MINERAL RESOURCES. 129 



•jDOsits of tlie island in many localities. It occurs in strings and 

 threads of tine silky texture, tiaversing the masses of serpentine 

 in all directions. Not until i|uite recently, however, was the 

 iittention of capitalists called tn its existence here, and fairly 

 unlisted in its development. The comparative scarcity of good 

 material in America, and llie not distant prospect of the Canadian 

 ■deposits of this valuable uiiiu-ial giving out, led to the large 

 'manufacturing firms of Clialmers, Spence & Co., of Boston, and 

 •the John's Co., of New York, sending ]iersons to prospect in this 

 ^^ountry. Certain ]u-operties known to contain asbestos, in the 

 vieinity of Port-au-Port and Bay of Islands, were leased by them 

 and (iperations connnenced by costeaning the surface, laying bare 

 tile (le]i<)<its, and I'unning oi)en cuts into the side nf the serpen- 

 tine ridges. A good deal of I'xcellent tibre was obtained thereby, 

 though the de])Osit is exci^edingly irregular. The filire varies 

 fi-iiin less than half to about five inches in length, averaging 

 about two iuches. So far as <piality goes, it is, I Ijelieve, all that 

 is requisite for ordinary use. Other parties opened up deposits 

 of serpentine nearer the shore, showing abundance of short tibre, 

 in numerous small veins. Some of this is tvo to two and a half 

 inches long, and is of a beautiful fine and silky texture, ap- 

 proaching amianthus in purity. Its greatly enhanceil value of 

 late years, and its comparative scarcity in the market, render it 

 an object much sought after. Serpentines and their associated 

 I'ocks, identical in character with those holding the material in 

 < 'anada, occur abundantly in many parts of Xewfoundland, 

 which is already regai'deil in Canada as, in all probability, 

 •' Queliec's greatest rival,'' in the near future, in the [>roduction of 

 .this valualtle connnodity.'' 



Mu. wiiAAi^'s r.vri:K ox asrkstos. 



A pajier was read before the Mining Society of Nova Scotia 

 Decern) ler 3rd, 1893, on ''Tlie Asl)estos Fields of Port-au-Port, 

 Newfoundland," by Mr. C. E. Willis, a high authority on the 

 subject. A few extracts ai-e subjoined : " Tlie metamorphic rocks 

 find serpentines of the Eastern Townships of (Quebec and the 



