﻿1861.] 



HECTOR ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 



421 



tity of water in its composition, as, although generally compact, like 

 fine bituminous coal, when first excavated, it soon splits up into frag- 

 ments which have dull earthy surfaces. There is a great difference in 

 the quality of this lignite or coal, according to the bed from which it has 

 been procured, and also the distance from the outcrop to which the 

 seam has been worked. There are no sinkings of any sort into any 

 of the seams, the manner of procuring the small supply which is 

 required for use at the fort being for the blacksmith to go down to 

 the river-bank with a pick, and procure a few basketfuls where he 

 can most easily get access to the material. 



The fort stands about 100 feet above the water-level, and below 

 it in the bank there are two seams of 18 inches each, but on the 

 opposite side of the river, at a little distance below, there are several 

 seams exposed, the principal of which, close to the water's edge, is 

 6 feet in thickness ; and there is one a little way higher where it is 

 4 feet, with others less pure (see fig. 6). 



Fig. 6. — Section of the Right Bank of the SasJcatcheivan River 

 near Fort Edmonton. 



Superficial sand and gravel- 



/ , Grey sandy clay. 



VvVK Lignite, 1 foot. 



Shale. 



Lignite, 2 feet. 



Clay-sandstone. 



Lignite, very pure, 3 feet. 



Concretionary greensand. 



Lignite, pure and compact, fi 

 feet thick, with an interca- 

 lated band of soap-clay, 6 

 inches thick. 



In the middle of the 6-foot seam there occurs a layer, 5 to 8 inches 

 thick, of magnesian steatitic clay, which works up into a lather like 

 soap, and is used by the women at the fort for washing blankets. 



A sample from the 6-foot seam has been analysed, at the same 

 time with the Lignite from La Roche Percee (see p. 409) : Mr. 

 Tookey's results are as follows : — 



Carbon 50-60 



Hydrogen 3-24 



Nitrogen \ 0-90 



Oxygen 14-41 



Sulphur 0-42 



Ash 15-93 



Water (hygroscopic) 14-50 



100.00 



" The colour of the ash in each case was buff. When heated in a close 



