[ells] notes on the mineral fuel supply of CANADA 271 



derived, in part at least, from animal remains and in part from sea- 

 weeds, since in the Trenton time, in the rocks of wliich formation 

 petroleum often occurs, land vegetation is not lvno^\Ti to have existed. 



In some areas where oil wells occur the oil has come to the surface 

 and become thickened, forming what are known as gum-beds. This ma- 

 terial was found in large masses in the Petrolea oil-field prior to the dis- 

 covery lof the oil itself in quantity. Masses of this thick and spong}' oil 

 have also been picked up in the vicinity of the oil-springs in eastern New 

 Brunswick and in Gaspé, Que., but in the case of the albertite of the 

 Albert mines in the former province this thickening of the natural oils 

 must have recurred through some cause other than exposure, since this 

 mineral filled a fissure in bituminous shales to a depth of 1500 feet 

 with a length of over half a mile. The cause of the presence of this 

 great mass of albertite has never been quite satisfactorily explained. 



"While for many years petroleum has generally been regarded as de- 

 rived from organisms either vegetable or animal this hypothesis is by no 

 means universally accepted. Some authorities contend that its presence 

 is due rather to chemical changes in the rocks of the earth's interior as 

 a result of the action of percolating waters on metallic carbides, and that 

 the occurrence of petroleum even in fossiliferous sediments does not of 

 necessity imply that these organisms were the original source of the min- 

 eral in question. This, however, is not the place to discuss the merits of 

 the controversy. 



In the matter of hard coal or anthracite the people of eastern 

 Canada are to a large extent dependent upon the immense deposits of 

 this variety which occur in the eastern portion of the United States, or 

 upon the output of the Welsh collieries; but in all other varieties it will 

 be found that Canada has an unlimited supply, much of which is readily 

 accessible. Even of the anthracite variety it has been well established 

 that the deposits found along the eastern slopes of the Rocky moun- 

 tains as at Banff, are of excellent quality and of great extent. 



Although the island of îs'ewfoundland, politically, is not yet a part 

 of the Dominion of Canada, from the scientific standpoint it may here be 

 considered. The existence of coal-fields in the south-western portion of 

 that province has been kno^\Ti for many years, but the deposits have 

 never been opened up to as to furnish a supply of fuel either for -'local 

 consumption or for export. The coal formation in this area may possi- 

 bly represent the extension éast\\"ard of the Sydney coal-basin which may 

 underlie the broad strait between the island of Cape Breton and the 

 south-west extremity of Xewfoundland. Along the line of railway 

 •rrhich connects the south-west angle of the island with the city of St. 

 John's other deposits of coal have been mined near the height of land in 



