THE 



CANADIAN NATURALIST 



AND 



ON THE NIPIGON OK COPPER-BEARING ROCKS OP 

 LAKE SUPERIOR, WITH NOTES ON COPPER MIN- 

 ING IN THAT REGION * 



By Joseph William Spencer, B. A. Sc, Mix., Eng. 



I. — Prehistoric Mining and Early History. 



The existence of copper on the shores of Lake Superior has 

 long been known. Before the historic period of America, many 

 localities had been wrought to obtain this useful metal, which 

 was prized more highly than gold by the Aborigines who used 

 it for ornaments rather than for useful implements. These earliest 

 miners are supposed to have belonged to the age of the Mound 

 Builders further south. They are known by the le nains of their 

 mining operations alone. They appear to have visited Lake 

 Superior only in summer, as no traces of winter habitations, 

 burial places, or other evidences of winter occupancy have been 

 left. The most recent date assigned to their visits is variously 

 estimated, from the growth of trees ^over their waste heaps of 

 rocks, at a period of 300-600 years ago. Of all the copper 

 mines that have been opened and woiked in modern times 

 in this region, it is said that none have been discovered wiiich 

 have not borne evidences of former operations. Tnese ancient 

 workings generally consist of pits, excav.t :d sometimes to a djpth 

 of fifty feet or more. In some instances, horizontal galleries have 



* Illustrated with specimens, and r.:ad before ihe monthly meeting 

 of the Montreal Natural History Society, February, 1876. 



Vol. VIII. d No. 2 



