seeti<)ii> examined IunI siiinMier. llial in most, places llic 
 lioi'iy.ontal, oi' slii;litly-ineline<l lia.-allie, and oilier iij,'iieoiis flows of tlie 
 iiileiior plateau, are altaehed to. and lonii the latest rocdc-- of the lii;-iiite- 
 lieai'liiL!,' Tertiary. Fi'om this fact, and the known relation^ of the hed.s 
 in a immlier of loealiiii's. it i> hiu'liiy pi'oliaiiJe ihat sedimentary Tertiary 
 de|iosits iinderlii' a li'ivat jiart ol the area, showiiiLf only the later i,n-neous 
 ro(d<s at the surface, and wlu're\-er extensive exjiosiires of those Tertiary 
 deposits oeciir, inori' or les- coal or liiiiiite has lieeii i'oiiiid in associa- 
 tion with them. W'vy loimhly. in our proeiit comparatively slender 
 kiiowledu'c of tiie region, it may he otinialed that this formalion occupies 
 hetweeii the ")4th and UMli parallel of latitude, an area not less than 
 iL'.OOd >(|iiare miles. 
 
 Ill the Nicola Valley, near the iunction of the Coldwater. llie oceiii-- 
 rt'iiee of coal has lieeii known for some years, and on analysis it has 
 proved to he a Ipitiimiiiotis coal of vi'ry hi^-li class. The avoi'ai;-e of two 
 cletermiiialioiis, hy Dr. Ilarriiigtoii. uives the following- result: 
 
 Vdhitilo coiiilmstilik- matter and iiKiistiiic SGOCii 
 
 Fixed emboli Gl-290 
 
 A.sli 2-645 
 
 lOO'OOO 
 
 1 made a ciir.sory examination of this locality in November of lS7b', 
 and ji more detailed siirviy has been made during the past summer, of 
 which the results will be ])ui>lislied in the next Eeport ol' Progress. The 
 ciiief expo.sure of the coal is in the west bank of the ('l^arwatel• river, 
 which joins the Xieolu from the >oiitli. and down which one of the jiro- 
 posed linos lor the Canadian Pacific Railway passes in its wa}' from 
 Hope to Kamloops. T'iie original ojiening on the 0(jal was almost in 
 the bod of the river, and is now ([iiile tilled up. A second small opening 
 has. however, been made a little higher u])the bank, and iiere a thieknoss 
 of five foot three inclies of nearly pure coal is exjiosed, sejiarated by six 
 inches of sandstone fi'om a second underlyiiigseain, one foot four and a-hulf 
 inches thick. The coal-bed passes below aconsidei-able tlii(d<noss of pale- 
 yellovvisli, rather course-grained, soft sandstone, which crumbles under 
 the weather and uppears to dip here about north, at an angle of 10° to 
 
 Tortiary 
 
 oniil-lieariiiu 
 riifk.s (if tliu 
 liilfriiir. 
 
 Nicdia Valley 
 uoals. 
 
 Exposures. 
 
26 
 
 MINES AN11 MINERALS OF nRFTISII rOLKMBIA. 
 
 Kol:iti(in<<tii 
 vokaiiiL' rucks. 
 
 Extent of tliu 
 field. 
 
 Lignite coals of 
 other localities. 
 
 ir>°. Ill a scroinl c.xiiosiiiv. :ii llic di^iaiito >>i ahoiit a milo, in a ravino 
 ill llic soiitii l)aiii< i)\' the N'icohi, similar saiidstonos occur, sissociated 
 with iihici<isii siiales anii auaiii holding' <'oal. of which scvorul beds 
 arc seen. Hcyind the Coidwaler Vallev to the east, on the Xicohi, 
 older crystaliiie rociss ai>i)ear, iiittiiin' out the coal ineasiiivs ; but 
 westwanl the eujiis. with as-ociatcd >aihlstone, |>ass heiiealh a i^roat 
 thickiios of the rocl<s of the Tei'tiary vohaiiic series, dippiiiir, on the 
 whole, at low aiiifles lo the soutli-west. In t ''!i»wiii<>; the Nicola Valley 
 wesiward, the volcanic rocks are found !o n,.in the mass of the hills 
 which rise stee|ily on either side, well stiatitied tutiiceous sandstones, 
 probably connecleil with those of tho coal formation, are seen to rise 
 from time to time in the lower parts of tin- slojtes. These rocks are 
 also seen — preseiiliiii;- miicli the same characters, hut without ayain 
 sliowmi;' the low.-r saiid>lones — for aiioiit thirteen miles below tiie mouth 
 of the Nicola, on the !'hom|ison, making the width of the belt of country 
 here covereil by them about thirty-seven miles. 
 
 It has not yet been a>certaine I whether the sandstones and associated 
 coals underlie; the whole brea llh occupied by the voleanie rocks, which 
 may be considered as ihe upper [lart of the same formation. It is now 
 known, however, that the coal> really pass beneath the great volcanic 
 formation, and may reasonably be expected to occur over u considcirable 
 portion of its area. This (piestion is well worthy of careful investigation, 
 especially in view of the possible jia.ssage of the railway in tho vicinity 
 of these newer coal-measures. In the local al)sence of .sections sutticieiit 
 for the satisfactory definition of the rocks of the lower part of the series 
 — as on the lower Xicola V^alley — ihey are generally so situated that 
 they can be '.ested with coni[(arutive ease iiy String in well-choson locali- 
 ties. The coal-bearing rocks of the Nicola regii>n are also now known 
 to extend tar up the Coidwaler, and though not satisfactorily exposed, 
 contain more»or less coal. Similar roidcs have also been examined on 
 the North Thompson, about forty-five miles above Kamloops. They 
 contain coal of excellent (piality. but, so far as tho present small expo- 
 sures allow them to be seen, in thin seams. These, and other localities 
 visited during the past summer, will be reported on in detail in the next 
 IJeport of Progress. 
 
 Lignites or brown coals, are found abundantly in the u})per part of 
 the same formation. Near Marble Caiioii a bed of this material 
 surpasses forty feel in thickness, and impurlunt deposits also occur on 
 tho North and South Forks of tlie .Similkameeii. The lignites and 
 lignite formation of (^uosnel will be found described in Mr. Selwyn's 
 
MINES AND MINEKALS oi' lUUTISlI roLUMIMA. 
 
 27 
 
 preliminarv roporl of 1H71-2, jiiid in my own Ihi- IS"')-*). These lieds upiiteat 
 ui'c iiitei'i'sliDi^ nil accoiiiit i»| the plaiil ami insect remains preserved iii 
 tliem. Iiiit the lii;iiites lu-rc are, I liclicve, of no economic vahie. They 
 arc iiiixc(l wilh chiycy mailer, ami are otherwise |ioor in (|iiality ; and 
 are, appan-ntly, the result <il' tin' r.ilhcr tiimiilliioiis deposition ol' drift- 
 wood and other vc^ctaldc niatti'r. hy rapidly-nioviiiL;' waters. Lii;'iiite 
 ol' heller (piality, and apparently, in some in^laiues al least, siili resting 
 ill the locality where the wood pnidiiciiii; il i^rew, is, however, found in 
 otliei' places. Drift fragments of this fuel, of quality good enough for urift lignite, 
 ordinai-y ]»ui poses, are found on tiic Xa/co, l>iacl<water, Lower Nechacco, 
 Parsnip, Chilaceo, l-'raser IJiver at Lillonci. the 'riioiiipson lieh)w Kam- 
 loops Lake, iVc, and lignite i> i<miwii to occur in place on Lightning 
 CreeU (Carihoo). the I'ppcr Ne( hacco ([». S2). and Ivo-has-gan-ko Brook 
 (p. 7<')) hesides a iiuiiilier of localities on and near liic Fra.ser liivcr. 
 hetween (^ue>nel and Soda ('reck, whi(di have not het'ii e.vami.ied. 
 
 These lignites do not, of course, compare favourahly as fiu.s with the Value of lignites, 
 coals ot the Nicola Valhy, and would scarcely he of value unless found 
 ill thick aiKJ accessihle scams, and then "»r local use or in the ahseiice of 
 other iiiels. Coniparalively lilllc is yet known ahoiit their disirihution, 
 for though, as already -talcd, they prohahiy underlie a great part of the 
 hasallic plateau, llu' soil character of the associated heds allows theiri to 
 be easily worn away, leaving iiollo\v> into which tlu' hasalts and other 
 hard over-lying volcanic rocks, reailily crumhled by the weather, fall, 
 eonceuling the lignite out-crops. 
 
 llioN. 
 
 The most inijiorlant de]>osits of imii yet known in iJritish Columbia inmorcat 
 
 Tc\ad>L 
 
 are those of Texaila Island, which have iieeii cxamiued ;nid briefly 
 reported on by .Mr. Richardson.* The ore is a coarsely granular 
 magnetite, containing, according to analysis by Dr. Harrington, 68'40 
 per cent, of iron, wilh only •(lOM per cent, of phosphorous. It is 
 associated and inlt'rbcdded wilh liiuoloncs, cpidotic and diorilic rtteks, 
 supposed to 1)0 of Carboniferous age; and is well situated for mining, 
 Hniclting. and shipment, occurring within twenty miles of the point of 
 shipments of eoals of tlio Comox area, and contiguous to deep harbours; 
 while charc(»al in iinlimiled iiuantilies coulil he pre])ared in ihe imme- 
 diate vicinity. The largest exposure is on the south side of Texwfju 
 Island, about three miles north-west of (Jillies Vmy. Here the ore-bed is 
 
 
 Itupcirt of Protfres!), lH".'l-4. p. !lil. 
 
