54 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 



the Huronian system of rocks that the greatest variety of minerals 

 is to be found. Ores of copper, nickle, iron, gold and other metals 

 have been discovered, and operations are carried on which promise 

 to establish a large industry. At the Bruce and Wellington mines, 

 north of Lake Huron, copper mining was carried on for about 27 

 years, ending with 1875, and the value of the output in that time is 

 reported to have been as much as $7,000,000. At the Sudbury mines, 

 the ores of which yield nickle, copper and some cobalt, the total ore 

 output of the mines for the six years 1890-95 was 539,936 tons, of 

 which there was smelted and reduced to matte in the furnaces 430,539 

 tons. For iive years 1891-95 this industry paid for labor at the mines 

 and works the large sum of $1,436,216 ; and the value of the products 

 of nickel, copper and cobalt for the four years 1892-5, computed at the 

 selling price at the furnaces, was $2,781,800, or an average of $695,450 



for working the mines. They passed the winber together at Sault Ste, Marie 

 and built a barge fit for tlie navigation of the lake, besides laying the keel 

 of a sloop of forty tons. In May, 1771, they went to explore the island of 

 Yellow Sands (Caribou island) where they hoped to find gold, but a stay of 

 three days did not enable them " to find gold nor even yellow sands." On 

 the fourth day they sailed to the east shore, examined the coast of Nanibojou 

 where they found several veins of copper and lead, and returned to Point 

 aux Pins, where they erected an air furnace. The assayer made a report 

 on the ores, stating that the lead ore contained silver in the proportion of 

 forty ounces to the ton, and the copper ore only in very small proportion. 

 The rest of the season and the following winter and spring were passed in 

 exploring and mining at Ontonagon on the south shore ; but in June the 

 whole establishment of miners returned to Sault Ste. Marie. " In the 

 following month of August," Henry records, " we launched our sloop, and 

 carried the miners to the vein of copper ore on the north side of the lake. 

 Little was done during the winter ; but, by dint of labor performed between 

 the commencement of the spring of 1773 and the ensuing month of Septem- 

 ber, they penetrated thirty feet into the solid rock. The rock was blasted 

 with great difficulty; and the vein, which at the beginning, was of the 

 breadth of four feet . had in the progress contracted into four inches. Under 

 these circumstances we desisted and carried the miners back to the Sault. 

 What copper ore we had collected, we sent to England ; but the next season 

 we were informed that the partners there declined entering into further ex- 

 penses. In the interim, we had carried the miners along the north shore as 

 far as the river Pic, making, however, no discovery of importance. This 

 year therefore, 1774, Mr. Baxter disposed of the sloop and other effects of 

 the company, and paid its debts. The partners in England were his Royal 

 Highness the Duke of Gloucester, Mr. Secretary Townshend, Sir Samuel 

 Tutchet, baronet, Mr. Baxter, counsel of the Empress of Russia, and Mr. 

 Cruickshank ; in America, Sir William Johnson, baronet, Mr. Bostwick, Mr. 

 Baxter and myself. A charter had been petitioned for and obtained ; but, 

 owing to our ill success it was never taken from the seal office." Travels 

 and Adventures in Canada, by Alexander Henry, pp. 234-5. This was no 

 doubt the earliest attempt at mining made on the Canadian shore of lake 

 Superior. 



