1872.] NICHOLSON NORTH SHORE OP LAKE SUPERIOR. _ 23 



these slates, like the similar rocks to the S.E. of Shabendowan, 

 are truly of the nature of felspathic ashes, and that the talc has 

 been developed in them as a secondary product. This view is 

 further supported by the fact that the slates, where they have been 

 directly metamorphosed (as by an intrusive trap), have developed in 

 them numerous large crystals of felspar. The colour of the slates is 

 uniformly greenish, and they present the most striking resemblance 

 to the " green slates " of Cumberland and Westmoreland. 



These Huronian slates extend for an unknown, but ceriainly 

 considerable, distance to the N.W. of the head of Lake Shaben- 

 dowan ; and they are of special interest as containing numerous 

 veins, some of which are of an auriferous character. A large 

 number of veins has been already discovered, all of which have an 

 E.N.E. and W.S.W. direction, conforming to the strike of the 

 beds. The vein-stuff is uniformly quartz, containing copper pyrites ; 

 and free gold is rarely present. On the other hand, the gold 

 appears to be contained in the copper pyrites, or it is disseminated 

 through the quartz in particles too small to be detected by a hand- 

 lens. The most important of the veins already discovered are the 

 "Edgar and Gibbins " veins and the "McKellar" vein. The 

 " Edgar aud Gibbins " veins are exposed along the course of a 

 stream known as the Kawashagamok or " clear- water " river, 

 which flows into Lake Shabendowan from the S.E., about 2 miles 

 below its head. Both veins have an E.]SLE. and W.S.W. direction, 

 and cut the Huronian slates vertically. The Edgar vein is about 

 4 feet wide, and consists of white compact quartz with a resinous 

 fracture, exhibiting a very distinct arrangement in layers parallel to 

 the walls of the vein. The vein-stuff contains an abundance of 

 copper pyrites, which is doubtless auriferous ; but free gold has not 

 as yet been detected in it. The Gibbins vein appears to have a 

 width of about 2 feet at the surface, and can be traced for nearly 

 half a mile along the strike. The vein- stuff is quartz, singularly 

 unlike the quartz of the Edgar vein in appearance, and of a 

 most peculiar granular character. The minerals contained in this 

 vein consist chiefly of copper pyrites, which is probably of an 

 auriferous character. Free gold is also present in small quantity. 

 Besides copper pyrites the vein further contains " embesite," or 

 " horseflesh ore " (oxysulphuret of copper), coating the crystals of 

 the former mineral. Lastly, iron pyrites is sparingly present ; and 

 there is a little carbonate of copper, consequent on the decomposition 

 of the copper pyrites. 



The McKellar vein is situated 13 miles to the west of Lake 

 Shabendowan, and about half a mile to the west of Jackfish Lake. 

 It is about 8 feet in width ; and the gangue is quartz. The vein is 

 richly metalliferous, containing an abundance of copper pyrites and 

 galena, along with small quantities of native gold and native silver, 

 iron pyrites, and sulphide of silver. The vein has been traced along 

 the strike for about eight miles, maintaining a N.E. and S.W. direction, 

 and it will no doubt prove ultimately to be a very valuable mineral 

 property. In the meanwhile, however, in common with all the 



