THE OCCURRENCE OF GOLD IN NEW BRUNSWICK. 17 



The surface of this part of the province is entirely covered 

 with drift and heavily wooded, but neither rock nor drift expos- 

 ures can be seen, except along the streams. The geological for- 

 mations have been described in the reports of the Geological 

 Survey. The strata are cut across nearly at right angles by the 

 river, and sections of the rock are thus exposed to view in many 

 places. 



3. 



CHARACTER AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE 

 GOLD-BEARING ALLUVIUMS. 



The character of the alluviums in the Serpentine valley is 

 similar to that of those in other gold-bearing districts, notably 

 to the deposits in the Chaudiere Valley in South-Eastern Que- 

 bec, which have been wrought for gold since 1846. Alluvial gold 

 has been found along the river from a point about two miles 

 above its junction with the Right Hand Branch nearly to the 

 "deadwaters," which are about twelve miles from its mouth. It 

 seems, however, to be more plentifully distributed above the big 

 falls, about eight miles and a half from the mouth of the river, 

 than below. Coarse gold has been discovered there in pieces 

 weighing from rive to six grains. At the time of 2iiy visit but 

 little prospecting had been carried on in that part of the valley, 

 except in the bed of the river and a few places in the banks, and 

 nearly all the washing had been done by the ordinary process of 

 panning. Since then, however, Mr. Perley has extended his ex- 

 plorations as far up as the "deadwaters," mentioned above, and 

 discovered gold, both coarse and fine, at places from three miles 

 and a half to four miles above the big falls. Sections of the de- 

 posits in which gold occurs were noted by me in several i)laces 

 and exhibit the following series in descending order : 



1. Coarse, river gravel with boulders of all dimensions up 

 to a foot in diameter. 



2. Fine gravel on bed rock, sometimes oxidized, and con- 

 taining gold. 



3. Rock, presenting broken, unglaciated surfaces, with gold 

 in the crevices. 



