DISTRICT OF INVERNESS AND VICTORIA. 399 



discovered. The mine is worked on the long-wall system, somewhat 

 in the manner of a mineral vein. A railway has been formed to the 

 shore; and in 1866, 1016 tons of coal were extracted. 



Coal also appears at the basin of Inhabitants, and in two places on 

 the river of the same name ; but I am not aware whether it is of any 

 practical importance. I would suggest, however, to explorers the 

 valley of the River Inhabitants as a promising field of investigation. 



The only other useful minerals found in the district are limestone 

 and gypsum. The most accessible deposit of the former is that of 

 Plaister Cove, which is large and of fair quality. Large beds of good 

 limestone also occur at Little River and the north-west arm of River 

 Inhabitants. The bed of gypsum from which Plaister Cove derives 

 its name is of enormous thickness, and contains some good gypsum, 

 though about two-thirds of its thickness consist of anhydrous gypsum 

 or "hard plaster." The bed which occurs near Carribou Cove is of 

 good quality ; but where it appears on the shore it is deeply covered 

 with boulder-clay. A little farther inland, however, it is nearer the 

 surface. The marls associated with these beds, as they contain large 

 quantities of carbonate and sulphate of lime in a finely divided state, 

 might be usefully applied as a dressing to land. 



Gypsum has been exported from the bed already mentioned at 

 Little River, and to a considerable extent from Lennox Passage, where, 

 as well as at Arichat and St Peter's, there is good limestone. 



Carboniferous District of Northern Inverness and Victoria. 



In following the coast sections to the northward and westward of 

 Plaister Cove, we find the Carboniferous rocks reduced to a narrow 

 belt, by the projection of a mass of igneous and altered rocks toward 

 the coast. The conglomerate appears in several places, and also the 

 Lo^vcr Carboniferous limestone, which has been altered into a varie- 

 gated marble, capable of being applied to ornamental purposes. At 

 Long Point the metamorphic hills begin to recede from the coast, and 

 from Port Hood the Carboniferous rocks extend quite across the 

 island to St Ann's Harbour, and northwaixl to Margarie, beyond which 

 place a narrow belt continues to line the coast as far as Cheticamp. 



At Port Hood, the Coal measures appear with characters very similar 

 to those of the Joggins section. Their dip is W. 20°, in some places 

 varying to W. by N. 25° ; so that their strike nearly coincides with 

 that of the shore, and only a small thickness of beds can be seen in 

 the coast section. The beds seen consist of gray sandstones and gray 

 and brown shales, with black and calcareous shales, and thin seams of 

 coal. Calamifes^ Sternbergia, Stigmaria, and coniferous wood abound ; 



