REPORT ON THE Mtvix)) p;iiutt0 ^mxtxm: COUNTY OF PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO. ' » ' Having been instructed by the Jircctors of the Galway Mining ('onipany of Peterborough to examine the mineral ])roperty of clio Company, and • to furnisli them with an impartial Report upon the same, I visited the ground on the 23rd inst. in company with two of the Directors, Messrs. Rogers and Stephenson, whose knowledge of the locality was of much service. I avail myself of this opportunity to otlbr my thanks to these gentlemen for their kind assistance, ami beg, at the same time, to record my conviction that the greatest reliance may be placed in Mr. Stephenson's judgment and suggestions, as regards the development of the property generally. The (xalway Mining Location comprises the west half of lot 20 in concession A of the township of Galway, county of Peter- borough. It contains about 50 acres, and is held by the Company in fee simple. The Bobcaygcon Uoad forms the boundary of one side of the property. By this road, to the vilhige of Bobcaygeon, on Sturgeon Lake, the distance is between 1 1 !Uid 12 miles. From J»obcaygeon, freight can bo Hhipi)ed to liindsay (22 miles), and from thence carried by rail to Port Hope on Lake Ontario, a station of the Grand Trunk Railway. Another outlet is by way of Mud Lake to a point 15 miles from Bobcaygcon, to which a line of railway will shortly be carried from I*etcrborougli. The products of the Galway mine can thus be taken to the front almost entirely by water and rail : the only teaming required, being over the portion of road (11 miles) between the mine and Bobcaygcon village. This road is in good order, and is of easy grade. As regards accessibility, therefore, the property is very favorably situated — more bo, indeed, although lying in a comparatively remote township, than many mineral locations situated somewhat nearer to the front. The country rock of the location consists essentially of mica slate interstratilied with hornblendic gneiss and crystalline limestone, the whole belonging to the Laurentian or Gneissoid Series. Tlie strike of these strata is N. 20° to 25° E., correspond- ing with the general direction of the ridges and narrow valleys of the district, the valleys lying chiefly along the course of the limestone bands. Several well-dclined mineral veins occur upon the Company's property. Two of these, running parallel with oni3-anothcr at about 100 feet apart, have been traced entirely across the location. They cut the strata almost at right angles, their course being N. C0° to G5° W., with a very slight underlie (in places imperceptible) towards the N. E. Another vein, of similar mineral character, appears to run N. (>0° E., but at present it is entirely undeveloi)cd. This is known as the " Cross vein." Well-marked indications of others arc also observable on the property. These veins are very narrow at tlic surface, but they widen considerably at a depth of a few fathoms, and continue apjmrently to increase in width at greater doi)ths. They carry galena, the common ore of lead, in a gaugue of sulphate of baryta (the cawk of the north-country miners) and crystallized carbonate of lime (calcite). On the more northern of the two parallel veins running N. CO'' to (;5° W., a shaft (10 feet X C feet) has l)een sunk to a depth of about GO feet, and is still being carried down. An adit has also been driven, from lower ground lying towards the north-west, for some distance along the course of the vein ; but being too near the auriacc to be of much utility, it has been discontinued. At a depth of 58 feet from the surface this vein shews a width of 3 feet G inclies, and consists of sulpliate of baryta mixed with hii^ldy crystalline cak'. spar and a conside- rable amount of galena. It may not be amiss to state, that the latter ore contains, when pure, 8G.6 per cent, of metallic lead, and 13.4 per cent, of sulphur — a portion of the lead being very generally replaced, however, by a small amount of silver. Here and there, a few specks of black and yellow l)lende, with traces of copper pyrites, occur in the calc spar of this vein, and thin lines of iron pyrites are seen in places. The calc spar is, in part, perfectly transparent and colorless. Large clcavablc masses, available for optical purposes, and hence of some value, have been taken out of pockets in carrying down the shaft. From these i)ockets also, some heavy nuisses of galena, partly in fine crystals, have been obtained. The sulphate of baryta, if largely worked, might likewise be made a source of profit, but chemical treatment would be required to effect its purili- cation from intermixed matters. To arrive at an exact estimate of the amount of lead carried by the vein in question (which, for the sake of clearness, I will cmU the Galway lode, designating the ]>arallel vein in its vicinity as the PetevJjorough lode) several tons of ore would have to be carefully sampled and examined ; but, at a depth of from 50 to GO feet from the surface, the vein, at the lowest estimate, certaiidy holds a fourth part (by weight) of galena. In this connexion it must be remendjcred that galena is about twice as heavy, bulk for bulk, as the mixture of cawk aiul spar of which the veinstone consists. If it be assumed (in order to keep within safe limits) that the lode would become no wider in descending, and W(Mild carry only the above amount of galena, each square fathom would contain 12<» cubic feet of veinstuff (of average specific gravity e(]ual to 5.0) and would weigh, in round numbers, about 20 Canadian tons. On this assumption, 20 tons of vcinstutf would yield 5 tons of galena, or, due allowance being made for loss in the mechanical and furnace treatment of the ore, about 3,f tons of metallic lead. The actual yield would probably be nearer 4 tons, especially after the mill and furnacca had been brought into full work- ing order; but I wiijli, in iliis critiiiuiic, rather to underrate, tliau overrate, the assumed profits of the mine. Takinp; these data, the debit and eredit account (exchioive oi" a small deduction for interest on capital, manii<);ement, com mission, and wear and tear of machinery) may be stated as follows : — DEBIT ACCOUNT. $ Mining 20 tons ovo, nt $2 50 50 Hauliiio; to Mill, at CO coiils 1»> Cnisliiiii; and (Ircssin;^-, at ^)<) cents, 1 Smelting dreased ore, i-ay 51 to (i tons, at $(2 '. 