CARBONIFEROUS DISTRICT OF ANTIGONISH COUNTY. 349 



uiiilerlying St George's Bay, and the eastern side of wliich appears at 

 Port Hood in Cape Breton. 



The Antigonish area thus appears to be of triangular form, with 

 the Lower Carboniferous beds extending along its western and south- 

 eastern sides, and the Coal formation occupying a limited space on the 

 northern side. It is rich in limestone and gypsum, and has that fertile 

 calcareous soil which so generally prevail.'^ over the rocks of the 

 gypsifcrous series. 



Coal and Salt of Antigonish County. 



Until recently it was supposed that all the Carboniferous rocks in 

 the vicinity of Antigonish Harbour were referable to the Lower Car- 

 boniferous ; but I learn from a manuscript report of JMr J. Campbell, 

 kindly communicated to me by Mr Chisholm of Antigonish, that a 

 limited, though productive, coal-field has been discovered in the 

 vicinity of South Lake Brook, extending north-easterly from the road 

 to Malignant Cove. On the south side of the area the beds dip to 

 the northward at angles of 30° to 40°, and are underlaid on the south 

 by Lower Carboniferous bituminous limestones and shales. The 

 northern side of the area has not been explored, but the Coal measures 

 must be limited in this direction by the Lower Carboniferous and 

 igneous rocks occupying the coast from Malignant Cove to Cape St 

 Geoi'ge. It would appear from Mr Campbell's report that five beds 

 of coal have been discovered as follows, in ascending order : — 



r Coal . . . 2 ft. 



l.-<^ Shale . . . 3 „ 



(_ Coal . . . G „ 

 Beds, unknown . 150 „ 



2. Coal . . . 9 5, 5 in. 

 Beds, unknown . 280 ,, 



3. Coal . . . 3 ,, 6 in. 

 Beds — thickness not ascertained. 



4. Coal . . . 4 ft. to 6 ft. 

 Beds, thickness not ascertained. 



5. Coal . . . 4 ft. or more. 



The precise quality of the coal has not been ascertained, but specimens 

 shown to me much resembled that of the Richmond Mine, or of the 

 Lower beds at Pictou. 



Brine Springs. — Salt springs arise from some parts of the Lower 

 Carboniferous rocks, which have caused boring operations to be 

 undertaken for brine, with good prospects of success In a boring 



