CARBONIFEROUS DISTRICT OF PICTOU. 345 



bouring colonics. Many buildings have been constructed of Pictou 

 freestone in the large cities of the American Union ; and its cheap- 

 ness, durability, and fine colour, are likely to secure an extended 

 demand. The principal quarries are on Saw Mill Brook, at the head 

 of Pictou Harbour, where stone of excellent quality and colour, and 

 both in blocks and flags, is found in great abundance. These quarries 

 have been very extensively opened, and a railway and loading pier, 

 time-fourths of a mile in length, have been constructed. The greatest 

 quantity shipped in any year has been 3000 tons ; but with the present 

 facilities from 10,000 to 12,000 tons can be annually shipped from the 

 "Acadia Quarry," which is the principal opening. 



Gypsum, in workable quantity, occurs only on the East River, and 

 is at too great a distance from a port of shipment to be quarried at 

 present, except for domestic use. 



Limestone is quarried for use in the country, at the East and West 

 Rivers, and small quantities are occasionally taken from the beds at 

 Merigomish and Cape John. A curious concretionary limestone, 

 belonging apparently to the Upper Coal formation, and occurring at 

 Praser's Mountain and at Little Harbour, near New Glasgow, has 

 attracted some attention as a marble for decorative purposes. 



Manganese Ore, Sulphate of Barytes, Umber and Ochres, are found 

 in small quantities. Brick and Pottery clays also occur. 



The Copper Ores found in the Coal formation have been already 

 mentioned. The principal localities are Caribou River, the West & 

 River, a little below Durham, and the East River, a few miles above 

 the Albion Mines. Similar appearances also occur on French and 

 Waugh's Rivers, in the band of Coal formation rocks connecting the 

 Cumberland and Pictou districts. In all these places the principal 

 ore is the gray sulphuret of the metal, with films and coatings of the 

 green carbonate. These ores are associated with fossil plants, to^ 

 which, as already explained, their accumulation is to be attributed. 

 The ores are rich and valuable, and the only reason which prevents „ 

 thrm from being worked, is the belief that the deposits are too limited 

 to be of economical importance. This has been found to be the case ° 

 in two instances in which trials have been made by the agents of the 

 Miniug Association. The following is the composition of a sample 

 from Caribou, analyzed by the writer: — 



Copper .... 40-00 

 Iron .... 11-06 

 Cobalt .... 2-10 



Cany forward 53-16 



