MINERAL KESOURCES. 125 



turning to aeeouut its mineral deposits. It must he remembered 

 too, tliat these remarks apply to copper mining alone ; but, as 

 has been already sliown, otlier ores, sucli as asbestos, nickel, iron 

 pyrites, lead and iron, are found, and give promise of profitable 

 developments. Tlie coal-beds too, await examination and work- 

 ing. All these considerations seem to mark out the island as one 

 of the world's mining centres, in the near future. While the 

 ^reat beds of serpentine liohl the copper treasures, present indi- 

 cations warrant the belief that tlie Huronian and Lower Silurian 

 rocks contain lead in workable quantities, in many localities, 

 liaving a jiercentage of silver, while indications of gold are not 

 wanting. The whole island, therefore, may be fairly regarded as 

 more or less metalliferous, while coal-areas on the western coa.st 

 increase the value of the whole mineral resources. Quite re- 

 cently too, ]ietroleum lias been discovered on the western coast, 

 but whether it is present in workable <|uantities has yet to be 

 detei-mined. A company has been formed to turn it to account, 

 iind an analysis shows that the ipiality of the oil is excellent. 



OPIXIOXS OF PKOFESSOR STEWART. 



Pi'ofessor Stewart, an eminent American mining exj^ert, visited 

 the island a few years ago, and made a careful examination of 

 .the mining region. In his report he said, among other things, 

 " the cojijier ore of Newfoundland is a beautiful yellow sulphuret, 

 free from arsenic or any undesirable ingredient, with a little iron, 

 and containing from eight to twelve per cent, of pure copper. 

 Finer co2)per ore is no where found. The character of the rocks 

 in which it occurred gives an absolute assurance of perpetuity in 

 the working. The rocks are metamorjihosed and laminated ; and 

 the extent of mineral indications over extensive areas renders 

 exhaustion in the working a 2:)ractical impossibility." 



LEAD ORE: 



Lead ore was first discovered at La ]\Ianche, near the north- 

 .eastern extremity of Placentia Bay, ■\^•here for several years 

 workings were carrieil on. The quality of the ore found here is 

 veiy fine. It produces 82 per cent, of metallic lead, and also 



