GILPIN — IRON ORES IN PICTOU COUNTY. 143 



Following; the strike of the vein to the westward the same com- 

 pany have opened a vein of Limonite near Glengarry Station. At 

 this point the ore is more compact than that found on the East River 

 but of equal purity. The range of ferriferous rocks continues into 

 Colchester County, but no explorations have been made beyond 

 this point, altho' small veins of specular ore are known to crop on 

 the head waters of the Middle and West Rivers. 



There are undoubtedly other ores of iron in the district yet un- 

 discovered, for I have in my possession varieties of haematite and 

 spathose ores the localities of which are unknown. 



These brief notes show that from Glengarry to Merigomish, a 

 distance of 40 miles, there extends a series of iron ore deposits of 

 good quality and more than usual dimensions. No less than six 

 varieties of ore are known, which in itself is of unusual occurrence in 

 one district. Bands of clay ironstone are known to occur in the 

 Pictou coal measures, but there is no information at present avail- 

 able with regard to their quality, etc. 



In the manufacture of iron , the presence of a cheap flux is of 

 great importance ; in this district limestone is very abundant, nearly 

 every farmer has his own limekiln. The quality of the limestone 

 is as varied as the beds themselves. As far as my observations 

 have gone, the lower part of the carboniferous marine formation, 

 as developed at Springville, contains three horizons of limestone. 

 The lowest a strong dark limestone frequently resting on metamor- 

 phic silurian slates and containing sometimes notable percentages 

 of iron and manganese. Above this comes a set of beds of compact 

 white limestone, containing crinoids and other characteristic lower 

 carboniferous fossils. One of these beds on analysis at the Durham 

 College of Science gave over 96 per cent of calcium carbonate. 

 The third series consists of dark bluish and gray limestones, some- 

 times argillaceous and arenaceous, giving a total thickness of over 

 one hundred and seventy five feet from actual measurement. Still 

 higher in the formation are other beds, some highly valued for local 

 uses. These beds of limestone extend in bands roughly parallel to 

 the lines of crop of the iron ores, so that every road from the ore to 

 the fuel must pass over them. 



