314 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. viiu 



" At the same estate of Husaas, at a few yards from the apa- 

 tite mines and parallel to them there is a vein of nickeliferous 

 and cobaltous pyrites which gives, according to the analysis of 

 well known chemists of Chrisliania, from 2 to 2.70 per cent, of 

 nickel and cobalt. This lode is narrow at the surface. It may 

 be remarked that an analagous vein near Drammen attained the 

 thickness of 30 feet at a depth of one hundred feet, and now 

 returns fabulous profits to the proprietor. Considered on the 

 whole, the mines of Husaas, for exceptional situation and im- 

 portance, are without rivals in Norway. 



" There are also in the same country, at a few leagues dis- 

 tance one from the other, two other rich apatite mines belonging 

 to the Belgian Consortium. The first is the apatite mine of 

 Noland Spiremir, situated at Rod Akeland, and is finely placed 

 on tho road separating the sea-ports of Sondeled and Rod, and 

 is about a mile and a half from Rod, and three miles from 

 Sondeled. The mine is on a slope of the mountain bearing the 

 same name, and the concession is very large, covering several acres. 

 There is but one vein, but it is of extraordinary power. Its length 

 is about one hundred feet, and its breadth nine feet. Its depth 

 is unknown, that is to say, it is not known whether 100 or 150 

 feet would be dug before coming to the massive layer. The vein 

 is so exceptionally large that it is taken for granted that its ex- 

 traction would immediately bring handsome profits. Only at 

 the top the vein is irregular and strewn with fragments of rather 

 soft stone, which may be easily picked out with a small hand 

 pick from the blocks of apatite extracted. It is now being 

 worked w T ith a view to examine and compare its purity at a depth 

 of twenty feet with that at the surface. The apatite of this 

 mine is of a rose colour, and yields 89 per cent, of pure phos- 

 phate. As the mine is but a few yards from the grand road, 

 and only forty-five minutes walk from the sea-ports of Sondeled 

 and Rod, between which it is situated, it could be nearly as 

 advantageously worked as that of Husaas." 



The reports of our Geological Survey show that the apatite of 

 Burgess is usually accompanied by quantities of mica and horn- 

 blende or pyroxene, and is bedded in Laurentian gneiss. In 

 so far its mode of occurrence closely agrees with that of the 

 Norwegian phosphate. But the Burgess deposit occurs in shallow 

 synclinals, and at only one point has it been tested to a depth 

 of over 100 feet. The deposits in the County of Ottawa are 

 yielding a purer mineral, and may possibly extend to a far greater 

 depth. The magnetic pyrites of the Laurentian usually contain 

 some nickel and cobalt. 



In Mr. Vennor's report for 1873 the causes of the poor success 

 of most of the phosphate mines in Burgess and its vicinity are 

 accurately determined and clearly explained. A study of this 

 record may save some of our capitalists much trouble and disap- 

 pointment when engaged in opening up the beds of apatite on 

 the shores of the Lievre. 



