116 CARBONIFEROUS OF CAPE BRETON—GILPIN. 
ment that active work. was being performed on a seam of 
anthracite coal at McAdam’s Lake, near the head of East Bay. 
The bed occurred in red and gray shales and conglomerates of 
the lowest division of the Carboniferous. It, however, proved 
to be little more than a coaly shale, lustrous and resembling the 
poorer anthracite coals of the United States. On analysis it 
yielded— ‘ 
VolatilexMatter sort os... aee ion. ae coer 17.80 
Bixéd*Carbon> sa.b 10h Ca oe ee oe eee 29.04 
Ashi gee as ake Taper dichal Rese SR Ra ee ae 53.16 
Notwithstanding the large amount of ash the coal yielded a 
firm and porous coke. 
Irregular pockets and beds, or rather seams, of hard compact 
coal are frequently found in the carboniferous of this Province. 
The mineral frequently breaks irregularly, does not soil the 
fingers, and resembles anthracite. On a closer examination how- 
ever these coals are found to be either highly carbonaceous shales, 
or compact semi-anthracite coal, its more volatile ingredients 
being lowered in amount by the hardening, ete., the containing 
strata have undergone. Considerable sums of money have been 
spent in testing and prospecting these deposits, but so far the 
results have not been at all satisfactory. 
RIVER INHABITANTS COAL DISTRICT. 
I am not aware of any recent analysis of the coals of this dis- 
trict. Little systematic mining has been carried on for a number 
of years, and the writer is obliged, like Mr. Fletcher, to refer to 
the report made a number of years ago by Dr. Dawson to the 
Government of Nova Scotia. He gives the following analysis of 
the Little River four feet seam :— 
Velatilewmatter a: tes oR ee ew eee 30.25 
Kiem GAabOOms Ee cil Ae rele ee Re eceaie ic 56.40 
IGA bie fsa Se She AG eae OI Ree 13.30 
100.00 
and remarks that it is more bituminous than the Sydney or 
