33 t 



larly broken into large blocks. Near the pinches some of 

 the coal is slickensided and contorted, but where these 

 features are shown the coal contains a higher percentage 

 of ash. The coal seam is displaced also by small faults, 

 although an actual break seldom occurs, the coal having 

 been forced along the plane or zone of dislocation. Rarely 

 the entire seam folds or wrinkles without any appreciable 

 variation in thickness. 



The Newcastle seam is more regular than the Wellington 

 or Douglas seams, but is thinner, varying, as far as known, 

 from 20 to 45 inches (0-51 to 1-15 m.) where mined, and 

 contains more numerous and more regular partings. It is 

 also less extensive in area than the other two seams. 



The coal has been the source of a flourishing industry 

 for over 50 years. The Wellington seam has been mined 

 at Wellington, Northfield, East Wellington, Harewood 

 Plains, and Extension, and is at present mined by the Van- 

 couver-Nanaimo Coal Mining Company at East Welling- 

 ton and by the Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Company 

 near Extension. The Newcastle and Douglas seams, 

 which are usually worked together, have been mined 

 extensively in the vicinity of Nanaimo. The mines here 

 are operated by the Western Fuel Company. There has 

 also been a large production from the Douglas seam south 

 of Nanaimo, notably at Chase River, Southfield, and South 

 Wellington. In these localities the Newcastle seam, 

 although readily located, is of doubtful value. There is 

 only one mine producing at present in this district, the 

 South Wellington mine, operated by the Pacific Coast Coal 

 Mines. Both the Western Fuel Company and the Pacific 

 Coast Coal Mines are sinking new shafts along the lower 

 part of the Nanaimo river to open up the Douglas seam in 

 depth. Ihe present coal production is over 1,000,000 tons 

 per year, and the importance of the Nanaimo district in 

 the coal industry may be more readily comprehended when 

 it is realized that it produces over one third of the encire 

 coal output of British Columbia. 



PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION. 



From Nanaimo an excursion is made eastward across 

 Nanaimo harbour to Gabriola island. To the south are 

 the wharfs and coal bunkers of the Western Fuel Com- 

 pany. 



