II* 



PRODUCTIONS OF THE OTTAWA. 



[1855 



little for any one to do after them. " We will do our best," was 

 their response : — and Capt, Kellet adds, — " of this I am con- 

 vinced." — Remembering the former extraordinary sledge explora- 

 tions of the s.bove officers, — and particularly those headed by 

 Mecham and M'Clintock — there is little doubt that we shall he:ir 

 of an immense tract of country and ice-covered sea having been 

 explored this year: — and as Commander MVlintock's route 

 will lead him to the north-west of Victoria Channel, he may have 

 the good fortune to find our missing countrymen. 



Capt. Kellet states his intention of sending the Intrepid steamer 

 to England with half the Investigator's crew. She must, he 

 adds, lie sent back to him again in 1854, with a transport of 

 provisions. He represents Capt. M'Clure as being in excellent 

 health, — and says that his officers are animated with the greatest 

 zeal. " My only duty has been to restrain it within proper 

 limits." 



The following is interesting. — " I intended to have written' to 

 Col. Colquhoun, giving an account of our experiments with 

 powder in blasting the ice. With light ice, three feet thick, I 

 found small charges of 4 or 5 pounds most effective. The 20- 

 pounds charge simply blows out a hole; but with the heavy 

 polar ice of 72 feet thick, M'Clure used as much as 250 pounds 

 in one charge, ami with great success. He recollected when in 

 great difficulty the Colonel telling him, ' use 100 pounds.' This 

 saved his ship. — JYotmida, — Gimcracks on board Resolute: — 

 Mr. Somebody's machine for driving pure air into the ship. 



Mr. 's galvanic batteries; balloons, kites. We have too large 



a proportion of sails, — not enough leather for soles. Sleeping 

 bags should be i-ade up in bags ready made. A large propor- 

 tion of stearine should be supplied. Mr. Dale's cooking 

 machines have been very carelessly made." — This latter informa- 

 tion is distressing, when we remember the delicious venison, and 

 read that the provisions supplied by the Admiralty are all of the 

 best qualit}'. It is certainly hard upon our gallant Arctic 

 explorers that their dinners should be spoiled in the cooking. 



News has been received from Valparaiso, dated September the 

 14th, to the effect that the Isabel steamer, which left England in 

 the early part of the year for Behring's Strait, in search of Sir 

 John Franklin, has been airested in her voyage at the above 

 port, in consequence of the desertion of the men. Of course 

 under these circumstances, the Isabel will winter at Valparaiso;' 

 but we understand that Admiral Moresby will be prepared, if 

 Lady Franklin desires, to furnish a fresh crew of able seamen to 

 the Isabel next March, when she will resume her voyage to 

 Behring's Strait. 



METEO IC IRON. 



An Epit-vre of a lecture on Ottawa Productions, delivered 

 before the Bytown MecVanics' Institute & Athenavdm, on 

 Tuesday, Ncv. loth, 1853 ; by Edward Van Cortlandt, 

 Snigeon. 



VAKIOUS CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH IRON IS FOUND. 



NATIVE IROS. 



It is generally supposed that Iron never exists in the metallic 

 state, but it is asserted that pure unadulterated Iron has been 

 discovered at Canaan in the United Slates, Native Iron is like- 

 wise produced by the spontaneous ignition of Coal in the neigh- 

 bourhood of iron deposits, and where it is known under the name 

 of Native Steel. The greatest quantity if iron is found combined 

 with Sulphur, Oxygen or Carbonic Acid, the first known as Iron 

 Pyrites, is never worked as an Ore. The best Iron Ores are 

 Oxides, but the greatest portion of British Iron Ore is a Carbonate. 



The histories of all ages acquaint us of huge masses of Iron 

 being found in various parts of the globe, and which are con- 

 sidered to be of meteoric origin, and in point of fact two masses of 

 such were actually seen to fall at Hadrschina, near Agram, in 

 Croatia, in 1751. Several masses have been found in Africa, and 

 in South America, and in Siberia — the last mentioned was dis- 

 covered by Professor Pallas, and weighed 1600 pounds. An 

 enormous mass weighing 15 tons, was found in Peru, by Don 

 Rubin de Colis. Captain Perry took some knives home which 

 he obtained from the Esquimaux in one of his voyages, and 

 which were made of meteoric iron. There is a mass of it which 

 weighs three thousand pounds, deposited in the Natural History 

 Lyceum at New York, and which was found at Red River, 

 Louisiana; and a portion of a mass of meteoric iron, which fell at 

 Santa Rosa, near Bagota was manufa:tured into a sword presented 

 to Bolivar. 



MAGNETIC OXIDE OF IRON. 



Oxydulous Iron, Octahedral Iron. 



It is this variety of Iron Ore which produces the Native Load- 

 stone. It occuisin various parts of the world, especially in the 

 North of Europe, and is that of which the best Swedish Iron is 

 made, and it yields also the Wootz Steel of the East Indies. It 

 is of an Iron black colour, darker than common Iron; its powder 

 is pure black — it exerts a decided action on the magnetic needle, 

 attracting and repelling, according as the positive or negative 

 points are presented. This variety, which is found in several 

 parts of this continent is called Native Loadstone. It is infusible 

 before the blow pipe, and soluble in -Nitric Acid; it occurs in 

 primitive rocks, chiefly of mica and gneiss; it is exceedingly 

 rich in metal, yielding 80 per cent. It is very abundant in 

 Sweden, and at Gallivara, beyond the Polar Circle, it constitutes 

 an entire mountain. In the United States, it exists in the great- 

 est abundance, and is worked in several places. On the western 

 side of Lake Champlain, it is found in beds of 20 feet thick. Its 

 ore produces the best steel and on this account it is that English 

 weapons of super.or description are always made of Swedish 

 Iron. 



This ore exists in inexhaustible quantities in various parts of 

 the Valley of the Ottawa. The specimen before us was obtained 

 from Lot No. 1 1, 7th Concession of Hull, and only four miles 

 from the falls at the Chaudiere, where it constitutes a bed 20 feet 

 in thickness, and there is a water power within 300 yards of it. 



On the authority of Mr. Murray, the Assistant Provincial 

 Geologist, we are enabled to state that a remarkable mass of 

 magnetic Iron ore exists on the 24th Lot of the 6th concession 

 of South Crosbv, on an Island in Mud Lake, not far from 

 Newborough, on the Rideau Canal ; it has a breadth of ore of 

 considerable purity of seventy yards. "The great supply of ore, 

 says this gentleman, that might be here obtained, the proximity 

 of wood in abundance for fuel, and the existence of water power 

 at no great distance, combined with the advantage of a navigable 

 canal, the water of wh-"ch is in contact with the ore, render the 

 locality well worthy of attention to such as are disposed to attempt 

 the smelting of Iron in the Province." 



The Geological formation yielding the magnetic oxides of 

 Canada and those of the United States (where they prevail in 

 equal abundance) are identical, says Mr. Logan, and it is- probable 

 they are both of the same formation as that of the Swedish mines. 

 But the practical experiments on Canadian ores are still so few 

 that nothing can yet be proved from them. — Vide Report of 

 Geological Survey, 1851-'52, page 46. 



