32 HOW ON MINERALS FOR THE PARIS EXHIBITION. 



other substances. The value of such mineral was stated as 

 probably £20 stg. a ton, delivered in Liverpool. (Since 

 this paper was read I have found this borate in plaster 

 from two other places in Hants Co., which have also furnished 

 me with an entirely ne^\^ borate soon to be described.) Here 

 may be seen also a specimen of the " pencil-stone " discovered 

 by Dr. Honey man, and of a pencil cut from it Avith a knife. 

 This mineral is found over a considerable tract of country. 

 The pencils from it are very soft, and much prized in Antigonish 

 for writing on a slate. In the same case is a specimen of 

 magnesia alum, which I described a few years ago as lacing 

 found in Newport, where it occurs in a shale which appears to 

 be constantly producing it by action of the weather. If there 

 were a demand at a remunerative price, alum might be made 

 from this rock. I found small quantities of nickel and cobalt, 

 both valuable metals, in the alum : hence they may exist in the 

 neighbourhood in useful amount. 



In these cases are to be seen illustrations of all the ores of 

 manganese found here — specimens of wad or earthy manganese, 

 one of which contains cobalt, are shewn from two localities, 

 this ore is used as a mineral paint; mauganite, used for some 

 purpose in the States, is also there; and the best ore, pyrolusite, 

 is shewn in several varieties from Onslow, Teny Cape, Walton 

 and other localities. Of iron ores there are a good many 

 specimens, — magnetic iron from Annapolis and Cornwallis, and 

 the hematite ores from Brooklield, Pictou and Londonderry, 

 shew the richest kind of ores known to exist ; to these may be 

 added various samples of titaniferous ores. Of mineral paints 

 which consist largely of hydrous oxide of iron, generally 

 with more or less oxide manganese, there are several specimens 

 of various colours. The umbers from the Chester and Onslow 

 paint stones before spoken of, and the line ochres from Folly 

 River, and Antigonishe, and others, shew that of these most 

 useful materials there is a considerable variety. As for quantity, 

 it is known that there are large supplies to be drawn from. A 

 fc\v coals arc exhibited here, not as rivals to the large specimens, 

 hut as rendering the collection a complete illustration of the 

 kind of minerals found in the Province, and among them are 



