^^ 



HALIBURTON — ON EXPLORATIONS IN PICTOU COAL FIELD. 99 



proYincial railway. A level was driven by us a short distance 

 on this seam, which was found to lie at an easy angle, the mea- 

 sures on this area being flatter than in any other part of the 

 Pictou basin, excepting where the upper seams occur, which 

 generally lie at a slight angle, and are consequently as to their 

 angle of dip and their out-crop, unconformable with the larger 

 and lower seams. The seam, when followed in from the out- 

 crop, increased, in a few yards distance, from two feet to between 

 three and four feet, and a bore hole a few feet farther to the dip 

 went through six feet of coal. Showing that at a moderate depth 

 we may expect to find it assume its full size. It was overlaid b}'^ 

 oil shales similar to those over the main seam near Middle and 

 East rivers, and in the overlying shales were found fossils similar 

 to those above the main seam near Middle river. 



St. Lawrence Area. — On this area which is near Merigomish 

 harbour, and is the eastern extremity of the basin, explorations 

 were carried on from February 1866 until February 1867, under 

 the charge of a mining engineer and of a very competent 

 oreman. The outcrop of the seam had been first struck by 

 others ; a pit was sunk one hundred feet deep, and levels driven 

 from it. There appeared to be what miners eall a ' saddle-back ' 

 where we sank. The dip was over 60°, but flattened greatly at 

 a few hundred feet distance to the dip, and varied from S. W. 

 to S. E. To the eastward the measures dip in a south-easterly 

 direction, and lie at a very easy angle. The seam first found 

 proved at a depth of one hundred feet to be fourteen feet from 

 roof to floor, though near the outcrop it had not been as many 

 inches thick. It was intended to have opened a colliery at this 

 pit, as it is some miles nearer deep water than any other, but 

 the disturbance at the spot selected will render it necessary to 

 sink a new working shaft. The one now sunk will answer for a 

 ventilating shaft. Numerous pits and bore holes have been .-auk 

 on the property in order to prepare for opening a colliery. A 

 few feet from the last named seam another was found eight feet 

 thick of very good coal. It has not been tested to the dip, 

 and probably will prove to be an underlying bench of the 

 other seam. 



The explorations on the McBcan area adjacent, show that 

 the seams found on it must be found also on the St, Lawrence 



