38 Geological Survey of Canada. 



west must drain from this country its agricultural population, and 

 that the lumberer will have it as his special patrimony. 



The miner, however, has found his way thither, and will with- 

 out doubt find remuneration for his toil. Among the useful mine- 

 rals and rocks of the region, mentioned in this report, are magnetic 

 iron ore, the most valuable of all the ores of that metal ; plum- 

 bago ; lead ; mica for stove fronts, &c. ; buhrstone, the well- 

 known material of the French millstones ; garnet, useful as a 

 substitute for emery ; marble and building stones of many varie- 

 ties. The Labradorite of the lime-feldspar region is a beautiful 

 ornamental stone, presenting fine opalescent reflections, and 

 admits of being polished for a great variety of ornamental pur- 

 poses. The time may come when hundreds of tons of this rock 

 may be daily borne about on the persons of fair ladies, in brooc^ 

 es, bracelets, and other articles of bijouterie, greatly to the profit 

 of the industrious lapidaries, who may locate themselves on tl 

 sunny sides of the ridges of lime-feldspar. 



We have as yet said nothing as to the scientific value of the 

 labors of Sir W. E. Logan in the Laurentian district. This sub- 

 ject has been already referred to in our notices of the American 

 Association, at the last meeting of which two papers on these 

 rocks were read. It is only necessary to add that the curious un- 

 ravelling of the intricacies of these deposits, evidenced in the pre- 

 sent report, displays great scientific skill, and will lead to most 

 interesting deductions as to the original nature and arrangement 

 of the sediments out ,of which these highly metamorphosed and 

 strangely distorted rocks have been formed. 



In the conclusion of his special portion of the Report, Sir William 

 refers to his general geological map now in progress. We know 

 that almost incredible pains and precaution have been taken to 

 ensure absolute accuracy in the representation of Canada in this 

 map. When published, accompanied as we trust it will be by a 

 suitable letter-press description, embracing the substance of the 

 reports of progress, it will mark an era in the scientific and indus- 

 trial progress of Canada. Its internal evidence of accuracy, and 

 the reputation of its author, will render it a standard authority in 

 physical geography ; and it will do much to spread throughout 

 the world the reputation not only of the material resources of our 

 country, but of the enlightenment and public spirit of its legisla- 

 ture and people. 



The second part of the report includes a large amount of pains- 

 taking and accurate work done by Mr. Murray in the difficult 



