MINERALS. 19 



pelled to return to Belize fruitless. As a bald, inaccessible range 

 of hills, running north and south, had been noticed at the back 

 ofthe Cockscombs, it wag determined to organise a second party 

 and approach tjiese hills from the neighbourhood of Garbutt's 

 Falls, striking across country in a south-easterly course. This 

 time the party was joined by Mr. Fowler, and an account of 

 the expedition has been given by him in a very graphic and 

 interesting manner.* In one locality a large quartz reef was 

 found, forming the top of a ridge, and in some places projecting 

 some 20 feet from the ground. Some pieces of this quartz, 

 on being analysed in Belize, were pronounced to be gold-bearing 

 quartz. In another district volcanic rock was frequently noticed, 

 running in dykes due north and south. " It was very hard, and 

 composed- of all kinds of small pieces of rock, conglomerated 

 into a solid mass, throughout which quartz was dispersed." Strong 

 indications of minerals and many specimens of ore were also 

 found in the neighbourhood of Deep Eiver. Although no actual 

 gold was found in this expedition, the formation of the country 

 justified the belief that it is highly probable coal, gold, or silver 

 may ultimately be found.. The most promising mineral district 

 is evidently a belt of country 20 or 30 miles broad, running 

 north-east, and south-west from the south of the Cockscomb 

 range, into the neighbouring Eepublics of Guatemala and 

 Honduras, and parallel to, and distant from, the coast, as the 

 crow flies, about 25 miles. 



If the mines in the neighbouring countries were first studied, 

 and the nature of the gold-bearing rocks there determined, the 

 presence of such rocks in British Honduras would then be 



* A narrative of a journey across the unexplored portion of British 

 Honduras, with a sketch of the 1 history and resources of the Colony,- by 

 Henry Fowler, Colonial Secretary. The Government Press, Belize, 1879. 



