HALIBURTOX OX COAL TRADE OF THE NEW D0:MINI0N. 91 



York and Boston than in the v/hole province of Nova Scotia. 

 English capitalists will go to Mexico, South America, heaven 

 only knows where, to risk their money in mines that, at the best, 

 are but a lottery, while a province, the nearest part of America 

 to England, with excellent harbours, a healthy climate, and un- 

 limited mines of gold, coal, and iron, is left neglected, to become 

 the property of American capitalists. 



English capital, it is true, has found its way here, but the 

 causes which led to this flattering result, are somewhat like those 

 to which Prince Edward's Island is indebted for a solitary Irish 

 emigrant having selected it as his home. He was shipwrecked 

 on the Island, and never could earn money enough to enable 

 him to leave it. The Duke of York having become deepl}'' in 

 debt to his jewellers, was saved from their importunities by the 

 liberality of the British Government, which generously made 

 them a present of our mines and minerals, the lease of 

 which issued to the Duke, and was by him assigned to 

 them. Our 'black diamonds' proved, however, a somewhat 

 puzzling windfall to his Grace's jewellers, who sold them to the 

 General Mining Association of London, an enterprising and 

 wealthy English Company which had sunk a large amonnt of 

 capital in foreign mines. The striking fact that the Nova 

 Scotian mines, in spite of the heavy outlay necessary to 

 develope them, and of the funds that were sunk in foreign 

 mines, have at least quadrupled the value of the Association's 

 shares, is a sufficient proof of the importance of these vast 

 mineral resources which the British Government so recklessly 

 threw away on a spendthrift and his favourites. This monopoly, 

 which was partially restricted by an act of the Legislature, 

 expires in 1886, when every trace of its exclusive rights will no 

 doubt be swept aAvay for ever. In the meantime large tracts 

 are tied up b}^ the lease. That so large an amount of valuable 

 mineral property is now held by other companies, is due, not to 

 the generosity of the General Mining Association, but to their 

 fortunate ignorance of the extent of the resources which they 

 had so long monopolized. The extensive areas reserved at 

 Sydne}^, Lingan, Bridgeport, the Albion Mines, Springhill, and 

 the Joggins, were supposed b}?^ them to include all the mines 