28 
 
 MINES AND MINERALS OF BIUTISII (.'OLUMniA. 
 
 Pi ^sibility of 
 iruii smcltiii);. 
 
 Iron smelting ,ii) 
 Or';gon. 
 
 CI»y Ironstonus. 
 
 fivvn to In' IVom t\\■oll'^• to t wi'iil \-H\ c Cci't iliic k, ;iiiil to ro>t on ''wy 
 ci_\>taliiiic' liiiiotoiu'. Willi wliicli, for iilnin twd licl ilowii, are iiiior- 
 stratilloil l;aii(U <<{' u:v of imm hairaiiiiirli t<> an iii''li in lliicknoss. 
 Fri'Ui ihi'> pdinl to tin- norili-woi, I'.ir nearly a mile, tlio \<cA is 
 oica^innally mth, and a( one plate there is a eoni iniioiis oxpusiii'o about 
 21)0 U'ct lon^', ami Iruni oiu; to ten feel thick. To the noi'th-ea>t it is 
 alx) >aiil to have hoen traced llir more than tliice miles. ="' Witli the 
 piesonl iii,i^li pi'ice of labour on the i'aeilic coa>t, and especially in 
 British Columbia, liio jiroiiiablo iMantifactiiri' of ii'on may apjK'ar to bo a 
 coiitini;ency of the remote future only; esju'cially in view of the low 
 rate of freii;hl at which tlii' west coast is su))i»lie(l with coal and iron 
 ti'om Britain, by vessels coiniiii;- out nearly liy,ht, for return (•arii;oes 
 oi' wheat fi'om California and Oi'en'on. In the neii;hbouriiin- State of 
 Oregon, however, the manufacture of charcoal iron has been instituted 
 for some ^-ears on a small scale, a siiii^de blast furnace beini; in oi)ora- 
 tioii with a product in ls74 of L',.")(l(l tons, for IST") of 1. (»(»() tons.f 
 ^Vhel■e iron ore and tiiel of tii'st rate ([iiality can thus be obtained 
 toi^ethei", it is oiten |io-sibie to coiupele siiccossfiill}', for many purposes, 
 with the lower t-lassed and jirieed iron most almndantly produced in 
 Britain. On the I'aeilie Coast, too, Cliinese labourers can be procured in 
 unlimited numbers, at jirices so low as to compare tiivourably with liio.se 
 of any })!'.rl of the world ; and the Chinese are notably apt in aecpiirin^ 
 prolicieiicy in the more >killed mechanical arts. 
 
 Clay iroii-stoiies are of t're(|Uent occurrence in the coal rocks of \''an- 
 eoiiver and (^ueen (Miarlolle Islands. They niii^ht, no doubt, in some 
 case?-, be prolilably worked in eonjmietion with tiie eoal seams, as they 
 occur at but small distances beneath them, and in some instances ai-e 
 even associated with the coal. Tlu' nodules vaiy in weight fi'oni a 
 jiound or less up to many tons, and Mr. liicliai'dson says that at the 
 Ba^'iies' Sound Mine a suiHcient ijuantily could ju-obably be obtained for 
 the regular supply of a blast fui'nace.| 
 
 Iron has been Ibuiid in smaller ijuantities in many other localities, but 
 little attention has bi'en paid as yet to those deposits, under the impres- 
 sion that, undei' present circumstances, they are of no value. The 
 formation containing the iron ore oi" Texudu is believed to be the same 
 as lliat eonsliluting the greater part of Vancouvo)- and its adjacent 
 island.s. 
 
 * DusciipUvu C'atiilogui" uf liuoiiniiik' Minerals of Ciiii., Phil. Inter. Exliil) , IbKi. 
 
 1 Jiiurn. Iron ami Steel Inst., tin. 1, ItiTH, p. 23i. 
 
 f Dr. U. J. Harrington in Apiicndix III. to Mr, Richardson's Kojiort, l!s72-7S, p. ti'i 
 
MINES AND MINERALS OF HHITISII COLUMDIA. 
 
 29 
 
 Difllciilty in 
 u|H:iiiiit( mines. 
 
 Sir.VER, CopPKH. .MEiU'iitr ani> otiiek Ores. 
 
 No work lull siicli jis may l)i' cla-x'il as prospoctiiiif or |irelimiimry 
 exploration, is, or Ikh Ikh'ii carrioil oiu on tlu' (Icjjosits of iiu'talliloroiis 
 ores ill Hritish Ooliiinltia. Various iiiii'ordiiiato circuinslaiu'es Imvo 
 provoiit('(l tli(< testing, on a lar_i;'t' scale, ol" liic loculitios known to bo 
 promisin;^, and niiicii nioncv liiis Itcon lost from timo to timo in injiidicioiiM 
 enterprises, wiiieh with a compui'alively sinull amount ol' knowledi^o of 
 minini^ and metalliferous deposits in oilier countries would have uvidded. 
 These eireumstaiices, coupled with llie dilliculty and expen.sc incurred 
 in explorini; the more rnn-ifed and tree-clad portions of the Province, 
 have tended, of late yeai's, to discourai^e enterprise in tiiis direction, and 
 to throw discredit on even the best of liie known ileposits. As soon as 
 one or two ])rt)perl)' conducted und payiiii,' mines can be seen in 0[)era- 
 tion, I feel convinced that the i^rowth of mining industry will beeomo as 
 rapid a> it hus heretofore been slow. 
 
 Silver. — Tiio best known argentiferous locality is that about six miles silver at Hope, 
 from Hope, on the F'rasor Kiver. which was discovei-ed al)out 1871. It 
 has not been visited b}' any member of the (Jeologital Survey, and from 
 its great elevation, is only easily accessible during the summer season. 
 The foi-raation in whi( b the i xles occui- conseqnentl}- i-emains unknown, 
 but from what 1 have iieai'd. I am iniiiiic(l t() believe that they may 
 traverse an oiitlyer of the Lower Ci'etaceoiis, which caps the Cascade 
 Crystalline rocks of tlie region. Tiie Minister of Mines, of British 
 Columbia, desci'ilies it as follows; — ••The lii'st lead, called the Kureka Euruiia Mine, 
 mine, crops out about 5,{H)i) feet above the river level, is well defined, 
 four to seven feet in thickness, and lias been traced 3,000 feet. A tunnel 
 has been driven int:) this lea'i 100 feet. The ore is described as argen- 
 tiferous grey (•o)>per, and lias yielded, under assay, $20 to $1,050 worth 
 of silver to the ton. 
 
 '' During the lime the above lead was being woi'ked, another, about 
 3,000 feet distant, was disc(>vered; this is of u fur more valuable 
 character, and is called the Van Bremer Mine. The ore is described as 
 chloride of silver, and has yielded, undei- assay, fnmi $25 to |!2,403 
 of silver per ton of rock. A quantity from the outcrop sold at Sun 
 Francisco at $420 a ton. The lead is distinctly traceable for half 
 a mile." 
 
 Specimens assayed Dy Dr. Harrinjjton and Dr. Hunt gave, respectively, 
 271-48 oz. and 347'OS oz. of silver to the ton of 2,000 pounds. Lead, 
 copper, antimony, iron, arsenic and sulphur, are also present. As above 
 
 Van Bremer 
 
 Mine. 
 
in 
 
 ol 
 
 111 
 
 I'O 
 
 fiv 
 ill 
 l'\ 
 w< 
 tl'i 
 
 s 
 
 30 MINES ANT) MINERALS OF nRITISII rOI.UMHIA. 
 
 stalod, tlio ore from this locality lias Ik'I'Ii sold at a roiniiiKM'ativc jirico in 
 the n)ii!,rli state, as oxtrarlcij from the niino, and carrii'd to the river hy 
 the in'ociit rude a|)]iliaiiccs. Ceriaiii iinfoi'tunate dittieiillies, with regard 
 to the ownership i>\' the property, now only appear to prevent tho sue- i''' 
 eessliil workim;' of this depowit, 
 
 (Jiiile latelv lodes, which are siiiiiinsed (o he either the eontinllafion^ 
 ot those ahove lU'M'iilied, or others niniuiii;' ]iarallel to them, iiave been J 
 discovered near the water level of the l-'raser, ap]iarently in a granitic 
 matrix. These contain silvei- and copper, hut the former in smaller j 
 (]iiMntity than in the I'lnrc'ka veins. 
 
