HALIBURTON ON COAL TRADE OF THE NEW DOMINION. 89 



the Nova Scotian coal Helcls is maiiilj confined to them) of 

 superior clays for lire brick and pottery, immediately underlying 

 TiV'orkable seams of coal, point to a period when " the Black 

 Country " of the New Dominion will centre in the neighbour- 

 hood of our coal mines, and the potteries of Staffordshire will 

 fmd a colonial rival in Nova Scotia. The quality of the clays 

 has been pronounced by parties in Staffordshire unsurpassed by 

 anything that has been discovered in the mother country,* The 

 enormous amount of coal used in the potteries of Staffordshire 

 Avill give us some idea of the home consumption that may 

 be created hereafter for our coal. But in addition to all 

 these sources of demand for coal, we have our iron near 

 excellent limestone within a few miles of the collieries now 

 opened. What its quality is can be best judged by referring to 

 rairl)urn's eulogistic notice of it in his work on the manufacture 

 of iron. 



Along the northern and southern Hanks of the Cobequid 

 mountains, which seem to form the backbone of the country, 

 we have immense deposits of hematite and specular ores. At 

 East Eiver a large bed of remarkably good hematite has been 

 found, and on the line of railway I have discovered and tested 

 a workable deposit of very rich specular ore, such as is imported 

 at a laige price into England from Sweden for certain purposes, 

 for which very pure and refractory ores are required. Little 

 doubt can exist that it ^vould pay handsomely, if Ave were to 

 compete with our Swedish rivals. The Acadia Charcoal Iron 

 Works in Colchester county turn out an article equal to the best 

 Swedish brands, but as they are far from the coal mines, they 

 aie unable to produce anything except the most expensive iron, 

 for which the demand, even in England, is somewhat limited. 

 But we may look forward to the day when the vicinity of cheap 

 coal to abundant ore of excellent quality in Pictou county, will 

 give rise to extensive iron works which Avill consume a large 



*The Eastern Chronicle of New Glasgow shortly before the publication of the 

 Transactions, made the following statement in a notice of the Crown Brick and Pottery 

 works : — " There is abundance of suitable clay for the purposes on the spot, while the 

 coal for burning purposes is within fifty yards of the kiln. There is also an extensive 

 seam of fire clay alongside the coal pit, which has been pronounced to be of a very • 

 superior quality. We have been shown a small dish made from a quantitv of the day 

 fent home to Britain, which takes a polish as fine as porcelain." 



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