THE Hamilton association. 5^ 



a year. Iron ore has been found in many localities in the Huronian 

 formations, but the largest and most valuable deposits are believed to 

 be the hematites of the Mattawan river range and the magnetites of 

 the Atik-okan. Both these are of immense extent; in fact the ore 

 is in mountainous bodies, and millions of tons could be mined as in 

 an open quarry. But for the present they lie far from railways, and 

 the home market is only opening. Gold however is found more 

 generally than any of the other metals. It has been discovered in 

 the Sudbury district, in the townships along the valley of the Thes- 

 salon river, on the north shore of lake Superior, and in many places 

 throughout that part of the Province which lies within the basin of 

 Nelson river. This latter district embraces Lake of the Woods and 

 Rainy lake and the territory drained by their tributary rivers, as well 

 as a portion of the slope drained by the English river, and is 200 

 miles long by 100 broad. The discoveries made here within the 

 last three years have raised great expectations, and some of the 

 properties upon which development work has been done are confi- 

 dently asserted to be rich and valuable. There are now six stamp 

 mills in that country for treating gold ore, with an aggregate capacity 

 of sixty stamps, and more are Ukely to go up this year if the needed 

 capital is got. Those northern gold fields are certainly as well 

 deserving of the attention of miners and capitalists as many in the 

 United States, in Russia, or in Australia. But the production of 

 bullion in large and paying quantities seems to be needed to estab- 

 lish confidence in them, and this work remains to be done. 



GENERAL CONCLUSIONS. 



Enough has been said of the New Ontario as regards its extent, 

 its physical characteristics and natural resoures to prove that it is an 

 important possession; and it is humbling to our pride as men of an 

 enterprising and progressive race to confess that so little has been 

 done to occupy and utilize it. Fifteen years ago (in 1881) it had 

 seven organized municipalities, with a population as taken by the 

 assessors of 4,765. In 1895 it had forty-eight municipalities, and a 

 population of 36,000. This is some progress, but it ought to be far 

 more. There are more men leaving our Province every year than is 

 represented by the increase of these fourteen years, and it may well 

 be doubted if they have gone to a better country for improving their 