 Silver at Cherry ( 'lierry ( 'leek, a 1 1 ihiitaiy of t he Shii>hwa|) or Spilleniecehono river, ^ 
 hetweeii ()k;iiiau,an and Arrow liiikes, is noted as a locality from wlueii '■ 
 specimens of reiiiaikahly rich silver ore have heen hroiinht, and where ■ 
 somewhat t'Xteiisive exploratory works have been carried on with the ; 
 hope of liniling it in pnyiiii;' quantity. The district has now heen 
 exaniineil. aiul thoiii;h iiDt yet prepared to re]iorl upon it in detail, 1 
 mav sav that. thoiii;h tlie vein oiiijinidlv worked on was reiiorted tits lo.st, : 
 I am hv no means hopeless as to its eventual recovery, and that the ; 
 nuinliei' and character of veins in the Chei'iy Creek country lead to the 
 iielief that it may eventually he an im])ortant miiiiiiu; region. 
 
 Native silver. As already mentioned, native silver, or silver amalgam, has heen found 
 
 in the Omineca district, and argentiferous galena ores occur in many 
 i)arts of the Province, hut have not yet heen develojied. 
 
 Copjicr. — Masses of native copper have heen found from time to time 
 in various jiarts of the Province, and though they have never heen oh- ' 
 served in their matrix, they are proijahly derived from some of the * ^^ 
 volcanic rocks. Small cu|iiiferoiis veins have also heen observed in ■ 
 vclcanic rocks of Tertiary ami Mesozoie iiges, in the gold rocks, the 
 cr\>taliine rocks of the Coast liange, and those already referred to as of 
 
 Coppcrat suppo^i'd Carboniferous age in Vancouver Island. The most promising 
 
 localitv at ])resent known is situated among the mountains l)etween 
 llowo's Souiul and Jarvis' Inlet, at a heigiit of about 3,00(1 feet above 
 the sea. ^'ory tine specimens of purple copper ore, associated with 
 quartz, mica and molybdenite, arc brought from this jdace, which is now 
 in course of development. The county-rock is a granite or diorite of the 
 Cascade Crystalline series. 
 
 Fine specimens of similar ore have been procured further north at 
 
 1 
 Vi 
 
 at 
 
 si 
 
 Ik 
 
 •11 
 ol 
 w 
 of 
 tc 
 
 ni 
 
 Howo's Sound . 
 
 Knight's Inlet, , . .. i ■ i i , . i 
 
 *«• Kniiiht's Inlet, and specimens ol cojiper pyrites have also been obtained 
 
 ' fivin rocks of this series at several hicalilieson the Homatheo during the 
 
 I railway explorations. 
 
 ii 
 a> 
 b^ 
 Si 
 tc 
 b( 
 
 
MINES ANIi MlVEUAt.N OK lilUTISII noLT-AIHr.\. 
 
 31 
 
 ,y I Mrri'linj. — TIlO discovci'V nf tllis mrl.il li;is lioon HCVOI-mI times l-OIiortcil Mercury. 
 
 ,(l liii Ri'itish C'oliimliiii, l)iil ircMiofiilly, I lu'licvc. on insiifflciciil ovidcMicc. It 
 
 J.. , appears coi'laiii, liowcvt^r, lliat small (|iiaiilitii's of cimialiar liave Ikm'ii 
 
 ol)taiiic'(l ill u'old-wasliiiin; ,,11 the Vr.\-.vr Hivor, near Boston Bar, and I 
 
 am also intbi-nuMl tlmt miniilc i;-loliiil('s of mcMTUry arc seen in some 
 
 decomposed pai'ls of ilu- Hope silver ores. In llie aiitiimii of ISTi; I cimmUrnn tho 
 , ... llciiiialhco. 
 
 receiveil a small Imt weil-aiiilienlieated specimen of ri(di cinii.'iiiar (.re 
 from Mr. Ticdemann, of Ihe railway survey, wliicli he olitained liimself 
 ill tli(! vicinit}- of tin- localeil line of ilie railway, on tlie iloniailieo. 
 From .Mr. (Jo )r!;-e Wehli I learn that llie coiiiiti'y-roek is slate, tlie lode 
 welldelinel, lieinn'sceii in the front n\'n -loop soiithw.ard-taciiiii' hliitl". and 
 traeeaiile for nearly a mile in leiii^'lh. I have ;iNo seen lately a rich Onth?Frascr. 
 specimen of ciunahar ami nalive mercury from the west side of the 
 Fraser River iiour Clinton. Whether mercury oi'ciir>, however, in depo>ii.s 
 J lat all eompural»le with those of CaliHirnia, which are found in rocks of 
 similar a^-e to some of those occiirrinn- in British Columbia, ivmains to 
 le i)r()veii. 
 
 Lcdd. — (Jaleiia has been found in many parts of the province, and Loat'. 
 apjiears in connection with i^»U\, both in the lodes ami sii])erticial i^ravcds 
 of the Cariboo district. Lead ores, as such, will not probably pay to 
 work in the interior, even if found in larue (piantity, till cheaper meaiis 
 of tran.sjiort are introdiK-ed. Ilin-hly ari;viitiferous <j;aleiias would jiay 
 to smelt as silver ores, if found in modei'ately accessible localities. 
 
 Flatiniini. — This metal has bt'en found in small quantity in several Platinum. 
 localities in association with alluvial gold. 
 
 Nickf.l. — Dr. Blake has found nickeliferious sand amoiiy the heavy Nickel, 
 matcriafs sej)arated from (he tine gold of the Fi-a.-er. 
 
 IS 
 
 n 
 
 ic 
 
 i{ 
 
 BUILDINQ AND ORNAMENTAL StONES, 
 
 The Coast Range will probably furnish, in all parts of it.s length, good oranitoand 
 grey dlorites and granites. These might be quarried at the wutei's edge 
 inmanj-of the inlets. Sandstones and freestones occur abundantly in 
 as.s(>ciation with the coals of Xaiiaimo, ic. A sandstone, quarried I 
 believe on ^Newcastle Island, was employetl in the Treasuiy building at 
 San Francisco, but has not proved very satisfactory, owing to its tendency 
 to exfoliate. By judicious .selection, however, no difHculty will ])robably 
 be found in obtaining building stones of this class in unlimited quantity. 
 Over a great ]»art of the interior the harder rocks are so fissured and 
 jointed, as to be incapable of yielding sound building stones of large 
 
 i 
 
82 
 
 MINES AND MINERALS OF HKITISII COLITMBIA. 
 
 Uarble. 
 
 SerpontiD*. 
 
 HJzi'. Mail}' localitit's aio known, liowcvi'i-, wlicn- i^ood stone can bo 
 obtuinod, and it is ])robulilo iluil sonu^ of (ho liasalts and otlior igneous 
 rnoits of lato dato will answor well lor lluil<linl,^ if |)ro|K'r care lio taken 
 to avoid those vai-ieties apt to ciMunlilf under the wi'Utlicr. The rocks 
 oeeiirrlnif in the vicinity of the various proposed railway lines are 
 duscrilied more fully elsewhere. 
 
 Marlile ot' tjood (jiiality is known to occiir at 'Pexada Island, Mellu 
 Kutla Hay, on tlio Ninipkish River and oihcr localitit's. 
 
 Serpentine is Ibinid abundantly in u.ssoeialion with some of the older 
 rocks. 
 
 n 
 e 
 
 .si 
 II 
 a 
 
 List of Localities in tiik Province of Briti.sti Coli'mbia Known 
 TO Yield (Jold, Coal, Ikon, Silver, Copi'eu, and Other Minerals 
 OP Economic Valie. 
 
 (This list makes no ))retension to com|)leteness, the ol^ject oi its publi- 
 cation beinjf rather to elicit than to imj)art information. It will show, 
 bowcver, in some de;j;r«'e, liow numerous the diseovories have already 
 been ; and may, i hope, bo lari^ely extended in the course of a few years. 
 Most of tho statements made with regard to the various localities are 
 derived from trustworthy sources, though I cannot undertake in all cases 
 to vouch for their absolute accuracy.) 
 
 gold. 
 Cariboo District. 
 
 Williams' Creek. — Described in the foregoing pages. Its tributaries, 
 in order, down stream, arc as i'ollows : — 
 
 McCalluin's Gulch. — Joins from tho eas' , nearly worked out ; no deep 
 ground. 
 
 Mink Gulch. — Joins from tho west, and prospects not considered very 
 encouraging by owners, who are waiting for the Bod-rock flume, with 
 intention of lydraulic work. 
 
 Walker's Gulch. — Joins from tho west at liichtield Court House ; deep 
 work ; good prospects at ditfereiit times, and some quantit}' of y^)ld 
 taken out about its mouth, but has not held out. Not yet thoi-oughly 
 prospected. 
 
MrVKS AND MFNEHALS OF nniTISII rOLUMniA. 
 
 33 
 
 Grub, or Bhick Jack Gulch. — Joins t'lom llu' west ; u iiu-ro i-avinc of no 
 ;;roal lt'rii;tli, lioiii:;- nil I'inltracod in om- chiiiii ; '^iuxl pay t'oi' liydnuilic 
 
 IlK'llloil, illld >.|ill \Vc)l'i<l'(l. 
 
 Stoui'a Gnli'h. — Joins (Voni tiu' \vi'>i, lielow (he cafion; very rii-li, hut 
 now worked oiil for di-il'tin,!,' ; liydraiiiii' molliod now employed; ground 
 crioiiu;!! (iir many \ 'irs. 
 
