274 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



margin of the Springhill basin, and along the outcrops are a number 

 of small collieries which have been in operation for some years with vary- 

 ing results. These two seams of the Joggins section have not as yet 

 been correlated with the workable seams of the Springhill area. 



In addition to these areas the carefully detailed work of Mr, 

 Fletcher in the last few years has revealed the existence of a possibly im- 

 portant coal-basin south-west of Springhill along the north flank of the 

 Cobequid mountain range. The rocks of this area were formerly sup- 

 posed to belong to the Millstone-grit formation, but a careful study of 

 the district, both along the shore and inland, has led to the conclusion 

 that they belong to the Upper Carboniferous series and overlie the pro- 

 ductive measures in this direction. Acting on this theory the overlying 

 series has recently been bored to a depth of over 2,000 feet and a coal- 

 seam of large size has been struck. It is quite possible therefore, in the 

 event of further borings oonfirmin^ the first discovery, that a new and 

 valuable coal-field may be opened in this area. 



Among other small and comparatively unimportant coal-seams are 

 those which occur in formations other than the productive coal measures, 

 such as the small seams which outcrop on the south side of the Cobequid 

 mountains at Debert and at several points in the vicinity. These occur 

 in roeks of apparently Lower Carboniferous age which are much broken 

 up, and the seams east of Truro at Kemptown are prol)alily of the same 

 age. Of a still lower horizon are the small seams found along the rail- 

 way east of Eiversdale which are assigned to the Devonian, and several 

 outcrops along the north side of the Bay of Fundy which may be of the 

 same horizon. These small and for the most part, isolated basins give 

 but small promise of sttccessful development. 



Boring for oil has been carried on in several parts of the province 

 for many j'-ears. In the island of Cape Breton a number of holes have 

 been put down in rocks of Devonian age, which are much tilted and 

 otherwise disturbed; and though traces of oil have been found at several 

 points no occurrences of economic value have yet been recorded. Quite 

 recently borings made on the sonth side of Minas basin reached a depth 

 of about 2,000 feet without finding an underlying coal or oil basin. 



The province of Prince Edward Island does not shew the presence 

 of coal seams at any point on the surface. The rocks over the whole 

 island belong to the Upper Carboniferotis or Permian formations and 

 coal seams if existing at all must be sought for at considerable depths by 

 boring at well chosen points. The only source of mineral fuel in that 

 province is in the several peat bogs of excellent quality, but no attempt 

 has ever been made to utilize these, and in view of the cheap transit 

 from the Pictou and Inverness coal fields across Northumberland strait 



