1869.] MACFARLANE — GEOLOGY OP LAKE SUPERIOR. 47 



lbs. The following experiments on samples Nos. 2 and 4 are 

 confirmatory of the results of the assays : — 1000 parts of No. 2 

 yielded, on being washed on the German ' Sicher trog,' 275 parts 

 of ore, containing 24-82 per cent, silver; 1000 parts of No. 4, 

 yielded on similar treatment, 87 parts washed ore, assaying 15-9 

 per cent, silver. 



On the strike of the vein of Silver Islet, to the north-westward, 

 two veins are seen to intersect the argillaceous sandstones which 

 form the projecting part on the south-east side of Burnt Island. 

 These sandstones are here much harder than usual, having 

 resisted well the action of the waves. This is owing to their 

 being penetrated by numerous thin veins of quartz, which 

 mineral appears also to have permeated and hardened the side 

 rock. The dip of the sandstones is 9^^ towards N. 58^^ E. 

 Generally the veins are mere coatings of quartz on the vertical 

 joints, but sometimes they are about an inch, and even three 

 inches thick, showing cavities lined with quartz crystals. The 

 most western of the large veins shews sometimes a thickness of 

 seven or eight inches of quartz, but consists on the whole of a 

 network of quartz veins enclosing fragments of the hardened 

 sandstone. Galena, blende and iron pyrites are observed accom- 

 panying the quartz, but, although native silver was diligently 

 sought for, none was found. On washing the galena from 1000 

 parts of this veinstone, 181 parts were obtained, containing 0-04 

 per cent, silver, or 13-052 oz. per ton. This quantity is of course 

 too small to pay for working the vein. The strike of the latter 

 is about S. 30° E., which direction points straight to the west 

 side of Silver Islet. Its dip is SO'^ N.E. The eastern vein is 

 filled mostly with calcspar, and contains galena also, 106 parts of 

 which were washed out of 1000 of veinstone. The washed ore 

 contained only a trace of silver. These veins seem to continue 

 across Burnt Island, and are met with on the mainland, where 

 small grains of galena are seen in them. They are more likely 

 to be argentiferous where they intersect the dykes ; but at these 

 points large crevices filled with large stones and earth are invari- 

 ably found. 



With regard to the agricultural capabilities of the location, 

 they are not very extraordinary. A large part of its area is 

 occupied by the red sandstones, having only a covering of moss 

 and scarcely any soil upon them, neither is there any soil upon 

 the rocky ridges formed by the dykes. The indurated marl and 