 Cunlitin (riilch. — Joins iVoin llie oast, opposite Hai'l<(^i'ville ; very i'i(di ; 
 still worUed ity dritliny;; ground very deep for so small a valley, lieing 
 ninety feet in lower |)ai't and Iweiily in liiu-liest ; drifting (daini, one and 
 adiulf milos up; prohaltly ri(di tor hydraulic worldng. 
 
 McArfhur's ('reck. — Two miles btdow iiarkervillo and one mile ahove 
 Lane and Kiiriz shalldioiisi- ; joins from tiie south-west; paid well in 
 drifting deep ground, hi 1 now worked outfl)r this method ; no hydraulic 
 work in progress. 
 
 Lowhrf Creek. — Runs northward, nearly parullol to Williatns' C'l'oek, 
 und empties into Jaek of Cliihs Fiake, whi(di als(j receives Jack of Uluhs 
 Crei'k, and is the source of the Willow liivcr; good jKiy found in hoth 
 shallow ami deep iliggings, and s )me good ground still being woi'kod; 
 gold, es|)ecially near soiu'ce of creek, vejy coarse and rough, often 
 including fragments of ijuai'tz ; t()und dilttcult to obtain water for 
 hydraulic work here. 
 
 J(fk of Cluhs Creek. — All ileep work on this creek, gi-avol being 150 
 foot in depth near the mouth, where a few claims paid well; this ei'oek 
 is 11 favourite among those which a;'e considered yet unproven, tho 
 impression boin^ that aa old cliaumd exists whicdi has not 3'ct been 
 found. 
 
 Creeks, enterimj Willow River. — 
 
 Mosquito Creek and Red 6rM/''/i. — Knlering Willow Jliver from the 
 south below the last ; the former has been very rich, and was fifty feet 
 deep at mouth; now wi)rked out for di'iiting; hydraulic work paying 
 well. • 
 
 Whipsnw Creek. — Throe milos below M:)squito Creek, on the samo 
 Hide; in foi'iner years from 810 to §12 por day ])er hand taken out, and 
 more or less work carried on ever since by ground-sluicing and drifting. 
 
 Several creeks below Whipsaw Creek, on tho south-west side of 
 Willow HivLM", have atforde I no pay; fair prospects have been obtained 
 in several cooks on north-ea-t side, bat no paying ground f()und. 
 
 Sugar Creek. — Twelve miles below Mosquito Creek, joining from tho 
 north. Somo good prospects, but never, much pay. 
 
34 MINES AND MINEUALS (M' iiRITISlI rol.UMBIA. 
 
 Creeks lower down Willow Jiivci' aiv Uiiowii to liojd some <j;olil, Imt 
 have not yet yielded it in jiaying quantity. 
 
 Qrouse Creek.— '^'w n>ile> east of Barkei'ville, heading' with Antlei- 
 (Ji'cek. The doej) m'ouml was veiy rich, and exu ndcd lor about a mile 
 near the upper jiart ol' the creek, giviny- out t'arthei' down, Deep 
 gi'ound worked out. 
 
 Antler Creek. — irea<ls in Uald .Mountain. op|)osite Williams' Ci'eek, and 
 was one of the tirst (•reek> worked in this part oi' the eountry. Shallow 
 ground tor two miles, paid well, and has heen worked out. The deep 
 ground lias not yet been much tested, owing to tlie ahsoncc of elay, and 
 consequent large v^.antity of water met with in siid<ing, All the 
 gulches joining Antler (Jreek tVom the source down, iuive paid (Wolf, 
 Califbi-nia, Stevens', and Megg's (ridches), Tlie ci-eek has never been 
 bottomed where the>e side-valleys fall in. Chinamen are at work, and 
 getting pay on benches 11)0 feet above the sti'eam, a long way down. 
 
 PUaS'Dif VdUey. — A li-ansverse depression, four miles i;i length, 
 uniting the valleys of Williams' and Antler Creeks, and joining the 
 former about four miles below Barkerville. Has never been bottomed 
 or much prospected, hut mighl be cmbi'aced in a scheme for (.'raining the 
 valley of Williams' v'reek. 
 
 Bear Creek, and couidr}' alxnit Bear Lake. — (iold has not been found 
 here in paying (pumtit}-. 
 
 Swamp River. — Has atti-acted some attention, but no good jiay has yet 
 been found. 
 
 Guimmjham Creek. — In early days, a crevice containing (>T»0 ounces of 
 gold, wa.s found on tiiis crci^k, about, twelve nules fror.i its mouth. 
 Several bydraulii- claims working. Since lS(i4 attempts to reach the 
 deep ground have been made, but have not yet succeeded; a third 
 attempt is now being made by tlu' Victoi'ia Comjiany. It has always 
 been su])posed thai the deep ground in this creek would :iii'n out rich, 
 and if onee proved to be so, a large amount of work would immediately 
 be undertaken, 
 
 Harvey's Creek. — The lirst gold in ]niyiT!g quantity in the Cariboo 
 Distriet was found heie in ISfiO. One claim — the Minnehaha — has been 
 exceedingly riidi. Another, at the junction with swamp I'iver, has paid 
 well. The Cummiiigs Compan}' bottomed it at one place, and drifted 
 up in a small caiion (unsuccessfully,) i.'it i'ouiid pay on entering wide 
 ground. The upjier part of tiie creek is deep, and has not yet been 
 ihoroughly proven. 
 
 Creeks on the North side of Caribou Luke. — In Nigj^-er, Pine anl GooSg 
 
MINES AND MINERALS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. 35 
 
 ('reeks, small (]iiaiitities of goM have hecii t'oiiiul ; on llie last-named 
 miioii money was spent in |uilting in a Hume, Imt with small result. 
 
 Klt'thljj Cre.ck. — The main creelc has only modoralely deep ground, 
 (twenty to twenty-three I'eel,) of which much is yel unwoi-hed; it being 
 expensive to oj)en on account ol' the g'vat ((uantily of water. Ahout 
 thirt}' while men did well here during the summer ol 187(i ; while a 
 number ot Chinamen, at work alioul the mouth, also got good pay. 
 iJenelies K'O ttu't above the stream have [)aid for ojieii work, and r omo o\' 
 them ibi- drifting also. Hydraulic method no! yet in use hero. 
 
 Snoic-nhoe Cnrk. — The east branch of the above is considered to be one 
 ol the most promising creeks of which the deep ground is yet unpros- 
 peetcd ; gohl obtained from shallow workings. 
 
 Duck Creek. — Chinamen have been working here, but not much known 
 as to results. 
 
 Black Bear Creek. —Much |ii'ospccling has been done hero, but rich pay 
 never found ; not yel considered fairly tested, the ground being hard to 
 woi'k in. 
 
 Cedar Creek. — One pretty lich claim was worked hero, — the Aurora. 
 The creek is now worked by Chinamen. 
 
 Ilazeltine's Creek. — Some encouraging ''prospects " have been obtained 
 liero. 
 
 Moorhead Creek. — Some work done here, but without good result. 
 
 Kangaroo Creek. — J(»ins Xorth Fork of (Juesnel about two miles above 
 il^ junction with the South Fork. Faid well at one time. Chinamen 
 iinw at work. 
 
 (^uesnet RiviT. — >^)sl of the work done on liars of river, though many 
 workings on benches one hundri'il to l.")(! feet above the water, pay well. 
 The gold is all light. Tl.is region is allogether in the hands of China- 
 men, who resort chietly to the Folks and South F)ran(di. About HOO 
 Chinamen woi'k in tins ilistrict during the summer, and winter at the 
 Forks. 
 
 Sicift River. — Ilalhei- inaccessible, and hard to work, being a ra}>id 
 stream with many heavy boulders, (.'onsiderable quantities of gold have 
 been taken from it, from time to tinie, and Ciiinamen still at woi'k, though 
 the stream, as a whole, may be considered unjirospected, 
 
 French Creek and Canadian Creek. — Joining Pleasant Valley from the 
 south, have both yielded some gold, which, tiiough run through where 
 the working was carried on, is probabi}- not exhausted. 
 
 Can .t Creek. — A stream running into Willow River far down its 
 course, mid reached by a trail twenty mile.s long from Ecaver Pass Uouue. 
 
3C 
 
 MINES ANI» MINERAI-S OF BKITISII COMJMHIA. 
 
 A company last autniiui tMi<fa^ed in altt'inptiiii;- to bottom it, with good 
 prospects. 
 
 Canon Creek. — A second stivani of tin* same name, joins tlie Frascr 
 from the i-ast al>ove (^iiesnel. A eonsideraiile i|Maiitity of gold ol)tained 
 hero formerly, some of it very hca\y and mixed with ([iMrtz; one nug- 
 get v'^vth STOi) found hy Chinamen on its Ipi-uuh — IHchson Creek. An 
 iiurifcrous quartz vein is known. 
 
 Li(jhinin(j Creek. — lias been ileserihed on a pi'ceeilin page. Its chief 
 tributaries are as follows : — 
 
 Amador Creek. — No good ))ay yet found. 
 
 Van Winkle Creek.— kh^ni 2,()()() feet of the lower end of this valley 
 paid well. 
 
