51 



wise known by the names of purple copper, erubescite and peacock or 

 horse-flesh ore. The deposits of the first have their greatest develop- 

 ment in Bolton, Hatley and Ascot, the associated rocks being for the 

 most part chloritic slates, dioritic rocks and sometimes serpentines. 

 The important mines of this area are those south of the city of Sher- 

 brooke, at Capelton, and the Huntington mine, in Bolton. The other 

 varieties are more frequently found in the most westerly belt of 

 cupriferous schists, as seen in the townships of Acton, Halifax, Leeds, 

 etc., where they are generally associated with dolomitic limestones and 

 nacreous or micaceous Ischists. Among the most celebrated mines of 

 this area may be mentioned those of Acton and Harvey Hill, at both of 

 which localities very extensive workings were carried on for many 

 years. 



The occurrence of copper lodes of such size as are found at several 

 points, notably in that portion of Ascot, south of the city of Sherbrooke 

 is probably, to some extent, due to the presence of dioritic dykes and 

 masses, often of large extent, which penetrate the cupriferous schists of 

 that area. This feature is also seen at several other points in connec- 

 tion with the deposits of Sutton, Bolton and Brompton, though, at 

 times, the diorite has changed its character and passed into a more or 

 less pure serpentine, the two kinds of rocks being frequently intimately 

 associated. 



The asbestus industry, which from its inception has steadily but 

 rapidly increased in importance, bids fair to shortly become one of the 

 leading mining industries of the Province. While the occurrence of 

 this mineral has been known for many years and has been referred to in 

 several of the early reports of the Geological Survey, its real economic 

 value was apparently undiscovered till within a comparatively recent 

 period. Although occurring to some extent with the serpentines which 

 are associated with the limestones of the Laurentian district north of 

 the Biver Ottawa, the development in this direction has not yet been 

 sufliciently studied to warrant a clear expression as to the actual value 

 of the deposits in this quarter, and the economic production of this 

 mineral is as yet entirely confined in Canada, or at least in Quebec, to 

 the belt of serpentine rocks which have been mentioned as forming a 

 part of the volcanic belt of the Lower Cambrian of that Province. 



