Gohl and Silver Ores of the Slocan, B.C. 495 



The western portion of this watershed is largely of a 



granitic nature, but there are several large areas of 

 metamorphic rocks, such as quartzites, schists and cal- 

 careous slates. The eastern portion is mainly composed 

 of slates and schists. 



Up to the present time the most richly mineralized belt 

 appears to lie along the summits of this watershed. Yet 

 the whole region is well stocked with economic minerals 

 and offers to the mineralogist a rich and varied field for 

 study. 



The existence of the chief galena silver districts appear 

 to be determined to a great extent by the large areas of 

 impure limestones and calcareous slates. Such districts 

 are the Slocan and Lardeau. Of this mineral, so abundant 

 and valuable, there are three principal varieties, and 

 these have come to be recognized as bearing certain 

 relations to one another in their silver bearing capacity. 

 C"Inc"l. well crystallized galena, is by far the most 

 common : it forms the backbone of the silver mining 

 industry and assays, in the Slocan district, from 50 oz. to 

 200 oz. in silver. Here it occurs in fairly massive impure 

 limestones and slates. Galena differing in no way in 

 appearance, coming from Lower Kootenay Lake or the 

 Lardeau country, carries far less silver. The same is true 

 of the great galena bodies of East Jvootenay. 



This variety forms the largest ore bodies : it seems to be 

 the mother mineral of the chief fissure veins. Calcite 

 crystals and chalcopyrite are sometimes intimately mixed 

 with it. as in the great " Slocan Star " mine. 



Steel galena is of a granular texture, with some 

 resemblance to broken iron. It occurs in patches through 

 the cubical variety, but is seldom found in large bodies. 

 Assays made upon this usually show it to carry a higher 

 percentage of silver than the preceding. 



Wavy galena is of much the same texture as steel 

 galena, but is more lustrous and is foliated, giving it a 



