140 UNDEVELOPED COAL FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTIA—GILPIN. 
Southerly of this lies the Mira district; here there are a few 
known outcrops of small seams, but little tested except at some 
natural exposures. The country is swampy with numerous 
lakes and moss grown, and the natural exposures are principally 
of the harder ridges of sandstone or grit. In the Salmon River 
district there are three well marked seams of coal from 12 to 36 
inches in thickness, lying in the valley between the East Bay 
and Mira felsites, ete. 
The work showed the existence of a long narrow trough 
holding the outcrops of several seams under two feet in 
thickness. 
The first of these on the Gaspereau River road is stated to be 
eighteen inches thick, to burn well and to yield little ash. A 
second outcrop similar in character occurs between the Glengarry 
and Ardoise roads on the shore of a small lake. The third and 
most important exposure is on the Salmon River, two miles south 
of the Morrison road, where two eighteen inch seams are met 
divided by a band of fire-clay. The coal burns readily, but from 
the following analysis contains an unprofitable amount of ash :— 
Moisture ac 42:16 Be Mata tai: eee ae os 
Volatile Combustible Matter....... « 20A6 
Pixon Oar Onnc:setetretencccc kere 4.7.49 
Aichi rueucndetiycc ebNNClahnt a cueia ee Oe 
It was stated some time ago that explorations had shown 
larger and more promising outcrops in this district. The pros- 
pectors have taken out a number of leases and as they are will- 
ing to pay the annual rental on them it must be presumed that 
they are satisfied with their prospects. 
In the district lying to the westward of the General Mining 
Association’s lease at Sydney Mines, and extending from Sydney 
Harbor to the Big Bras d’Or, there are a number of outcrops of 
seams. Local authorities, as already stated, claim to have 
identified them with the lower seams on the Victoria Mines 
shore of the harbor, and that they are in some instances increased 
in size. 
