14 The Ottawa Naturalist. [April 



THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE 

 OTTAWA DISTRICT* 



By R. W. Ells, LL.D., F.R.S.C. 



In investigating the mineral wealth of any district, in order 

 to proceed on a right basis, one should, first of all, carefully con- 

 siderthe geological conditions which prevail, and should ascertain, 

 by a careful preliminary examination, whether such conditions 

 are favorable for the occurrence, or otherwise, of mineral deposits, 

 in quantity to be economical!}- important. If this precaution is 

 neglected there is often a very great possibility that large sums 

 of money may be foolishly squandered in a vain search after the 

 impossible. 



In all such investigations it may safely be regarded as an 

 established fact, that our mineral deposits arc determined by 

 certain active causes. The action of these causes and their 

 influence upon the associated rock masses, it is largely the busi- 

 ness of the geologist, mineralogist or mining engineer to investi- 

 gate. Unfortunately in the history of mining in this country, as 

 well as elsewhere, this principlehas often been entirely disregarded. 

 In the course of some twenty-nvc years wandering to and fro, in 

 the service of the Geological Survey, it has been my fortune to 

 encounter many such cases, and to witness the small savings of 

 individuals, singly, or even the capital of large companies, wasted 

 in a vain attempt to obtain from the bosom of old mother earth 

 some sm.all share of her buried treasures, simply because some 

 person, often with a smattering only of a few scientfiic terms, 

 but who was otherwise entirely lacking in all knowledge of the 

 conditions which govern mineral deposits, had asserted that the 

 conditions in certain localities were favorable to the attainment 

 of mineral wealth. 



Very often it is to be feared that such statements are made by 

 t\\e adventurer, simply on the chaqce of getting money easily 

 from the inexperienced, and in such cases, the poor proprietor, 

 afte^- investing vvh^t money he could raise, has had his dearly 

 bought experience for his trouble, with possibly the addition of 



*Reacl by title before the Ottawa Field-Naturalists Club, Jan. lo tb, 1899. 



