PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. ig 



limestones and gneisses of the Grenville series. "The discovery of so hiryc an 

 area of the Grenville series in this district," Dr. Adams says in his report, " is most 

 encouraging, as indicating the probable occurrence in it of large and valuable 

 mineral deposits." An extensive and remarkable mass of nepheline-syenite was dis- 

 covered in the townships of Faraday and Dungannon, which was traced for a dis- 

 tance of over seven miles in an east and west direction. Dr. Adams says: — 



" This is a rare rock, found in but few places in the world, and never before 

 discovered in our Laurentian system. The nepheline is very abundant, forming :n 

 many places an almost pure nepheline rock. The mass is flanked on the south, 

 along a considerable part of its course, by crystalline limestone, and it is also 

 intimately associated with a fine-grained reddish rock, resembling aplite. It is of a 

 prevailing gray color, and often has a distinct foliation, coinciding with that of 

 the associated rocks." 



The beautiful blue mineral sodalite was also found in a number oi places, 

 associated with the nepheline-syenite, in the form of veins and irregular masses: 

 but no occurrence of corundum was observed. 



During the past three seasons Mr. Barlow has been associated with Dr. 

 Adams on the work of this field, and a very interesting and valuable report may 

 be confidently looked for upon some of thr most intricate questions of Archiean 

 geology. Dr. R. W. Ells has also been engaged at intervals in surveying portions 

 of the Ottawa valley east of the area on which Messrs. Adams and Barlow have 

 been working, into which the corundum belt is known to extend as far at least 

 as the Ottawa and Opeongo road. The two map-sheets, however, as well as the 

 accompanying reports, will deal with the general geology of the districts, and 

 notwithstanding the importance of the corundum discovery it is not likely that 

 prominence will be given to that subject, if the usual practice of the survey is 

 followed. 



During the last two seasons Professor W. G. Miller, of the Kingston School 

 of Mining, has been employed by the Ontario Government to make a special 

 report on the field. Beginning last year with the study of the occurrence of the 

 mineral at the place of first discovery in Carlow, he has been able to trace the 

 corundum-bearing rocks eastward across that township, through Raglan and Lyn- 

 doch, to the shores of Clear lake, near the eastern line of Sebastopol. a length of 

 about 30 miles. The breadth of the band varies from half a mile to three or four 

 miles, and its total area embraces about 60,000 acres. The prevailing country- 

 rock of the district is gneiss, composed chiefly of hornblende, biotite and felspa'\ 

 and it is probably an altered gabbro. Numerous dykes or masses, consisting 

 largely of felspar, cut through the older rocks, wliich sometimes have the char- 

 acter of coarse syenite, passing in places into nepheline-syenite. In both of these 

 rocks corundum was found, as well as magnetite, pyrite, garnets, zircon and soda- 

 lite. In continuing his work this year Professor Miller has succeeded in tracing 

 the syenite band continuously for about 75 miles, from the township of Glamor- 

 gan, in Haliburton, to the township of South Algona, in Renfrew, besides tracing 

 it to a considerably greater width over the region explored last year. Corundum 

 was found at a number of places in the western part of the belt, and a large and 

 apparently rich deposit in a ridge of nepheline-syenite near the itiiddle of it in 

 the township of Dungannon. But as the rocks, over nearly the whole of their 

 extent, are covered with sand, it is probable that many valuable deposits remain 

 to be discovered. The total area of this band is about 300 square miles; and, as 

 it lies in a Free Grant district, the mineral rights are reserved by the Crown in 

 almost all the lots that have been taken up for settlement. In a few cases, where 

 lands were sold more than thirty years ago, the mineral rights went with the 

 surface rights; and since that time some lands have no doubt been sold or leased 

 as mining lands. But it is safe to say that the Crown holds for disposal the min- 

 erals in at least 90 per cent, of the whole tract. 



