26 



to those which are mined on the shores of Lake 

 Ghamplain in New York. The absence of mineral 

 coal in Canada would render it necessary to use 

 wood-charcoal for the smelting, of these ores, unless 

 as before suggested, peat be employed for the pur- 

 pose. The price of labor in most parts of the country 

 so augments the cost of charcoal that the iron smel- 

 ter here finds it difficult to compete with foreign 

 iron, and to this cause is to be attributed the fact 

 that the ores of Canada are not more extensively 

 worked. The state of Michigan possesses on the 

 southern shore of Lake Superior great deposits of 

 red hematite ore, not unlike those of Canada, and 

 within the last few years has exported large quan- 

 tities of this ore to the vicinity of the coal mines of 

 western Pennsylvania, where it is smelted. The 

 value of the iron ore thus shipped is said to be at 

 present about $2,000,000 annually, and the amount 

 is increasing. A similar ore has lately been found in 

 Canada, on the north shore of Lake Superior, and is 

 about being mined by an American company for 

 exportation to the United States. It has been at- 

 tempted to send the rich ores from the Lauren tian 

 region of Canada to the American market, and it is 

 probable that the plan may be successful, especially 

 as some of these deposits are very advantageously 

 placed for transportation by water. 



Extensive beds of good iron ore occur in the'Eas- 

 tern Townships. They are iron-slates, consisting in a 

 large part of red hematite, and although less rich 

 than the ores already mentioned, might under favo- 

 rable conditions be smelted with advantage, as has 

 already been the case to a limited extent, the ore 

 having been taken to Vermont. 



At various localities in the champaign region of 

 Canada considerable quantities of bog-iron ore are 