 Dead Mans Creek. — 
 
 Perkhi's Creek. — 
 
 CliLsholm Creek. — (Jood pay in shallow working'^. Deep ground un- 
 proved, though great etforts have been made to test it. 
 
 Laat Chance Creek. — Kstimated that S'i'jO.OOO worth of gold taken out 
 of this ereek in the distance of half-a-mile. I{i(drground now probably 
 worked out. 
 
 Davis Creek. — (rood pay in shallow ground. 
 
 Anderson Creek. — (lood pay in shallow ground. 
 
 Jawbone Creek. — No go(xl pay found. 
 
 Quartz Veins in the Cariboo District. — Man}- are known, some very 
 persistent anil of large size. So little has yet been done toward the 
 examination of these that it is scarcely worth while attemjiting to 
 enumerate them. Tiuit known as the Bkj Bonanza, between Lowhce 
 Creek and Stout's (iidch; the Steanian, -Ai Iliihlield ; and an irregular 
 vein or mass id' ([uartz, at Mos(|uito (Jreek, have so far attracted most 
 notice. 
 
 Cassiar. 
 
 (For the following very inteivsting local details, concerning Cassiar 
 District, British Columbia's ^-oungost and le:i>t known gold tield, I am 
 indebted to Mr. G. li. Wright.) 
 
 Stiekcen h'lver. — 5-I-' to j(i' north latitude. Diseovered in IStiT. 
 Highest average yield per day, §1 to $."), bar and beneh diggings. A 
 lew claims being worked, Init nearly exhausted. 
 
 iAY/.st' ^'m/c— L.ilitnde, oS^ 42' 50' ; aliilude, 2,750 feet. Discovered 
 in 1873. llighesl uvei'ago yield per day $8 Lu $50 ; the gold being 
 
MINES AND MINEUAI.S oK BRITISH COLI'MBIA. 
 
 37 
 
 worth SKJ iiii (iiiiiri'. Tlic riclic'si claims arc worked out, Imt iniiiing 
 will 1)0 carried on for a i;'0()d many years to come. Dcasc Crock has 
 ])roli.il)ly yielded al.oiil STOU.OUO in ihrco soasuiis. Eslinialcd yield this 
 season (1S77) al. .iit S1"-'."),HSS. 
 
 Thibert's Vrt-e;. — Latitude, 5S° ")n ; altitude, 2,750. Ilin'Iicst avcra.ij;e 
 yield per day $S to S.jO, the li'old hcini;- worth 81G.40 an ounce. Bar, 
 liencli. and creek dii:'i;iii;;;s. A portion ol" the creek woi'kcd out, hut 
 still ])ayiny' well. Bench diii;n-ini;-s recently discovered voiy rich. Yield 
 up to this season estimated at SiiOd.IMM). 
 
 Ikady Creek. — Latitude ahoui "js^ ."i;j . Discovcri'd 1S74. Bar dig^in<fs. 
 Prospects found, hut no extensivi; miniiiL;- ever done. 
 
 Eaijle River. — Latitude, 5'J^ (I 14 . Discovered 1874. Bar tliggingH, 
 undcvelopeil. 
 
 McUames' Creek. — Tiatitude, W.)" 15' 54"; altitude of mouth, 2,550. 
 Discovered 1874. irii;-hest aveiau'e yield per day 60 to #100, the ij;oId 
 heini;' woi'th 817.75. I!ar hench and creek di,i,'n'in,ifs. This is tiie most 
 important creek in the Cassiai- reuion, the yield contimiini;- ai)ont the 
 same each yeai'. it is heiiiir worki'il in places for a distance of Hftoen 
 luiles, and will yield laiu'ely lor several years. i']sliniatcd yield for two 
 seasons S125,(fOO; lor this season prol)ahly $250,000. This includes the 
 yield for several of the small creeks and trihutaries of .McDanie — 
 Somors' Creek, Snow Cri'ok, (^uaiiz Ci'cek, Ilosella Creek, Davios' Creek 
 and Gold Creek. 
 
 Snow Creek. — Altitude, .■{,400 feet. Discovered 1875, Highest average 
 per day, 85 to $20 ; gold wortji §18 an ounce. Bench diggings, still mined 
 extensively ; tiie richest claim in Cassiar, near the mouth of this Creek ; 
 it has paid for a week as high as .'UIO ounces foi- six or ciglit men. Seventy- 
 two ounces wasiied out of one pan of ilirt during the past sea.son. 
 
 Quartz Creek. — Altituile, .■{.550 fee;. Discovered 1875, Highest aver- 
 age per day, §5 to 820; gold worth 818 an ounce. r)en<di and Creek 
 diggings, host claims worked out. 
 
 liosdlii (V«;/i,—.Vltitude;!, 550 feet. Discovered 1870, Highest average 
 per day, 85 to 815 ; the gold l)eing woi-th §18,25 an ounce. Bench and 
 Creek diggings, best cdainis worked out. 
 
 Dennis Creek. — .Vltiluile ;i.5O0 leet. Discovered I877. Highest average 
 per day, 85 to 820. (Jol 1 worth 818.25 an ounce. Bench and Crci'k 
 diggings; many nuners here. 
 
 Pattemon f.Vtv/.-.— Alii title, 4.;5"^0 foot. Discoveivd I877. Jlighest 
 avei-age per day, ^rs t<) 820 ; the goltl heing worth 818 an ounce, A few 
 companiob ut work. 
 
38 
 
 MINES AND MINKKALS OK BRITISH fOMTMBIA. 
 
 (loM Creek. — Allitudo, 4,;{0(i toi-l. Disi-ovt-riMl 1877. JIi,<,'lu'st average 
 per (lay, $•'> to S50. (rold woi-tli SIS an oiinco. JJeiich and creek 
 dif,'gin;^s, a lew oompaiiics at work. 
 
 Shite Creek. — Altiliide, 4,:}20 ti'i't. Discovereil IS77. I Tiuhest average 
 jKM' day, SIO ; (lie gold lit'inir wortli $1S an oiiiicc. Bar diggings, one 
 company at worU. 
 
 Somers Creek, or First North Fork of .!/;'/),(»!.■.— Alt iliidf. ;{,(H)0 Ibet. 
 Discovered 1S7(). lliglicst avei'ago per day. §10 to SlOd. (Jold worth 
 $18 an ounce. A large niunlior of tunnels lieiug worked, willi good 
 prospects. 
 
 Third Xorth Fork of .1^'/)(//He,— Altitude, a.l'OO feet. Discovered 1877. 
 Creek and Hill iliggings ; good prospects oiitained and hcveral companies 
 testing. 
 
 Snyyeas Creek. — Latitude, ahout (12^. Diseovered IS75. llighosl 
 average per day, $8 to SIO. (iold worth $18.2'); al>and )neil last year. 
 
 Spriutj Creek-. — Altitude, :>,800 leet. Discovered 1877. Highest average 
 yield, $10 to S20 ; the gold lieing worth 818.25. Hill diggings; only 
 one coin])any working, but a very rich hench ; no [)ro>i)ecling yet in 
 creek. 
 
 F(dl Creek. — Diseovered 1877. 
 
 De Liard River. — Latitude, (U)° to 62°. Highest average ])er day, 
 $6 to 88 ; tlie gold being worth $18. Bar diggings. But little mining 
 done — some trihutai'ies ln-iug pros]iecte<l. 
 
 Rapid River. — Latitude (JU° ; prospects obtained. 
 
 Omineca District. 
 
 Geminiiseii Creek. — (Jood pay in part ol course; some ci'cek claims, 
 and part of work by hydraidic method on the licnches. 
 
 M(in.sen Rircr. — Oidy two comi)anies at work in 187'). antl making 
 less than wage<. 
 
 Slate Creek, — Miners stattnl to be making expenses in 1875. 
 
 Elmore Gnleh. — Poor pay in 1875 — two companies at work. 
 
 Lost Creek. — Little work in 1875. 
 
 Details of other localities wanting. 
 
 Kootenmj Disiriet. 
 
 Wild Horse Creek. — Discovered in 18(i;{ ; in 18()4 ordinary claims 
 paid $20 to $;}0 a day per man ; work still in progress. 
 
 Perry Creek. — Discovered 18G7. Some good claims, and some work 
 still in J): jgross, 
 
MINES ANT) MIXEIUT.S OF HU'TISII rOIiUM JIA. 
 
 39 
 
 FhnU'ii/ Creek. — (rood prospfcls ; l)iil owiiiji^ to freshets, never 
 sncces>fiilly iniiii'il. 
 Boahkr Creek, — 
 
 Great Bind Country. 
 
 (N<)W .ilnitist .ibatuluncd.) 
 
 Curtiex Criek. — Joins Coliimliia Uivoi' Iroin tlii' oast. Heavy gold; 
 some pioces '.veiii'liiiin' as niiich as §14. Miniiiy,' on liars; the bod rook 
 not I'oiiin' roat'Iiod on aocniiiit nf watoi'. For a tiino, bolow tlio oanoii, 
 the averiii>'e eariiiiiii's woro $15. 
 
