OCCUltREXd-: OK TIX IX NOVA SCOTIA. PIEKS. 241 



f th of a mile south of the Dalhousie road, and about fth of a 

 mile south-south-west of the southern extremity of Lake Ram- 

 say, to the west of Xew Ross, 16 miles inland from Chester 

 Basin, Lunenburg county, 'N. S. With the expectation of find- 

 ing diamonds, Mr. Ileeves and a neighlwr, Benjamin Meister, 

 dug a shallow pit where the crystals were obsen^ed, and soon 

 were in a deposit of white kaolin in which occurred large 

 crystals of ouartz, mostly with a faint snijoky tint, and also a 

 little purplish-black flunritc. Specimens of these minerals were 

 fiist brought to the Provincial Museum on 29th Ausrust, 190Y, 

 and other samples subsequently. 



Charles Keddy, the prospector before-mentioned, examined 

 the material thrown lOut by Reeves and Meistcr in the course 

 of their operations, and found a few small pieces of a heavy, 

 dark-colored mineral which he brought to the museum in the 

 middle of October, 1006. This proved to be cassiterite (tin 

 oxide), a mineral which, when pure, contains theoretically 78.6 

 per cent, of metallic tin. This was the first discovery of tin 

 ore in situ in Canada in anything approaching economic quan- 

 tity, and the first discovery of it in situ in ^ova Scotia. Mr. A. 

 L. 'McCallum, assayer of Halifax, produced a button of metallic 

 tin from Iveddy's sanijdes. This interesting button is now in the 

 museum. Upon discovering the character of his find, Keddy 

 took up the property on 22nd October, under a license to search, 

 in the names of John Reeves, Benjamin Meister and Charles 

 Keddy of Lake Ramsay, and E. E. Bishop of Halifax. Since 

 then I understand Reeves's and Meister's shares have been 

 transferred. !N^o work was done on the prospect for the rest 

 of the yer.r, owing to the lateness nf the aeasnn and lack of 

 liarmony among those interested. 



As the find was one of unusual interest, I was directed by 

 the inspector of mines to make an examination of it, and pro- 

 ceeded to the locality accomjianied by M. H. McLeod ot" the 

 Geological Survey, who wished to obtain samples for that 



