1855.] 



KEPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



253 



Peat, before, I believe, unknown in Canada, or at least undes- 

 cribed, of slate of excellent quality, of limestone bands, -where 

 limestone was supposed to be absent, and of lithographic stone, 

 serpentine, soapstone, white brick clay, and other valuable 

 materials, previously altogether unknown or undiscovered along 

 the localities indicated by the survey. * * * * 



The proof of the non-existence of coal over the greater part, if 

 not the whole of Canada, is entirely due to the survey." Why 

 did not Mr. C. enumerate the Copper region of Lake Superior 

 and Huron, the vast depositsof gypsum in western Canada, the 

 enormous areas of magnetic, bog and specular ores of iron some 

 sixty miles north of Lake Huron, also in the valley of the 

 Ottawa and the valley of the St. Lawrence ? Why not men- 

 tion the great ranges of ^uilding stone, as well as ' sei-pentine' ? 

 beautiful ochres and admirable sandstones for glass-making as 

 well as ' soapstone' ? Marble, manganese, and refractory sand- 

 stone as well as ' white brick clay' ? and would it not have 

 been as well to have hinted at plumbago, phosphate of lime, 

 flagstones and shell marl, as " the bringing to light the exist- 

 ence of workable beds of peat" ? 



We most cordially agree with Professor Chapman in his 

 recommendation, that at least from 10,000 to 20,000 copies of 

 the Reports should be struck olF and distributed among " the 

 schools, mechanics' Institutes and other similar establishments 

 throughout the Province;" and may we not add, among the 

 Professors of Mineralogy in our Colleges ! 



W. E. Logan, Esq., Director of the Geological Survey of 

 Canada, gave a short statement of what he had accomplished 

 up to the present time, which we give below : — 



It will be observed by a reference to the Reports of Geological 

 Progress published, that the districts examined are as follows : 



The Canadian coast and Islands of Lake Superior, and tivo rivers on 

 the north shore for distances of forty and sixty miles up. Here there 

 has been shewn to exist an important copper region. 



The Canadian coast and islands on the north shore of Lake Huron with 

 distances of from twenty to seventy miles vp four of its principal tributa- 

 ries. Along the coast the copper-bearing rocks have been shewn to 

 continue to some distance eastward of Lacloche. 



The coast of Lake Huron from the mouth of the Severn round by 

 Matchedash Bay, and Cabots Head to Lake St. Clair; that of Lake 

 Erie from the vicinity of Chatham to the exit, and the upper part of Lake 

 Ontario; with most of the country included in the perimeter formed by 

 these coasts and a line from Toronto to Lake Simcoe. In this have been 

 shewn great ranges of valuable building stone, of gypsum, and 

 hydraulic and common limestone, with extended areas of white and 

 red brick clay, bog iron ore, asphalt and mineral oil ; while the 

 structure, proved by the ascertained distribution of the formations, 

 shews that there can be no workable coal beds in a part of the country, 

 where even practised observers, without due caution, would be liable 

 to mistakes that might lead to great loss of capital. 



The country in a general line between Lake Simcoe and Kingston along 

 the junction of the fossiliferous and unfossiliferous rocks : in the former 

 of which are shewn the existence of a great range of valuable building 

 stone, as well as hydraulic and common limestone, with lithographic 

 stone ; and in the latter enormous deposits of magnetic iron ore with 

 whetstones, plumbago, crystalline lime-stone and other materials; 

 while the drift displays great areas of white and red brick clays, in 

 some places covered by extensive tracts of excellent peat and shell 

 marl. 



The country between the St. Lawrence and the Ottawa, south of a line 

 from the vicinity of Kingston to Pembroke, comprising a surface of 

 about 10,000 square miles, where in addition to groat areas of peat and 

 shell marl, and clay fitted for common bricks and pottery, with bog 

 iron ore and ochre, great ranges of building stone, hydraulic and com- 

 mon limestone, and white sandstone fitted for the purpose of glass 

 making, in the fossiliferous rocks ; and magnetic and specular ores of 

 iron, lead ore, and some copper ore, plumbago, phosphate of lime, 

 great and extensive beds of crystalline limestone, sometimes giving 

 good marble, barytes and traces of corundum have been found in tlie 

 ins fosiliferous. 



The Ottawa from its mouth near Montreal to the head of Lake 

 Temiscamang, a distance of 400 miles, with many of its tributaries on 

 the south bank for diitances of from twenty to forty miles vp. The 

 economic materials in this are similar to those in the previous area and 

 in equal abundance. 



