640 THE LOWER SILURIAN PERIOD. 



believed to be occupied with altered Lower Silurian rocks; but 

 the precise distribution of these, and the limits between them and 

 the older and newer rocks in their vicinity, are very imperfectly 

 known. 



Useful Minerals of the Loiver Silurian of New Brunswick. 



Gold. — The probability that these rocks in New Brunswick may 

 be geologically equivalent to the auriferous rocks of Nova Scotia 

 and of the province of Quebec, would of itself excite hope that 

 the precious metal might occur in them. In addition to this, drift 

 gold has, according to Professor Bailey, been found on the head 

 waters of the Tobique and Miramichi, and at the Grand Falls of 

 the St John, and it has also been found 2?i situ by the officers of 

 the Geological Survey of Maine at St Stephens. At this place 

 it occurs in quartz veins in micaceous schist. Professor Hind also 

 states that gold has been found in a " black plumbaginous slate " 

 at St Stephen. These indications are sufficient to warrant the hope 

 that important discoveries would reward a careful exploration of 

 this district. 



Antimony. — This metal was discovered to exist in the parish of 

 Prince William, York County, about twenty-five miles from Freder- 

 ickton in 1863, and subsequent exploration has led to the belief of 

 the existence of very important deposits. The ore is a pure sulphuret, 

 capable of yielding about 70 per cent, of metallic antimony, and is 

 contained in numerous large and well-defined veins of quartz, filling 

 lines of dislocation in highly tilted argillaceous slates and quartzites. 

 " These veins are true veins of segregation, showing a distinctly 

 banded character, and an alternation of materials, the antimony ore 

 itself frequently forming distinct layers, though often penetrating irregu- 

 larly the surrounding rocks. Excavations have been made by different 

 Companies at several points, two of them distant more than three- 

 fourths of a mile from each other, and have in each case proved 

 productive. No very persistent or vigorous operations have, however, 

 as yet been carried on. 533 cwt. of ore was exported in 1864."* 



Small quantities of silver occur In the antimony ores of this 

 place. 



Lead. — Indications of galena or sulphuret of lead are reported 

 as having been found on the Tobique and elsewhere ; but, as yet, 

 nothing remunerative. 



Copper. — In Professor Hind's Report, a number of localities of 

 copper ores are mentioned ; but as in all of them the metal appears 



* Professor Bailey, MS. 



