OF CENTRAL CANADA PART II. Ml 



interfere with its separation for economic purposes. The Hallowell 

 Spring contains from 3J to nearly 4 per cent. ; the St. Catharines' 

 water about 3 per cent. ; and other springs still lower amounts. 

 Quite recently, an announcement of the discovery of rock salt in the 

 township of Combermere, in Renfrew County, has been made in the 

 newspapers, but this requires verification. In all probability, the 

 mass said to have been found was placed there by some of the earlier 

 settlers to prevent cattle from straying in the woods, or by hunters 

 to attract deer. Large masses of rock salt are brought by Quebec 

 ships from Liverpool, in ballast ; and blocks of this salt, taken into 

 the woods, have often given rise to pretended discoveries. A block 

 of 80 or 100 Ibs. weight will remain undissolved for many years. 



V. BODIES OF ASSUMED ORGANIC ORIGIN. 



This division includes many salts, resins, coals, and other carbona- 

 ceous matters, to which an organic origin is generally attributed ; 

 but the supposed derivation of all matters of this kind from organic 

 bodies is by no means free from doubt. The group is represented in 

 Central Canada by a single salt, an oxalate, and by two or three 

 bituminous and carbonaceous substances, one of which, the fluid 

 petroleum or rock-oil, is of great economic value. 



109. Humboldtine (Oxalate of Iron) : Only known, in Canada, 

 as a yellow incrustation on the bituminous (Devonian) shales of 

 Kettle Point or Cape Ipperwash in the township of Bosanquet on 

 Lake Huron. BB, becomes black and magnetic when gently heated, 

 and is finally converted into red oxide of iion. In the bulb-tube, 

 blackens, and yields a large amount of water. Normal composition : 

 oxalic acid 42.40, protoxide of iron 41.13, water 16-47. 



110. Petroleum or Naphtha (Rock Oil) : Fluid, passing into a 

 semi-fluid and viscous condition. Colour, yellowish-brown or brown- 

 ish-black in petroleum : pale-yellow, occasionally with a blueish tinge, 

 in naphtha. Highly inflammable. Essential composition : carbon 

 83 88 per cent., hydrogen 12 17 per cent. Occurs in rocks of 

 various kinds and of different periods of formation, and is usually 

 thought to have originated from the slow decomposition of imbedded 

 vegetable and animal matters. This view, however, is exceedingly 

 problematical as applied ta petroleum generally : regard being had 



