Mineralogy and Geology of a part of Nova Scotia, 205 



In the fertile alluvion which forms the greater part of Ayles- 

 ford township, and extends whh the serpentine course of 

 Annapolis River, into the basin of the same name, argilla- 

 ceous iron ore, or bog ore, forms very extensive deposits. 

 Two miles from Nictau, on the estate of Col. Eager, a stra- 

 tum of it occurs nearly two feet thick, consisting of loosely 

 united granular or globular concretions, known to furnace- 

 men by the name of shot ore. It is sometimes of a spongy 

 or vesicular appearance, and presents, to a great extent, the 

 resinous lustre, which indicates a rich and profitable ore when 

 seen in this species. It melts with facility, either by itself, 

 or when employed as a fluxing material for other ores, yield- 

 ing forty per cent of soft carbonated iron. In some places 

 however, it is intermixed with the earthy phosphate of iron, 

 the substance to which Bergman had attributed the cold- 

 short quality of this metal in its malleable state, but which 

 has since been proved inadequate to explain the phenomena, 

 not only from the impossibility of an acid escaping decom- 

 position in the intense heat of the smelting furnace and re- 

 finery, but also from the fact that ores containing no phos- 

 phoric acid, are equally liable to yield iron of a similar quality. 



An attempt was made, in 1789, to manufacture bar iron 

 with charcoal directly from this ore. A small bloomery 

 forge, under the direction of a practical but unfortunate me- 

 chanic from the United States, was erected on the bank of 

 Nictau river, a situation, which, combining almost every lo- 

 cal advantage that could be wished, held out to those asso- 

 ciated, a prospect of rich reward. But their anticipations 

 were by no means realized, as unexpected circumstances 

 proved the immatureness of the undertaking, and gave the 

 project a new aspect, which blasted the hopes of those con- 

 cerned, and rendered useless all that had been accomplished. 

 A small quantity of iron had however been made and drawn 

 into articles of husbandry. In this experiment, which, we 

 should add, was the first actually made in the country with 

 a view of manufacturing bar iron, the ore from Nictau was 

 also attempted, but, requiring a different mode of treatment, 

 it was found of no advantage and abandoned. The object 

 of the proposed establishment on the shore of St. Mary's 

 Bay, alluded to in the former part of our memoir, it will be 

 recollected, was particularly the making of cast, or carbona- 

 ted iron. This however, entirely failed. We have mention- 

 ed these facts for the benefit of those of our readers, who 



