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USEFUL MINERALS. GOLD. 625 



and even in this I had not the advantage which would have been 

 afforded by the discoveries subsequently made by Sir \V. E. Logan 

 as to the true age of the gold-bearing rocks of the Chaudiore district 

 in the province of Quebec. At that time I ventured to hint at 

 these probabilities in the following terms : — 



" Since the gold discoveries in California and Australia, reports 

 of similar discoveries have locally arisen at different times in Nova 

 Scotia; but, so far as I am aware, have always proved deceptive. 

 Iron pyrites, or the bright golden scales which occur among the 

 debris of granite containing black ferruginous mica, have usually 

 been mistaken for the precious metal. Quartz veins, however, occur 

 abundantly in some parts of this district, and it would not be wonder- 

 ful if some of them should be found to be auriferous. It is, however, 

 much more probable that such discoveries may be made in the inland 

 metamorphic district described in last chapter than in that now under 

 consideration, as its rocks bear a much closer resemblance to those 

 of the auriferous districts in other parts of America. Most parts of 

 Nova Scotia have been too well explored to leave much probability 

 that any extensive surface deposits of the precious metal exist, but 

 that it does not occur in small quantities cannot with safety be asserted, 

 until careful trials of the sands and gravels of the streams flowing 

 from the metamorphic districts shall have been made. The gold deposits 

 of the River Chaudiere in Lower Canada afford an instance in which, 

 while individual search has proved quite unprofitable, washing opera- 

 tions on a large scale with the aid of machinery have repaid the 

 labour and capital employed. Unless some accidental discovery should 

 indicate a promising locality, it would be unwise for individuals to 

 engage in such trials ; but if a public survey should be undertaken, 

 they would form a part of its duties." At that time, as some absurd 

 articles had appeared in the public prints predicting the discovery 

 of gold in very unlikely localities, and some excitement had been 

 caused thereby, I feared even to say this much. 



Public attention was first attracted to the existence of gold in 

 Nova Scotia in 1860. Previously to that time, though Mr J. 

 Campbell had found indications at Laurencetown, and accidental 

 discoveries had been made by others, nothing practical resulted. The 

 circumstances and place of the first discovery are thus stated in a 

 Report of the Hon. Joseph Howe : — 



" In March this year, a man, stooping to drink at a brook, found 

 a piece of gold shining among the pebbles over which the stream 

 flowed. He picked it up, and searching found more. This was 

 about half a mile to the eastward of the debouchment of Tangier 



2 s 