The north side of the St. Lawrence from Montreal to Cape Totirmcnte, 

 as far back as the function of the fossiliferous and unfossiliferous rocks, 

 comprising an area of 3000 square miles, in which have been found 

 clay fit for common bricks and pottery in great quantity, accessible in 

 almost every part ; bog iron ore in large abundance, a profusion of 

 iron and manganese, ochres of various beautiful . tints, tripoli or infu- 

 sorial earth, refractoiy sandstone admirably adapted for funiace 

 hearths, white sandstone fit for glass making, ranges of excellent 

 building stone extending the whole distance, marble, and limestone fit 

 for burning. 



The south side of the St. Lawrence and the Eastern Totcnships from 

 St. Regis to Etchemin River, a surface of about 10,000 square miles, 

 a large portion of which is occupied by a mineral region of great im- 

 portance, found to hold inexhaustible supplies of roofing slate and of 

 beautifully variegated calcareous, and magnesian marbles, the latter 

 resulting from a band of sei-pentine which has been traced for 135 

 miles, soapstone in great abundance, dolomite, maguesite, chromic iron, 

 whetstones, extensive intrusive masses of most beautiful granite, 

 magnetic iron ore, occasional indications of silver-bearing lead ore, cop- 

 per ore and gold, while in the less mineralized part are good arenaceous 

 and calcareous building stone, flagstone, white sand, stone for glass 

 making, common brick and pottery clay, bog iron ore, peat, shell 

 marl, and other materials. 



The country between the Etchemin River, and Temiscouata portage road, 

 in which many of the same materials as in the previous area 

 will be found, but cannot yet be pointed out in a connected manner, 

 the exploration having been only partial. 



The coast of the Gaspe Peninsula from the Metis road by Cape Gaspe 

 and Isle Percee to the mouth of the Matapcdia River, a distance of about 

 800 miles, with several sections across the Peninsrda from the St Lawrence 

 to Bay Chaleurs ; the chief object of the exploration of this district 

 was to determine the northern limit of the great eastern coal field of 

 North America, spread out in the sister colonies ; and as the carboni- 

 ferous area lies unconformably on the inferior rocks, to ascertain 

 whether any outlying patches might exist in the Peninsula. None such, 

 however, have yet been discovered. 



A large and valuable collection of specimens has been made to il- 

 lustrate the economic materials, the minerals, rocks and fossils of the 

 districts examined. This is preserved at the ofBce of the Survey ; and 

 now that a suitable building has been placed by the Government at the 

 disposal of the Survey, a commencement had been made to a classifi- 

 cation and arrangement of the materials into two divisions, one to 

 display the character and application of the useful materials, and the 

 other the science of the whole subject. 



The true bearing of geological facts, as p.arts of a whole, being un- 

 intelligible without the exhibition of their relative geographical 

 positions, and so large a portion of Canada being still unsurveyed 

 topographically, it has been necessary to measure accurately extensive 

 lines of exploration, and the maps resulting have proved of great value 

 to the Cro^vn Land Office. From this collateral work is derived a large 

 part of what is known of the interior of the Gaspe Peninsula, where 

 six streams have been measured ; the Jlatane, the Chat, the St. 

 Ann, the St. John, the Bouaventure and Great Cascapedia. It has 

 shewn the courses of the Kamanistiquia and Jlichipicoten rivers ou 

 Lake Superior ; of the Thessalon, tlie Mississague, the Spanish and 

 French rivers, on Lake Huron; in addition to 150 miles of the Ottawa 

 and the whole length of the Mattawa. From it has resulted the im- 

 proved delineation of the forms aud distribution of a great chain of 

 lakes in the rear of Kingston, and last year the course of tlie Muscoco 

 from Lake Huron to its source ; of the Petewawe from its source to its 

 mouth; of the Bonnechere from its junction with the Ottawa to one of 

 its sources; of the York branch of the Maduwaska, with a sketch of the 

 relations of various streams, from the tributary just mentioned to Balsam 

 lake, the whole distance in these explorations and admeasurements being 

 500 miles. 



Chemical analyses have been made of all tlio metallic ores, and sucli 

 other useful minerals as required it, the number of which has been 

 very great, and in addition of upwards of fifty valuable mineral springs, 

 of a great collection of soils from both divisions of the Province, and 

 of new mineral species. 



