248 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



miles east of the Silver Mountain," and about twenty-five miles west 

 of the McKay Mountain ; the third lying in a group of Islands 

 along the shore of Lake Superior, in Jarvis Island, and McKellar 

 Island. 



These veins with hardly an exception run north-west and south- 

 east. But that they should occur in only three groups or localities 

 seems very improbable, and further pi'ospecting will no doubt develop 

 a complete series of fissures throughout the belt. They vary in 

 width from mere foruiation stringers a fingei*'s breadth, and not 

 properly speaking a vein, to 16 feet in width. I have only been able 

 to make observations in the second group of veins comprising some 

 ten or twelve as yet discovered veins. With regard to the veins 

 generally speaking they are true fissures filled no doubt from below. 

 They belong to the class of ribanded veins, the vein matter being 

 most large calcspar quai'tz, accompanied by fluorspar, heavy spar, 

 zinc blende, iron or copper pyrites, argentite, native silver, gal- 

 ena, and traces of ]jyrargyrite. They vary in width at different 

 depths, pinching in frequently to a hand's breadth and often splitting, 

 sending out In-anches enclosing large quantities of slate. Though the 

 order of occurrence of the vein matter is usually zinc blende or 

 galena lying next to the walls of the vein followed by quartz or 

 calcspar, these are frequently reversed and often no blende or galena 

 is observed (see drawings) whatever. The Silver-bearing minerals are 

 found only in zones or streaks, and while the centre vein may assay 

 satisfactory mill returns, the ore ready for smelting is only in pockets. 



The Native Silver occurs in five conditions : 



A. In wire-like forms thickly disseminated through the quartz. 



1 . This may be coarse and without pieces radiating, or attached. 



2. Very fine closely knit, making the gangue of which little is 



present indistinguishable. May be mixed with some sul- 

 phide, or alone. 



B. Occasionally mixed with nuggets of sulphide, but this is rare. 



C. In coarse strings, in coarse-grained calcite, which if the calcspar 



