HAMILTO^■ AURIFEROUS DEPOSITS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 49 



which proved exceeduigly rich, being in this respect, an exception 

 to all other such veins in that district. Again, there are locaHties 

 where Httle gokl can be found, except at the point of intersection of 

 the " main" and " cross leads"; whilst at that point, the expectation 

 of a rich nest is not usually disappointed. There are A veins,, the 

 ridged tops of which are found beneath the surface of the enclosing 

 quartzite, and which rapidly M'iden as they descend ; there are V 

 veins, Avhich are Avide at the outcrop, and as rapidly narrow do\j-n 

 to nothing as they descend ; and there are veins which extend with 

 nearly parallel sides for a long distance, both vertically and longi- 

 tudinally. There are also the beds of what is called " barrel 

 quartz," which, when laid bare, exhibit a striking resemblance to 

 great piles of prolonged trunks of spruce trees, from ten to fifteen 

 inches in diameter, with the bark still on, — the corrugations of 

 these quartz beds, and of the compact enclosing rock fitting into 

 each other, as closely and accurately as the thread and groove of a 

 male and female screw. Veins are found to be segregated — that 

 is, they thin out to nothing in every direction. I am strongly of 

 the opinion that they are all segregated veins. In some veins the 

 quartz is of almost snowy whiteness, relieved only by the glitter of 

 the golden nuggets it encloses. Such is the case Avith some at 

 Tangier, whence beautiful specimens for ornamental purposes have 

 been obtained. In other veins, foreign substances largely prevail. 

 The rather celebrated "blue lead" of Sherbrooke, consists in great 

 part of a blue slate, thoroughly pervaded — I may say — by a vitreous 

 looking quartz ; hence the name of the lode. Other veins exhibit 

 a variety of metallic substances. Among them mispickel, or arsenical 

 pyrites, usually predominates. It is often found in large masses 

 and sometimes the lode is more mispickel than quartz. This sub- 

 stance has been ascertained, to be largely imj)regnated with s^old ; 

 and considerable quantities of it arc now carefully saved and sent 

 abroad for more economical treatment than can be uiven to it here. 

 The rich and well known " Hattie Lead" of AVine Harbour, like 

 some others, is enclosed in a compai-atively soft friable rock — so 

 much so that a large portion of the miners' work has there been 

 done by the pick-axe and crowbar, without the aid of blasting pow- 

 der. The qiiartz itself partakes somewhat of the same character; 

 and 1 have seen large speciiaeus taken from this vein in which the 



