GEOLOGY. 241 



Extending from the borders of California to Alaska are three 

 coal-fields, belonging respectively to the tertiary, secondary, and 

 palaeozoic ages ; the latter being situated, as far as yet known, 

 only in the Queen Charlotte Islands, off the northern coast of 

 British Columbia, the exact age being as yet undetermined, though 

 the coal is anthracitic, and, in *all probability, palaeozoic. The 

 other two coal-fields are situated, as regards each other, from 

 south to north, in the order of their age. The tertiary extends 

 from California northwards, through Oregon and Washington 

 territory, impinging the southern end of British Columbia and 

 Vancouver Island, and extending, with some interruptions, right 

 across the Rocky Mountains, — the miocene coals of Missouri being 

 apparently only a continuation of these same beds. The second- 

 ary beds, on the other hand, on the North Pacific are confined to 

 the island of Vancouver, though, in all probability, they are also 

 a continuation of the cretaceous strata of Missouri. The tertiary 

 lignites of the North Pacific ard* through out of miocene age, and 

 are associated with beds of sandstone, shale, etc. It burns freely, 

 but leaves behind much slag and ash. It has been wrought at 

 various places on the coast. 1. Mount Diablo, California. Here 

 59,257 tons were mined last year, from January to August, the 

 coal selling for 8 dollars per ton in San Francisco. At Benicia 

 it was also mined, but has been discontinued. Its analysis is, 

 carbon, 50; volatile bituminous matter, 46; ash, 4. 2. Coose 

 Bay, Oregon. Its analysis shows 46.44 per cent, of carbon, 50.27 

 of volatile matter, and 3.19 of ash. Its percentage of coke is 

 49.73 ; but this is dark, friable, and of little value. It produces 

 abundant gas, of low illimiinating power. It is used to some ex- 

 tent in San Francisco, 7,759 tons having been imported from Jan- 

 uary to August, 1868. 3. Clallam Bay, Washington Territory. 

 Several attempts have been made here to get good coal, but have 

 failed to a great extent, owing to the want of a harbor. Analysis, 

 carbon, 46.40; volatile matter, 50.97 ; ash, 2.63. 4. Bellingham 

 Bay. Here the lignite has been mined for some years with 

 success, though it is of no better quality than the others. From 

 January to August, 1865, 5,680 tons were imported into San Fran- 

 cisco. Analysis, carbon, 47.63 ; bitumen, 50.22 ; ash, 2.15. Coal 

 crops out at various other localities, — Fraser River, Burrard In- 

 let, islands of the Haro Archipelago, Sanetch Peninsula, the north- 

 ern (Vancouver) shores of l)e Fucas Strait, etc., — but has not 

 been worked ; and I am of opinion that all these outcrops are of 

 tertiary age, the secondary formation not appearing south of the 

 Chemainos River. There are newer (pleistocene, or perhaps 

 recent) lignites in the clifis of Useless Bay, Whidby's Island, asso- 

 ciated with remains of the mastodon, a tradition of the existence 

 of which animal still lingers among the Indian tribes. This lig- 

 lite is in small quantity, and quite worthless for fuel. The whole 

 coast of Vancouver on the east coast, north of Chemainos, is 

 bounded by a belt of carboniferous strata, composed of sandstone, 

 shale, and coarse gravel-stone conglomerates, interstratified with 

 which are beds of coal of a much superior character to any hith- 

 erto described. These beds, from the contained fossils, appear 



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