140 UNDEVELOPED COAL FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTIA GILPIX. 



Southerly of this lies the Mira district ; here there are a few 

 known outcrops of small seams, but little tested except at some 

 natural exposures. The country is swampy with numerous 

 lakes and moss grown, and the natural exposures are principally 

 of the harder ridges of sandstone or grit. In the Salmon River 

 district there are three well marked seams of coal from 12 to 36 

 inches in thickness, lying in the valley between the East Bay 

 and Mira felsites, etc. 



The work showed the existence of a long narrow trough 

 holding the outcrops of several seams under two feet in 

 thickness. 



The first of these on the Gaspereau River road is stated to be 

 eighteen inches thick, to burn well and to yield little ash. A 

 second outcrop similar in character occurs between the Glengarry 

 and Ardoise roads on the shore of a small lake. The third and 

 most important exposure is on the Salmon River, two miles south 

 of the Morrison road, where two eighteen inch seams are met 

 divided by a band of fire-clay. The coal burns readily, but from 

 the following analysis contains an unprofitable amount of ash : 



Moisture 1.53 



Volatile Combustible Matter 20.16 



Fixed Carbon 47.49 



Ash 30.82 



It was stated some time ago that explorations had shown 

 larger and more promising outcrops in this district. The pros- 

 pectors have taken out a number of leases and as they are will- 

 ing to pay the annual rental on them it must be presumed that 

 they are satisfied with their prospects. 



In the district lying to the westward of the General Mining 

 Association's lease at Sydney Mines, and extending from Sydney 

 Harbor to the Big Bras d'Or, there are a number of outcrops of 

 seams. Local authorities, as already stated, claim to have 

 identified them with the lower seams on the Victoria Mines 

 shore of the harbor, and that they are in some instances increased 

 in size. 