 French Creek. — l']ni])tio> into Downic Rivor about twenty miles from 
 its nioiitli. (iJowiiio llivoi' tlows eastward into Columbia.) This was 
 the rit'hest in the disti'iol, and \va> worked lioih on bai's and to the rook. 
 Average earniii!j;s as niiioh as SKM) to tlu' hand for some time on the 
 "IlaUBi'ood" olaiin. Worked out, 
 
 McCitllers Creek.— ,]n\\\s I)(i\vnie River f )iir miles from Frenoh Creek. 
 Workini;- on bars ; tlio bod rock not reached on aoooiint of wjiler. 
 I'roliably as hin'li as 81(l(i a day |icr man taken out in plaoos, but deposit 
 irren'idar. Fragments of (iiiartz ountaining gold wei-c Ibiind four miles 
 up the oreek. 
 
 Other Distrirfs. 
 
 Piir.<)i)ip Hirer. — Below its junction with tlie Nation Kiver, draining 
 the Omineea country. This stream carries tine gold, whioh has proved 
 highly ronr.inorativo in some localities. 
 
 Findhnj River. — Fine gold found on all the bars, but the head waters 
 (whore richer ilojiosits may occur) have not iioen prosjieeted. 
 
 Pence Hirer, east nf tlie Raeki/ MiiKiifin'iin. — Fine gold is found in some 
 abimdance in places. Mr. Solwyn thinks it may be derived from the 
 Laurontian Axis to the m>rth-east. 
 
 Frnscr Hirer. — Fine gold i'roni its sources to the sea. Heavy gold 
 does not extend far btdow Boston Bar, but is fiund in many places from 
 hereto Lytton. and also, as 1 am infbi'niod by Mr, J). McTntyro, in spots 
 from Lytton lo tlio tnoutli of the Chilicolin. Much gold is still 
 obtained by (,'hinamon and Indians on the Frasor, and I think it proba- 
 ble tiiat, eventually, many of even the iiigher Hats and benches will pay 
 for hydraulic work. The heaviest gold pretty nearly ooineides in its 
 distribution with that of the slaty rooks of the Anderson River and 
 Boston Bar series. The largest migget found above Lytton was oi)taine<l 
 ten miles below Lillooet and was worth 8"_'2. 
 
 McLctinan Creek. — (Thirteen miles troin Tele Jaune Cache, running 
 
40 
 
 MINES AND MINRRAI.S or HHITISII COMMDIA. 
 
 into ('I'iiiiln'iTy I/ikc mihI iIumici' to llic r'nisri'.") — (Inld loiiml in IS"*). 
 (iiviiii,^ \v;ii;-c> of $[ 111 S.'i ;i i|;iy, lull, kwhil;- to Ik'mvv lioiililcfs ill sti'oam 
 and ('X|p('ii>c dl' ;ill Mi|i])lii'>, will not pay to work. 
 
 Xcchitcci) 1,'irif. — ("(i|iMii-< olitaincd near !'"nrt Frascr, ami also aluinchint 
 near its innction with llir l-'iaMT UiviT. 
 
 Vhilicri) Rlnr. — In (uTtain lianks noar itN niDiuli, i-i^^lit or nino 
 eoloui'.s to till' |)an may Ik- oiitaiiK'il A -mall (jiianlily of lieavy y;old 
 foiiiid in a lateral crcfk liy unc oT lla- inrii ciiiiiL-cteil willi tliu Canadian 
 racitic Hallway survey in l>7ii. 
 
 ('Itl/ici)fiii Rinr. — (iold in M.mc ([tianlity said lo have been t'oinid near 
 the moMtli of lliis stivam. 
 
 Jin'iiijr litnr. — (iold found in heavy pieces, s(imelime> weiyliinu; one 
 to two ounces, and atloi<iinu' excellent mininii' on lliis stream for ten 
 mile.- 11)1 from its m<uitli. K)\\v iiiii,;u('t is said lo havi' liccii wortli S8()(). 
 Kiver pro.-pected to its source in early days, and tlioiii;di n'old i'oiind in 
 BCVcral stream-, not enoimli to inslil'y wtirl< at iliat dale. 
 
 Lillonct Hirer. — Klowinii' into Ilarri-on l^ake. Some ijold found horc 
 and also at various ]K)i'its on tlu' portai;es toward Lillooet. 
 
 »S'"(///t Thoiiii)!iiin Jiircr. — Colours, it is said, can bo oljtaiiu'd in all the 
 streams joininu: this i-iver. 
 
 North Tli(if)ij»iiiit fiircr. — C(dours tound alonii' its whole course, and al 
 Louis Creek, thirty miles from it- mouth, on the east ,-ide, n'old has boon 
 found in paying- (plant i ties. 
 
 Tritnqxil/f Hirer. — .loiniiiii' Kamloops I>ake, from the noi-tli. Heavy 
 and li^lil u'old obtained here ; about sixty C'hinamcn al \\w\i last 
 summer, yetting i;'o(Kl jiay ; is said to have paid halt an ounce per diem 
 at the mouth, 
 
 Swtcli Creek. — .loining Shuswaj) Lake from the nortii. Coarse gold 
 mined here a few yeai's ago. 
 
 Main River Thomp.'^oii. — Heavy gold found on this river up to 
 Nicomineii, where, it is believed, the tirst gold in leaving (piantit}' in 
 British Columbia was found. This region chiofiy worked by the 
 Luliansof the country, who. I am as>ured, have obtained many thousand 
 dollars in specially favourable years. 
 
 Amhrson River. — .Some heavy gold al one time found ton miles above 
 mouth, but not enough to pay. 
 
 (hqui/idlla Jiiver. — Moi-e or less heavy gold along whoU' course of this 
 stream. 
 
 j\icola River. — "Scale gold" tound for about eighteen miles up the 
 Nicolu from it« mouth. 
 
MINES AND MFNEn.M.S OF BRITISH COLVMniA. 
 
 41 
 
 Bonapurte River. — A litllr iiiiniii:;' Uoiii' on a ti'ibutary ea.st ot Clinton, 
 bill willioiil cncdinM^iiiu' roiill. 
 
 JLtt I'rti/,-. — Small (|iiantili('> oC^olil liavc been foiiiiil hero. 
 
 Jlorsc-jUj Jiictr. — (iiiod •' |)iii>|icci-'" Ikti-, ami in LSTO a ronsiderablo 
 influx ol' niinurs. bul williout ,u'"o ' roiiirns. 
 
 ,b/.N(;y(7 Iin-cr. — Culuiif luiind in .sovoral places in 1858, but no I'avour- 
 ablo in(iirati()n>. 
 
 tiiinil/cdiiKtn Jiinr. — (iiild liMinl in sli:ii-|i ami nn\va>lK'(l j)arii(.'lc> ut 
 mouth in lSj."> by Captain M(Lriinan> |iaity. In llu; canon near ibo 
 4'.Uli paralli.!!, (•i)n>idci'ablc (|nantity ol' i:;<)ld i^ot in 18r)8-51i-ti(); thu 
 largest piece weigbinji; S2"J..")I(. This reuion, soon abamloneil by tbc 
 Wbiles, was worked t()r years by Cliinanicn, 
 
 0/Mnii<j(in Jiicer. — Scattered dii^'n'inijs found in l.S51l-()0, but soon aban- 
 doned ; perhaps as niucb from want of water as anything else. Miners 
 say colours can lie found in cvei'y stream running into this valley. 
 
 Mission Creek. — Joining; Oivan.agan Lake truni tiic east, yielded at a 
 spot five and a-half miles from its mouth, tine and coar>e gold, assaying 
 glS. .')(); paid at one time from two or three ounces to S2 or $.j a day. 
 Colours occur for eiglit or ten miles above this. 
 
 Eix'/c Creek. — lii>ingeast ol Osoyoos Lake, and failing into the Kettle 
 River; about a mile from its mouth paid well, in soni" instances ^-ield- 
 ing as much as 811(0 a day, but generally from one to two ounces. Some 
 of ihe b(Miehes al.so paid, in one ca>e yielding half an ounce a <lay to the 
 hand dui'ing the season's work. 'Phe iiest paying ground was where the 
 ci'cek ci'ossed a belt of soft slate I'ock ; in tbilowing it uji, the cover was 
 found very soft ami ilecj). 
 
 Boundary Creek. — Joins Kettle River from the east. Some very heavy 
 gold fonnd here, and a good deal of prospecting done, but too much 
 " spotted ■' to be pi'olilable. 
 
 Kettle or Nehoidtiiitkwd Jiicer. — Colours and small (pnintitios of gold 
 found in several locaiitii's on Ihe main stream and on tributaries. 
 
 Seipnour Creek., Burrard Inlet. — Some gold got here at one time, l)ut 
 woi'k abandoned on account of waii'r and ([uicksand. 
 
 Prospeet Creek. — Kast hnuieh ilonuithco JJivcr, above Tatlayooo Lake. 
 Some tine gold found here l)y men connected with C.P.Il.S., 1S75. 
 
 Loire.r Ilomatheo River. — Colours obtaiiuHl in various places. 
 
 Other Streams jiowiny from Ciisratk Ramje. — Details arc wanting for 
 most, but it is probable that colours, at least, cati be found in all. 
 
