114 CARBONIFEROUS OF CAPE BRETON—GILPIN. 
lustre, banded, with uneven fracture. The powder of the five 
and of the four feet seams when boiled in caustic soda imparts a 
brown color to the liquid, this with the percentage of water would 
make them approach in character to brown coal, although they 
occur in strata of Carboniferous age. The coal from the largest 
seam does not color a solution of caustic soda and is more closely 
allied with the typical carboniferaus coals. Zine blende was 
observed as a film in this coal. These coals are said to produce 
little smoke when burned in marine boilers. 
PORT HOOD DISTRICT. 
As yet but little mining has been done here, and the qualities 
of the coals have not been settled by practical experience. The 
Geological Survey Report, 1876-77, page 469, gives a report on 
the coal of the lower or 7 feet seam. It appears to resemble in 
its general characteristics the Broad Cove coal, and yielded on 
analysis :— 
Fast Coking. Slow Coking. 
MOIST UTE ier he ocean Ne eee eae et eerie 4.02 4.02 
Volatile combustible matters//o-. 4... . 22a. 38.81 34.86 
Kixedcarbomedistcse st cnet cares Santon 49.65 53.60 
Ashe(pilplish ed) Sse tsetner sa cee ee eee 7.52 7.52 
The coal is said to contain rather above the percentage of sul- 
phur usually found in Cape Breton coals. 
I have no analysis of the Chimney Corner coals. They are 
not as bright as many of the eastern coals, but are good steam 
coals. 
Reference has been already made to the area of millstone grit 
extending from Sydney up the valleys of the Mira and Salmon 
Rivers. These measures show several outcrops of coal beds 
apparently underlying large tracts of country. The beds are 
known only by natural outcrops, and no attempt has been made 
to ascertain if other beds are present. They do not exceed two 
feet in thickness, and, as the route of the Cape Breton railway 
will not follow these rivers as was expected at one time, they 
will probably not receive any attention for many years to come. 
The following analysis is from the Canadian Geological Survey : 
