530 THE DEVONIAN PERIOD. 



recently discovered, and which opens a new field of investigation in a 

 district heretofore supposed to be destitute of metal-bearing rocks. 



" The precise locality where this discovery was made, is on the land 

 of Joseph Landry, constituting a portion of the settlement known in 

 the vicinity as Beech Hill. The land has been leased from its owners 

 by Mr Alex. Wright of Salisbury, with whom I paid a visit to the 

 spot during the past season. 



" In examining the district where the ore occurs, I found that the 

 land immediately surrounding the lode is everywhere covered with 

 rocks of Carboniferous age, over the surface of which are scattered 

 innumerable boulders of highly crystalline quartz. The beds from 

 which the latter have been derived are not directly visible, but near 

 the point where they are most abundant, a pit has been sunk to a 

 depth of about five feet, exposing a distinct quartz lode of from four 

 to five feet in thickness. This lode has a course about N. 22° W., a 

 nearly perpendicular dip, and is bounded by regular walls. Only 

 one of the latter was distinctly visible, and consisted of buflf-coloured 

 and reddish altered grit or breccia. Covering the latter, as well as a 

 portion of the lode, are an ochreous clayey conglomerate, then a 

 reddish slaty clay, and, finally, over all some two or three feet of soil. 

 These uppermost deposits have a decidedly Carboniferous look, and 

 are destitute of metallic indications. 



" The ore, which is confined to the quartz lode, is the gray sulphuret, 

 and is scattered through the rock in veins and spots, while, by altera- 

 tion, it has given a green tinge to much of the associated gangue. A 

 portion of the quartz is distinctly, and at times finely, amethystine 

 (indicating the presence of manganese). Barytes is also found in the 

 lode, and specimens from the neighbourhood contain a green variety 

 of fluor. There seemed to be an entire absence of calcareous matter. 



" Hoping that some exposures might be found in the neighbourhood, 

 by which the age of the deposit could be ascertained, I made a careful 

 search, but found no beds in situ, with the exception of Carboniferous 

 sandstones, shales, and conglomerates, the former holding characteristic 

 plants. Boulders, however, were common, and evidently dei'ived from 

 a metamorphic series, such as gneiss, syenite, mica schist, green and 

 ashy slates. 



" This locality is certainly an interesting one, and worthy of further 

 exploration. It would seem to imply an easterly prolongation of the 

 metalliferous coast belt, as well as a great thinning out of the Carbon- 

 iferous beds by denudation. It is not unlikely that similar exposures, 

 from which the boulders have been derived, may be discovered in the 

 neighbourhood." 



