372 MINERAL WATERS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



consisted of carbonate of lime, and the calculation made accord- 

 ingly ; the precipitate was so small that no great error could arise 

 in this way. No iodine was detected in the saline residue from 

 1500 grains of the water. 



The composition of this water is very remarkable, quantities of 

 sulphates and carbonates so very small being rarely met with : the 

 large amount of chloride of calcium is also very unusual. On 

 looking over a large number of analyses of mineral waters, belong- 

 ing to different parts of the world, I find none to resemble the 

 present excepting certain Canadian waters analysed and described' 

 by Hunt.* These form the first of the six classes in which he has 

 arranged the mineral waters of Canada, and are characterized by 

 " containing chloride of sodium with large portions of chlorides 

 of calcium and magnesium, sometimes with sulphates. The car- 

 bonates of lime and magnesia are either present only in very 

 minute quantities, or are altogether wanting. These waters are 

 generally very bitter to the taste, and always contain portions of 

 bromides and iodide?." It is also remarked, by the same authority,! 

 that these brine springs are altogether unlike any hitherto studied ; 

 and particularly instanced are those of England, Germany, and 

 the State of New York, in which the chloride of sodium greatly 

 preponderates, and which are supposed to anse from the solution of 

 rock salt. The brine springs of the Lower Silurian limestones 

 (such as the Canadian waters in question), on the contrary, may 

 be supposed, according to Hunt, to represent the composition of 

 the ancient ocean, in which these early strata were deposited. I 

 have mentioned that the Bras d'Or water is said to arise in sye- 

 nitic rocks. Crystalline limestones may exist at the locality : I have 

 seen them in some parts of the rocks of Cape Breton coloured of 

 the same tint in Dawson's map. 



II. Renfrew Brine Spring , Hants Co. — This spring flows near 

 the gold diggings of this place. I found it to yield about 1439 

 grains of solid maiter to the imperial gallon, consisting principally 

 of chloride of sodium, with but a small proportion tf earthy 

 salts. 



III. Brine Spring of River Philip, Cumberland Co. — A spring 

 exists here affording a dry salt of goo. 1 taste and colour; some 

 pounds of which were sent to the Exhibition at London in 1862. No 

 information was furnished as to the spring ; it arises no doubt in 



* Report on Geology of Canada, 1863, p. 531. 

 t Loc. cit p. 563. 



