620 THE OIL-FIELDS OF EASTERN CANADA, — ELLS. 



the analysis of these shales is of interest and may be liere 

 given. They are from the laboratory of Ricketts and Banks, 

 of New York, and are as follows: — 



Black oil-shale. 



Moisture 0.36 0.64 



Volatile . 39.a0 4t).52 



Fixed carbon 3.00 5.05 



Ash 56.10 48.79 



Sulphur 1.04 



100.00 100.00 



Grey oil-shale. 



Moisture 1.10 1.5* 



Volatile 45.32 51.22 



Fixed carbon 1.29 3.03 



Ash 50.69 44.21 



Sulphur 1.70 



100.00 100.00 



As already stated the origin of the immense amount of 

 bituminous matter contained in this body of shale and sa'nd- 

 stone has never been satisfactorily explained, and is a very 

 interesting problem. On no hypothesis yet suggested can it 

 be accounted for either as arising from the decomposition of 

 organic matter in situ or as derived from underlying fossilifer- 

 ous sediments, since the underlying rocks being of pre- 

 Cambrian age are entirely devoid of all trace of organisms. 

 Similar difficulties are also met in the attempt to explain the 

 origin of the great deposits of bitumen found in the island of 

 Trinidad, where the associated rocks are shales of Tertiary age. 

 While the consideration of the several theories put forward 

 from time to time to account for the bituminous deposits 

 throughout the world would be of considerable interest, and 

 while the inorganic origin of bitumen and its compounds has 

 quite a number of supporters at the present day, such discus- 



