306 



CHARACTER 



T II E 



COUNTRY 



keveagon Lake, and at various other points on that stream, and also that of the 

 Bois Brule River. It differs from that exposed on St. Louis River, which is made 

 up principally of quartz pebbles, in being composed of materials derived in greatest 

 proportion from the rocks with which it is immediately associated, and in conform- 

 ing to the general colour of the formation. 



The trap rocks which cross Black River belong to the range which, continued in 

 a northeasterly direction, crosses the Aminekan, and other neighbouring tributaries 

 of the Lake, and which, at several localities, has been found to contain copper ores. 



At the Falls of Black River, copper ores were discovered several years since ; and 

 a mining company took possession of the " locality," for the purpose of " proving " 

 them. After expending several thousand dollars in opening the "veins" and 

 raising ore, the works were abandoned in 1848. The ores occur at this place at 

 the junction of the amygdaloid with the greenstone trap, and also at the junction 

 of the amygdaloid with altered shales and sand-rock. (See Nos. 482-488.) They 

 occur in thin seams, which have a nearly north and south direction, and which can 

 hardly be called veins. They are also disseminated to a considerable extent 

 through the metamorphosed sedimentary beds, where they come in contact with 

 the trap rocks. Two of the ores from this place yielded, on analysis, 10 and 11 

 per cent, of copper respectively. 



In another part of this range, about a mile and a half from the Falls, on a small 

 tributary of Black River, the La Pointe Company have a " location," on which they 

 have expended a large sum of money, in sinking shafts and proving the mine. 

 Three shafts have been sunk on the vein, which has a course north 30° east, and 

 south 30° west. At the time I visited the place, the shafts were filled with water, 

 so that I had no opportunity for investigating the character of the vein further 

 than surface indications would afford. Its character, in an economical point of 

 view, however, may be determined from the fact, that the Company, after a fair 

 trial, were forced to abandon it as unproductive. It is twenty-one feet wide, con- 

 tains a great deal of epidote, and hades east 51°. 



No. 492 cccurs on a small stream near Russell's old house, and in near proximity 

 to the vein, which crosses at that point. The rock dips to the northwest at an 

 angle of 37°. 



On the morning of the 6th of July, I proceeded to Fond du Lac Village, where I 

 found Colonel Whittlesey, who had just returned from an excursion to the range 

 north of the trading-post ; and also the men who had been sent to La Pointe for 

 provisions. The next day was occupied in making preparations for a reconnoissance 

 of the north shore of Lake Superior, as far as Two Island River. 



On the 8th of July, we left Fond du Lac Village, accompanied by Mr. R. B. 

 Carlton, in the capacity of assistant. We were detained at the Entry by high 

 head winds until the afternoon of the 10th, and did not reach Two Island River 

 until the 13th. The plan of proceeding directly to the most distant point for the 

 commencement of our examinations, afforded us an opportunity of glancing at the 

 rock formations as they are developed along the Lake shore, and thereby acquiring 

 some general knowledge with respect to their character ; and the information thus 

 gained was afterwards found to be of the most essential service. The results of this 