12 Freii tony lead to (vvwt. . 20 $102 CREDIT ACCOUNT. ?,1 tons jiig lead, at 4 J cents per lb r.eavini;', in rnimd niuid)er.«, a pro- lit >)f St)(» JUT ton of reduced lead I but, as a higher ])ei' centago of galena will probably bo found in t!ie lodo, ft larger profit may be fairly anticipated. The estimated cost of mining or winning the ore (S?2 50 per ton) may appear, at first sight, too low ; but ,^2, 1 believe, woidd be nearer the true cost. This may be verified, to soir.e extent, by the actual cost of the worlc done in siiddng tlie shaft. The cost, per foot of depth, has been, I understand about $17. Tlie mean sp. gr. of the rock-matter and ore removed from the siiai't may bo taken at about 4,0. It woidd be somewliat less than this for the first few fathoms, but more at lower deptlis. As the shaft measures about 10 feet by (> feet, each vei'ticid foot of stuff removed would equal GO cubic feet, the weight of whicli would be about 71 tons. This amount, at $17, equals $2 20 per ton. It must be remembered, in tliis connexion, that the greater portion of the matter, removed from the shaft, consisted of very hard rock, whereas the extraction of the vein matti'r will be much more easily effected, and will lio carried on also by drifting and stoping, in place of siidcing. The above estimate will thus allow for the cost of undergromid tind)ci'ing, where this may be required in the drifts. A considerable amount of pay-ore has been taken out of the present shaft. A large })ortion has been carried off piecemeal l)y persons visiting the mine. Specimens of 8 or 10 lbs,'' weiglit may bo seen all over the vicinity, and probably a ton weight, if not moro, has found its way in this manner to Peterborough 5 alone. Tlic ore tliut has escaped these tlei)i'e(lations, is p.irtly stored in ahick-up slied near tlie mouth of the sliait, and partly j)iled in lieaj)s upon the groiMKh It has been ronjj;ldy hand ch'essed, and in part washed on a temporary huddle ted hy water from the rdiaft. ]\[ueli of it, consequently, eontains over 70 per cent, of galena ; and if the wdiole were smelted on the spot, it ought to produce at least nine hundred or a thousand dollars worth of metal. i have made several assays of this galena, taken from diflcr- ent ])arts of the shaft, in order to determine the amount of silver jn-esent in the lead. The average amount is ecpial to a little over 2 oz. Troy in tlic ton, or to about 1 o/.. 17 dwts. per ton of galena. This amount is insullicient to defray the cost of its extraction, hut the ore may prove richer at lower depths, or in other parts of the vein. I have also found a small jimount of gold (3 to 4 dwts. per ton) in some samples of iron and arsenical pyrites taken from a narrow cross vein, which is cut at the shaft, and thrown 9 or 10 feet by the (Jalway lode. It Avould be advisable to have this pyrites vein occasionally tested, where cut bv the drifts at diifercnt levels, as the amount of gold may be found to increase. The throw to which this cross vein has been subjected, shows the more recent origin of the baryta or galena veins ; and surface indications observable in some of the surrounding lots, lead to the inference that these latter veins are not likely to bo disturbed by slips or other interruptions. This, at least, may be safely predicted as far as regards the Galwav and Peterborough lodes. Drifting and stoping might be commenced at the present vlepth of the shaft on the Ualway lode, but this can scarcely be rcconnnended. If the nncontrolled management of the works v.'cre under my charge, I would continue the sinking to another level of ten fathoms, and commence at the same time a second shall about two hundred feet to the south-east of the present one. Owing to the fall of the ground, the new shaft at about 10 fathoms would reach the 20-fathom level of the other. The ore taken from these shafts ouiiht to be at least suflicient to dcl'ray the cost of sinking. This second shaft would also fairly test the strength and richness of the lode : ' d poitits known to us, ;it i)resent, only by tlic 10-leet exposure in the sliaft now being carried down. Until these works were C()ini>ietcd, I would not thiidc of erectin<^' a dressitig mill or puttini; uj) rurnaces, A certain accumulation of ore, to feed these, should be on hand before Btartin-ht bo found on the Company's <;'round ; but a particularly desirable site, for works of this kind, occurs on a lot, adja(;ent to the IJobcaygeou Road, within a short distance of the (>omj)any''s property. The necessary ground, I understand, might be rented or easily secured. It is contijjruous to a small creek issuin<]c from Silver Lake. A dam could be ])laced on this creek at little expense, and a good supply of water thus obtained. Tiniber for fuel aiul mining l)urposes occurs abundantly on the Com})any's location. Notwithstanding the loss of metal entailed by its use, the Improved American, or Ilossie Hearth, giving a Idast heated by the condjustiou of the ore and fiu^l, will be fouiul the most suitable furnace for the reduction of this ore. Pine or other wood i^ employed as fuel, and very little is re([uircd, the heat being derived, in great part, from the cond)Ustion of the sulphur in the ore. An ordinary furnace of this kind will give about three and a-lialf to three and three (piarter tons of reduced metal in three eight-hour shifts, the ore being pre viously dressed to an average richness of 70 or 75 per cent. At the present time, in consequence of the stoppage of several mining works at no very distant localities, mill machinery, steam engines, and furnace matcritds may, jn'obabl}', be obtaine