5 28 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



of the mines are along the line of the Quebec Central Railway, 

 which runs from the city of Quebec to Skerbrooke, the capital of 

 the so-called Eastern Townships of Canada, and cluster around two 

 points a short distance apart and about midway between the two 

 cities. In this district the serpentine forms a very rugged coun- 

 try, rising into bold peaks and ridges, the ruggedness and boldness 

 being enhanced by numerous faults and dislocations of the rock. 

 Bush-fires have recently passed over much of it, and the partially 

 burned trees, with the scarred and seamed rocks as a back-ground, 

 constitute a somewhat drear and dismal scene. 



In the serpentine the asbestus forms irregular veins, varying 

 from mere threads to four, six, and occasionally even more inches 

 in width. The fiber is always at right angles to the sides of the 

 vein, unless thrown otherwise as a result of faults. In some cases 

 the mineral has been found concentrated in- pockets, from which 

 several tons have been taken. The color of the asbestus in the 

 veins is white, greenish, or yellow, but near the surface the veins 

 are frequently more or less discolored from infiltration through 

 the shattered rock of water carrying oxide of iron. At a depth, 

 and where solid rock is reached, this trouble usually ceases. The 

 asbestus veins are frequently traversed by bands of foreign mat- 

 ter, such as compact serpentine, chromic and magnetic iron, and 

 these, of course, lessen the value of the veins in which, they occur, 

 since they cut up the fiber and must be removed at considerable 

 trouble. 



Associated with the asbestus one usually finds a considerable 

 quantity of coarsely fibrous mineral, for which, as yet, no use has 

 been found, together with foliated and slaty forms of serpentine. 

 Some of the latter are of very singular appearance. To use the 

 words of an English gentleman who spent some time in the 

 Canadian asbestus region, " Many of these fragments, as they lie 

 on the ground after blasting, have so much the appearance of a 

 wood-cutter's choppings that, if placed side by side with actual 

 choppings from rough timber, exposed to the weather, the one 

 could in no way be distinguished from the other except, of course, 

 by handling." Others, again, in color and shape very much re- 

 semble strips of fancy confectionery. 



Still another singular associate of the asbestus is a mineral of 

 a white or green or yellow color, occurring in thin veins. When 

 first exposed it is so soft that it may be easily indented by the 

 finger-nail, but on contact with the air it soon hardens and as- 

 sumes an appearance somewhat like porcelain. Analysis shows 

 it to be closely related to serpentine. 



Mining is carried on by cutting down the hills of asbestus- 

 bearing serpentine, much as a farmer cuts down a stack of hay or 

 straw, or by open quarrying on the level. The rock is blasted 