 Kellifs Luke Creek — Near Clinton, Mi-. Foster informs me that specimens 
 of «juai'tz found here assayed $25.12 in gold and §3.1-1 in silver, per ton, 
 
42 
 
 MINES AND MINEHAI.S OK HUITrsfl f(t|,l MBIA. 
 
 ]'(tiirourrr hhtiul. 
 
 Li'ci'h River, — This >ii'f;tiii liiis piovod iiiifitcidus I'nr Hmr or tivi- miles 
 ot its k'li^^tli, wIk'Iv it runs aioiii;' ilii' >ti'ik(' ol a lu'll of slates. Ksti- 
 niated tlial 8H"'. <•<!() taken oiii, Imt no wni'k now n'oin;^ on. Tlie rich 
 ^foiiiKi was l'iiiin<l in tlie iiiodcrn I'ivci" hel, ami is Mi|ij)()secl to In- 
 exhausted, oi'. what may remain, loo iiiiieh ^|)otleil to pay. IJanks 
 of (li'ilt ami cement ini.ulil possiliiy psiy tor working' hy liydiaiilic 
 method. 
 
 Sooke Hirer. — (Helow it^ junction witii l>ee(li Kiver) — Only tine gold 
 I'ouiid her'e, ami |pi'ol.aii|y derived from Li'cch liiver slates. 
 
 Uolc/streaw Brook. — Runs on >ti-ike of Iah'cIi IJiver slates, further east ; 
 colours, hut no pay, found here. 
 
 Jiinlaii Jiicer. — Small (Hiaulilies of gold have heen iouml hero. 
 
 Nah'itmo liiver. — Attracted w>me notice in 187", liul does not upjjcar 
 to have paid prospoctors. 
 
 Otiier Ivculitles r/n Vaneiurer Islaid. — (iood eolours tbnnd l>y tiie Van- 
 couver Island exploring expedition on a strt'am entering Cowitdien Lake, 
 on rivers falling into Barela}- Sound, on the south side, and on streams 
 Irihutarj' to Punlleilge Lake. nearCoinox. 
 
 Queen ('hurhtte hlands. — (ioM-hearing quart/ founil at Milchell's 
 Ilarhour, hit. 52" 25. Some work done in 1853, hut lode appears to have 
 run out. 
 
 Coal and Lkinite. 
 VaneiAiver hUuul, 
 
 Nauaimo. — Bituminous coal, worked lor matiy years. Described in 
 tbregoing pages. 
 
 CoVio.r. — Bituminous coal ; now worked. 
 
 Quiitsino. — Bituminous coal. 
 
 Beaver Harbour, near Fort Rupert. — Bituminous coal. 
 
 Head of Albernt Canal. — Bilunimous eoal. 
 
 North side Cowitchin Bay. — Small fragments of anthracite in sandstone. 
 Larger specimens have l)eon brought from the interior. 
 
 Queeti Charlotte Mauds. 
 
 Coivijitz. — Anthracite; descril)cd above. 
 
 Soxith aide i-jl;ide(jate Channel. — Anthracite rej)orted by the lndian.s. 
 MoifKet. — (North ond ol' Island,-) — Specimens of aidhracite have been 
 brought from here. 
 
MINKS AM) MI\ERAI,S oK BUITISII COLUMBIA. 
 
 43 
 
 •Mainland ok Himtish Columbia. 
 Viciniti/ of Lawjlci/, and otlior luralitio.s lu-jir tlio Lower Frasui-.— 
 Biliiininoiis .•„al known, but in lliin soann only. Probably in Lower 
 Tertiary beds. 
 
 ChiUiwark River.— VWv mile. lion, ilu" Fr;ist-r. Bitamiiiou.s coal of 
 remarkably ir.nxl (,iiality, Imt o| whirl, ihe thirknoss and mode ol' occur- 
 reiiee remain unknown, 
 
 C'Hil llarlmir, Ihirrard //(/('^— Here and clsowbei-e in ilio flat land at 
 the mouth of the Fraser. li-nite, in thin seam.s, oeeurs. Probably in 
 upper part of Tertiaiy J'ormation. 
 
 Junrtum of Nicola and Cotduater Jiioers.~B\tmninon>i eoul. Tcrtiar}'. 
 Described above. 
 
 Coldicattr AVy«?r.— Bituniinou.s coal, of same formation as last, in 
 seveial jilaecs. 
 
 Nortk Thompson Mirer. (Forty-tive miles al>ove Kamloops.)— Bitu- 
 minous coal of g.)o,l quality in thin seams. 
 
 Viciniti/ of X/7/wj('!f.— Hi luminous coal said to be Ibund. Thickness 
 or position of seams unknown. 
 
 Ten Mile, or Guichon's Creek.— Joimng Nicola RWav from the north. 
 Lignite of good quality. Thiekne.ss ot .seam unknown. 
 
 South Fork of Similkameen A'/ftv.— (Abo\-e the mouth of the Passyton 
 or Pasayten.) Lignite in micaceous .sandstone. 
 
 South Fork of Sinulkaiitan A'a-cr.— (Four miles ab(n-e Vermillion Fork.) 
 Lignite. See Keport toi- 187U-77. 
 
 iVwY/t Fork of Siinilkaiiuen Jiictr.—{TUvQv miles above Vermillion 
 Fork. ) Lignite, seven leet thick, with one shaly parting of three inches. 
 See report for 1S7T-78. 
 
 lioi/d's or Cold Sj^riny i/oi/sc'.— Lightning Creek. Lignite bed, six to 
 ten leet thick ; fiiir quality. 
 
 Traser Jiiver.—lhiweon Soda Creek and Fort George, and at Quesnel— 
 Lignite .seams frequently seen ; that at Quesnel of poor quality. 
 
 Bear AVt'tr.— (Xear cro.ssing of C. P. H surveyed line, lat. 54°.) Coal 
 I'eported; Mr. J']. Dewdney says, about eighteen inches thick and 
 covered with water at high stage of river; on burning, left a hai-d 
 ■stony ash. Ci-ctaceous ? 
 
 Peace River and Pine River. — Beds of bituminous coal (Mesozoic) ; 
 described by Mr. Selwyu in Eeporl lor 1875-70. 
 
 Parsnip River. — Di-ift fragmeuts of lignite indicating a basin of rocks 
 of the lignite-bearing age. 
 
44 
 
 MINES ANI> MINKn.\I,> (l^ UIUTISII ( cl.l MlllA 
 
 Lower Xechacco Itwir.— VM^\ ol Kia^fi- LiiKc. Drii't lij,'niU« only 
 known. 
 
 rppiT Nerhih'Cfi Rircr. — South-west ol' Frasor Lake. Lignite beds 
 known in sovcrai plai'i's. 
 
 Jihiihiuitcr nicer. — Di-if't lii,niit«>s at uppci- ami lower cafions, and 
 intoi'mediale ]iui'tiiin u|' river. 
 
 Chilacco liinr. — niifl liiCMite only known. 
 
 iV((.'c(< River. — Drift lii^nite I'onnd neai' ("indei'ella Mountain. 
 
 Pun-<hi-a»-h> JirooL — (.|(iinin;f the Tai-a-tacNly.) Lii^nile of i^ood 
 qualit}-, at lea«-l four fiot tliieU', Itase eoiu'eal('(i liy water. 
 
 Xasi>e-SI;een(i District. — 'i'lie Skeeiia iJiver is said to pass lhroui:li an 
 extensive coal formation, witli coal iieils, throe to thirty-five feet thick, 
 according to Major Downie. (This may, however, he lignite.) 
 
 IRON. 
 
 Texada IsUinil. — Magnetite, deserilied ahove. 
 
 Island near the \V<ill;cr (irnii/i. Schuoncr Pa.ssa'je, Queen Charlotte Sound. 
 Exee])tionally rich, 7ir)7 percent, ii-on. 
 
 Country hetvecn Jordan Nicer and Lcccli Jiiver. V. I. — Have seen a 
 specimen of magnetite with grains of epidote, from here, 
 
 Yale and Carilioo Wtt'njon lioad. — Ravine hall-a-niile helow N, common. 
 Magnetite vein said to be eight feel tinck. 
 
 Knifjlifs Inbi. — One mile up rivei'. at head of inlet ; 1,200 np mountain, 
 on left baidc. 
 
 Near Seymour Narrows. — Six miles west from >renzies Hay, V. T. ; iron 
 ore I'o ported. 
 
 Entrance of JUiur's Inlet. — West side ol' Kitz Hugh Sound ; iron ore 
 reported. 
 
 Bay S.E. of Cape CommereU. V. I. — Iron ore i-eported. 
 
 /;•(//( .]foiii(fain. Culdu-atir liiv^r. — Sj)ecular iion ore, oid}' known in 
 com])aratively thin seams. 
 
 Chcrrij Bluff. Kamjihop'.'i Lake — Magnetite, in large, but irregular 
 veins. See J^'porl for 18T7-TH 
 
 Baynes' Sound, Conio.v, V.I — Clay ironstone in considerable quantity 
 in eonuection with the coal. 'Pwo specimens, assayed l»y Mr. Hofl'man, 
 gave 36-8IJ and 2I>"8 ])er cent. res])eclivcly of metallic iron. 
 
