182 PRE-COLUMBIAN COPPEE-MINING 



small diinensions, were pointed oat to tlie writer at the latter place as 

 the work of the old miners. Modern miners would regard the whole 

 system as nothing more than i^rospectiug work and not mining i)roper, 

 as there were no shafts or tunnels or underground workings of any 

 kind. As Mr. Whittlesey expressed it, "the old miners performed the 

 part of the surface explorers." 



I am fortunate in being able to add to the foregoing the testimony of 

 an eye-witness of some other discoveries in this district, viz, that of 

 Mr. J. H. Forster, a well-known mining engineer who lived in the dis- 

 trict many years. He was at one time superintendent of one of the 

 mines, and was engaged on the Portage Lake Ship Canal as State 

 engineer when tlie canal was opened, when he discovered some copper 

 articles in an ancient grave at that point. He Avrites in regard to the 

 discovery of old operations: " The largest mass of float copper found 

 in modern times - - - weighed 18 tons, and contained very little 

 rocky matter. When found in the Avoods, on the Mesnard location, it 

 was covered with moss and resembled a flat trap bowlder. It had been 

 manipulated by the ' ancient miner,' and much charcoal was found 

 around it. Its top and sides were i^ounded smooth, and marks of stone 

 hammers were apparent. All projections — every bit of copper that 

 could be detached — had beeu carried away. - - - Subsequent 

 explorations disclosed the epidote lode whence the mass came — torn 

 from its matrix doubtless by the ice. The mass had been transported 

 only about 50 feet and dropped on a ridge. When the lode was stripped 

 of the drift the jagged edges of a mass lu place were exposed. It was 

 of the same length, thickness, and structure of the ' float.' It was 

 observed at the time that if the 'float' could be set up on edge on the 

 piece in place it would fit in exactly. A beautiful illustration of the 

 power and direction of the glacier was thus afitbrded." Mr. Forster 

 was present when the famous Calumet conglomerate lode was opened. 

 At that point a small mound was found in the woods, while explora- 

 tions were in progress, upon which large pine, maple, and birch trees 

 were growing. Eoots of trees still more ancient were found in the 

 drift. After stripping off the timber a pit was sunk, which reached 

 the solid conglomerate at the depth of ] 5 feet. " But it was a hard 

 rock filled with stamp copper only, and could not be mined by the 

 ancient miners." 



Numerous stone hammers and biich-bark baskets were found in the 

 workings. Mr. Forster thinks the dirt was carried out of the pit in 

 these baskets. On the north side of Portage Lake, on the extension of 

 the Isle Ivoyale lode (oi)posite Houghton), the drift being shallow, 

 "long trenches were dug on the back of the lode 3 feet wide and deep. 

 There was much small mass or nugget copper (barrel worki released by 

 the disintegration of the soit epidote vein stone." This was thrown 

 out, while the earth was thrown behind tlie miner as he advanced, and 

 the work resembled that of an expert " navvy." No evidence of deep 



