Mineralogy and Geology of a part of Nova Scotia. 1 35 



amygdaloidal trap and never occurs in the superincumbent 

 columnar rock ; hence the absurdity of excavating shallow 

 pits into the soil, crowning the summit of the precipice form- 

 ed by these rocks, in search of this metal, since it exists near- 

 ly three hundred feet beneath ; this was done by the miners 

 under the direction of an agent from a London mining com= 

 pany, the year before we visited the cape. Large sums of 

 money were expended in this random method of minings 

 which it is not necessary to add was entirely fruitless, as must 

 ever be the case with such processes when unaided by the 

 hght of science ; and the project of mining at this place was 

 altogether abandoned. The copper being scattered through 

 the trap tuff, and not collected into any regular vein or bed, 

 renders it highly probable that this metal will never be ad-, 

 vantageously explored at this place, and as it occurs chiefly 

 below the level of high water, the shafts would be liable to 

 be filled at the periodical influx of the tide, if indeed the 

 works were not entirely demolished by the violence of the cur- 

 rents. The sanguine expectations excited by the appearance 

 of this metal, in a state of purity, must then be disappointed. 



Masses of calcareous spar, and crystals of analcime, ting- 

 ed green by the catbonate of copper, and having slender 

 filaments of copper enclosed in them, occur in the cavities 

 of the amygdaloid which rests on the trap tuff. 



On the eastern side of Cape D'Or, the precipice as- 

 sumes a concave form, and has received the characteristic 

 appellation of Horse Shoe Cove. Here the cavities in the 

 amygdaloid are of greater dimensions, and are frequently 

 occupied by crystals of transparent analcime, which are 

 grouped together, in congeries of large and small crystals. 



Calcareous spar here occurs in long slender hexahedral 

 prisms projecting into, and intersecting the cavities. They 

 are curiously interwoven with each other, and are richly en- 

 crusted on their surfaces with small but perfect crystals of 

 stilbite. The specimens are very prepossessing in appear- 

 ance, and would, from their resemblance, be mistaken for the 

 crystallizations of sugar, which adorn the shops of our con- 

 fectioners. 

 , The stilbite occurs, also, in radiating groups of crystals, 

 forming beautiful stellse, which are distributed through the 

 enveloping masses of calcareous spar. 



Many other minerals occur at Cape D'Or, but as they are 

 such as we have already noticed as occurring at other places,. 