 Cowgitz, Queen Charlotte Lslands. — Clay ironstone in aissociafion with 
 the coul-bearing ro(dcs. accoi'ding to ^^l•. Rich.-irdson, 
 
 i 
 
 ■ia 
 
 lifiK 
 
MINKM AND MINEltAI-S uf HHITISII ((H.IMIUA. 45 
 
 Sir.VKR. 
 
 Silver Fcah, near J/opr.-\-]uvvU-A ai.l Vict..ii„, ..•• V.-.n IJronirp MincH; 
 v,.ii,s ,,n,l,iil.|y rul ('.vli.c'oiis nv .\ur.i>>ir n.cks, .•unl Ik.vc Ikhm. ,,n,vo<]' 
 ricli. I)t'.>n'iln'(l aliovi'. 
 
 Other Luna/ific, nr,ir JIo]>,'.~ln al K'u>i two ..tl.or lorulitics, .lopositn 
 fonUiii.in.i,^ MilvcT, in g.vaKM' ..,• U-s. ,,„anlity. aiv kiunvn. C.m.tiy 
 lociv prohahly /i-ianitis. 
 
 ^'/(em/ rrer/(.—ll\rh silver ..iv, ii-.i yot r„||y prospected, or proved to 
 t>xis( in veins ol' paying width or icuniaril y. 
 
 Vital «w/,, 0/„i-„<vv,._Uo|led, or more oi- less angular fragments of 
 silver ai-algam found in coiisidei-al.le ahundanco in working placers. 
 Spet'imon analysed contained ,s;;;i(l por cent silver. 
 
 Smilhamcen /iVyc/'.—Xear junction of North and South Forks. Small 
 quantities of native silver found in gold placers. 
 
 Similhameen /e*Wr.— Where Just south of, hut runnisg parallel with 
 4!Hli parallel; cuts rocks containing numerous small strings of galena 
 " readily yielding a heatl of silver." 
 
 Mmion r'mA-.— Joins Okanagan Lake fi-om tlie oast; native silver 
 found occasionally with gold. 
 
 River Franrls.—Ahovi' its confluence with tiie Dea.se, Cassiar ; argen- 
 tiferous galena. A large sample of the ..I'e was sent for as.say, hut I have 
 not heai'd with what result. 
 
 Quartz Creek, Cassiar.— A vein, which has given as.says over 8200 per 
 ton, exists here. 
 
 COPPER. 
 
 Locality between Jrrris Inlei awl TTou-^'s .Sownrf.— Purple copper ore 
 (hornite,) and copper ])yrites, with in.ca and quartz. Large and -ich 
 masses brought out as s])ecimens. .Matri.x granite. 
 
 Kni(jhfti inlet.— Ow similar to the last; vei-y rich in hand .speci- 
 mens, but I believe not yel found in (jiiantity. 
 
 Entrance to Ilou-e'.i Sound.— {T\m•^^ miles north of Atkinson Point 
 Lighthouse.) Coi)pcr pyrites; a I'oiisiderable amount of j)rospocting 
 work done at one time, but now abandoned. 
 
 Sansome Narrows.— Co])]wv pyi'ites. Some work done, but now 
 abandoned. Deposit prol)ably Ibllows cleavage planes. 
 
 Coast two miles east of entrance uf Sooke llarbour.—Shai't sunk 120 
 leet, at an expen.sc ol 8S0,O00 ; now abandoned. Ore appears to l)o 
 chiefly iron pyrites. Scales of native copper found in joints of the trap- 
 rocks. 
 
46 >UXKS A.M) MIXKRAI-.S i.K UUlTIsU CoLUMfalA. 
 
 South-ift'st si'le Dt'in <'<uuil. — SjH'«inu'n> of vt.'in-?«ti>!K'. witli yollow aiul 
 purple copjicr, were coUocti-d In* Mi'. Unret/cky. 
 
 IJea'l of Kitetiiiit Inlet. — Small tlep')>it nf galona, ami yellow >ul])huret 
 of C'>j)j)er. tii.>ervi' 1 liy Mr. Kieliai'd>on. 
 
 Thompson liivtr, sU iniU:i Ulow .Spenren Briiije. — Mr. Murray luw 
 given me a ^mall aiiL'ular t'ragiueist ot' ritli purple <ire. touml 1imi>o. t'rom 
 thi> phue. 
 
 Th'jiujrfon Uuir. «''/»c Dtiki below ^Sj'-nce's Bridjv. — A rough tiaginent 
 ol' native copper, weighing .xeveral oui.ccr*. t'ouiid here. 
 
 Fi\uer nicer, nbuut thirty miles above J-'ort George. — Nugget oi native 
 coitper, weighing >evei':il iMum'U. lluui'l U)<»i.\ 
 
 Bates', or 150 milt Hous', Wii'/ijon Ji'nitl. — Nugget el' native copper. 
 Weighing al'out tifleeii |iouni.U. tounil near here, 
 
 Fr^tStr lliver. ten utiles btloir J.illooet. — .Small lunip> of native cn|iper 
 in gold jilacer?". 
 
 Quesnel River, near the For/ct^. — M<>ic than half a tun >>] native copper 
 found durini' ynM wa-hiii!^'. >eiit dnwn tiom hei'c a few vcai> aiio. 
 
 Copper hiin<l, ^Shuswajt Lake. — Hcd of taicuse or nacreous >chi>t 
 impregnated with copper jivrites. .See report tor 1S77-7S. 
 
 Cupper Crttk. Kamlnujn Lake. — Viens with jiuri'le cojiper ore, also 
 reported that the Indians, in former days, ohlained native cojiper in this 
 vicinity. 
 
 Morei^by hlan'i. Qiueit Charlotte Islands. — Copper found, and .-ome 
 money spent in prospecting, now abandoned. 
 
 Smal' l.-iland uff I'ort Frederick, Qmen Charlotte /sUvuh. — Copper ore 
 rejx '• 'ajitain Stuart, II. B. Co. 
 
 o Jiicer. — Many sjiecimens ol vein stones cuniaiinng copper 
 and some purple ore, were brought from this river. Not 
 . .10 red 
 
 Ti-aces, and small veins discoloured with coppt ■• ore, lound in many 
 localities in rocks of very dil!erenl ages. 
 
 OTHER .MINERALS. 
 
 Platinum. — Foi'jul in scales in association with gold on the Sirailka- 
 mcen River 
 
 Platinum. — In fine .scales, with gold on the Tranquille River, Kam- 
 loops Lake. 
 
 Platinum. — On the Fraser River, fen miles below Lillooet, very tine 
 ecales of platinum tound witii gold. 
 
MINES AM) MINEKAI.S i>V HHITISII COLUMBIA. 47 
 
 Afitimotv, and Arscnic.-(^\vs,'uun\ ityritos ?) Sjuvimons broii-l.t l.y 
 In.lian.. to Captain Stuart, probaLly from Kmnmosliaw, (^110011 Cliarloitc 
 Islands. 
 
 .4«^«i.«y. _(Stil,nlto.)-LitlK' Sluisu-a|. Lake, See ivDorl for 
 1877-78. ' 
 
 Iron /^nV^.— Spocimon of inasMvo pyritos said to oxisf in lariro 
 (piantily liroiiir|,t f,,,m Ooppor Isl.iii.j, Barclay Soiuul. 
 
 />/,,,„/M,y().-SpodnuMi of I'l.unl.a-o ohtanuMl hy tlio Vancouver Island 
 oxphrin,i,'oxpivliii,.n in ih,. oniilry nortli-oasi of Port Sai, Juan. 
 
 37.'A-«/.-~.\ick,.|iti.|,,ii, sand oiitaincd in -•old-washin^;,' on the Frasor 
 
 Rivor, consists of nia-noiitc, and pynt,.u. -rains altractod by tho 
 
 mairiiot. wliirli consist of oxides ot iron and ni(dvcl. (J. Blake, M.D., 
 
 Proc, Cal. Acad. .Sci., V. p. 200.) 
 
 J/o/yi,/c«/7r._.Spccimen brou-bt from the upper part of tbe Cowitcben 
 Rivor by Mr, W. Robertson. 
 
 Mohjbden!tc.-\n assoriation whb copper ore al locality between 
 Jarvis Inlet and Howe's Sound, . 
 
 Cmna6ar.-Speci.nen obtained by Mr. Tiodomann on tho Homathco 
 River. 
 
 C//wa6ar.— Grains obtained in ,<rold-wasbin,i,Miear Boston Bar. 
 
 Cinnabar and Natice Mcrcurn.~A loose fra-ment of very rich ore, 
 found nearly opposite Clinton, on the west side of tiio Fraser.' 
 
 Lead.-X lar-e vein of o-alcna reported on Scotch Creok, about twelve 
 miles from Shuswap Luke. 
 
 X^r/.-Galena specimen.s collecteci by Mr. Tieeomann on tbe Lower 
 Chilcotin. 
 
 Also occurs in connection with j,n.ld and silver in veins in Cariboo, 
 Omincca, Cassiar, &c., with silvei at Cherry Creek, and in «mall 
 quantities in many other localities.