THE METALS IN CANADA. 251 
taken up for the purpose of mining, but have not hitherto been worked 
to advantage." 
Again, in the Report for 1858, Mr. Murray gives a list of all the 
localities where copper ores were found on the river Mississagui ; and in 
reference to it states that, " though the quantity of the ore does not in 
the case of any of the veins appear very encouraging, they may become 
the means leading to the discovery of veins of a more promising charac- 
ter in the neighbourhood." A useful hint to the explorer will be found 
embodied in a further statement made by Mr. Murray in reference to 
the same locality, " The examination of the area connected with the Mis- 
sissagui has not yet been sufficiently extended to determine the relations 
between the copper-bearing veins of the Grand Portage and the physical 
form to which they are subordinate. The veins of the lower part of the 
river are evidently related to the anti-clinal existing there. Those of the 
south part of Echo lake also belong to an anticlinal ; so do those of the 
Bruce and Wellington mines ; and it would almost appear as if the im- 
portance of the metalliferous indications rose with the sharpness of the 
fold. But, whatever be the cause of the dislocations in which metalliferous 
minerals are secreted, it would seem to be a probable supposition that 
in a metalliferous district the greater the dislocations, the greater the 
chances of valuable metalliferous lodes." 
The Huronian system itself occupies the whole northern flank of 
Lake Huron and parts of Lake Superior, and constitutes the lower cop- 
per-bearing rocks of the lake region, — consisting of white and often 
vitreous sandstone or quartzite, passing into a jasper conglomerate and 
intestratified with heavy masses of trap. The deposits exist in the form 
of true veins, although it is said that some of the lodes have become 
rather poor and thin on penetrating to a comparatively small depth. 
The ores are entirely sulphurets, — yellow, variegated, and vitreous — no 
native copper being found in this region. The Wallace, Bruce, and 
Wellington mines have been worked in this formation for many years : 
of these the Bruce mines are the most important, and have been worked 
by the Montreal Mining Company with tolerable success ; and had 
proper skill and discretion been exercised from the first in their manage- 
ment, they would undoubtedly have proved an excellent investment. 
These are truly valuable mines, and should produce largely. 
The important copper deposits at Miamanse, Michipicoten Island, 
and the more western localities of the north shore of Lake Superior, in 
all probability belong to the upper copper-bearing rocks ; being the same 
as are exposed on the south shore, and have produced such extraordinary 
results. 
The promontory of Miamanse consists of thick masses of quartzoes, 
sandstone and conglomerate, associated with amygdaloid trap and vol- 
canic ash or tufa. The copper occurs in the amygdaloid trap both in 
the native state and as ore, the vein-stones being principally calc-spar 
and quartz ; the deposits seem to partake of the character of segregated 
