THE OIL-FIELDS OF EASTERN CANADA. ELLS. 609 



very large sums of money liave been spent in a vain attempt to 

 find jx'troleum in paying- quantity. More than fifty years ago 

 Sir William Logan recognized the existence of oil-springs in 

 this district, and they were described in his earliest reports as 

 situated in places sometimes near the shore and sometimes 

 inland. Attempts were made as far back as 1866 by a boring 

 located near one of these springs to find the source from which 

 the outflow was derived, and the boring reached the depth of 

 nearly 700 feet. Here a small quantity of oil was reported, 

 but owing to the loss of the boring tools the hole was abandoned, 

 the occurrence of oil being apparently insufficient to warrant 

 further expenditure at that time. Subsequently the Petroleum 

 Oil Trust began an extensive series of borings in 1889, which 

 were carried on for nearly fifteen years, and in connection with 

 the Canada Petroleum company, an area extending inland for 

 some thirty miles and with a breadth of six to ceti miles, was 

 very thoroughly explored- by boring, several of the holes being 

 sunk in close proximity to the original location near tl'.e spring 

 already referred to. In all, more than fit' y holes were bored, 

 some of which reached a depth of over 8Y00 feet. The results 

 of all these borings have been collected and were given to the 

 public in a report by the writer to the Geological Survey Depart- 

 ment in 1902. An interesting fact was disclosed in the several 

 borings made at the original site, in that, though a depth of 

 over 2400 feet was reached no oil was found beyond mere 

 traces ; the rocks are highly inclined at this place, and there is 

 probably a line of fault and an anticline in the vicinity. 



The rocks of this district belong to the Devonian system, 

 of which a section aggregating 7000 feet is exposed along- the 

 eastern Gaspe shore. Generally speaking, these rocks are 

 inclined at high angles, in some places reaching sixty to eighty 

 degTees. Paults are seen at several places, and intrusive dykes 

 of diabase also occur, one of which of large size at Tar point is 

 remarkable for containing petroleum, sometimes as a solid, but 



