600 THE OIL- FIELDS OF EASTERN CANADA. — ELLS. 



ieties are, however, found, among which may be mentioned an- 

 thraxolite, asphalt, ozokerite, albertite, manjak, etc. Petroleum 

 can also bo obtained in large quantities from certain rock forma- 

 tions which abound in bitumen, such as the Utica shales of On- 

 tario and Quebec, the Albert shale of New Brunswick, the stel- 

 larite of the coal areas in Pictou, and various other formations 

 found in widely diverse portions of the globe. In a number of 

 cases these formations have been extensively utilized as a source 

 of supply for petroleum, as in the case of the bituminous shales 

 of Scotland, France and elsewhere, while in Canada in the early 

 years of the industry, quite extensive plants were erected in 

 Ontario for the distillation of the Utica shale, and in jSTew. 

 Brunswick of the Albert shale deposits. Unfortunately for these 

 industries the discovery of the great reservoirs of crude 

 petroleum in the United States and in western Canada 

 (Ontario) speedily reduced the price of the raw material so that 

 its further extraction from the shales became unprofitable, and 

 this industry was long since abandoned. 



The mineral anthraxolite, appears to be to all intents merely 

 a hardened or thickened petroleum, and has been found in rocks 

 as low down as the Laurentian and Huronian, where it occurs in 

 vein form in granitic or associated rocks in Ontario; in slates 

 of lower Cambrian or Huronian age west of Sudl)ury, 

 at Chelmsford ; and in the Black river limestone asso- 

 ciated with baryte near Kingston. In Quebec it has been 

 found i'n veins traversing slate and quartzite of lower Cambrian 

 age in Labrador; and in irregular deposits in slates of the 

 Sillery and Levis formations near the city of Quebec. It is 

 very probable that future examinations may reveal its presence 

 elsewhere in these old rocks. In some places, as near Chelms- 

 ford, the quantity is co'nsiderable, and, if suffieiently pure, 

 might be w^orked, but the large percentage of ash in its com- 

 position interferes with its utilization as a suitable fuel for 

 domestic or steam purposes. At one time great hopes w^ere 



