COAL AREAS. 53 



ley, F. G. S., at present Director of the Geological 

 Survey, on Robinson's Brook, four feet in thickness, 

 very bituminous coking coal, emitting much gas under 

 combustion, and burning freely. He also found an- 

 other seam in the same section, seventeen inches 

 thick. In 1889 a still more thorough examination 

 of this coal district was made under the direction of 

 Mr. Howley. Referring to the report of that year, it 

 shows that altogether fourteen seams of coal, of a 

 varying thickness, from a few inches up to six feet, 

 Avere uncovered on one small brook ; three on another 

 two miles distant, and four on a third brook, still 

 farther eastward some two and one-half miles. These 

 with some smaller ones aggregate a thickness of 

 twenty-seven feet of coal in the section, which is re- 

 peated by being brought to the surface again on the 

 other side of the synclinal trough. From the above 

 condensed statement from official facts it will be 

 readily seen that there is not the possibility of a 

 doubt that coal is abundant on the island ; and fur- 

 ther, the reader Avill be surprised to learn that not- 

 withstanding the presence of these rich and extensive 

 coal fields, none of them have yet been worked, and 

 they import from Cape Breton and Prince Edward's 

 Island all the coal they use at an annual expense 

 of about $250,000.00. 



