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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmis A des taux de reduction difftrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour §tre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est film* A partir de I'angic supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haul en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n*cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m*thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 K ^ If 1 ; 1 >, ^^t 3 u 1 GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF CANADA. ALFRED R. C. SELWYN, C.M.G., LL.D., F.R.8., Dibiotob. THE MINERAL WEALTH or BRITISH COLUMBIA. WITH AN ANNOTATED LIST OF LOCALITIES OF MINERALS OF ECONOMIC VALUE. Vt GEORGE M. DAWSON, D.S., F.G.S., Attoeiak Royal School of Minet. Ji^S^i^ PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF PARUAMENT. MONTREAL : DAWSON BROTHERS. 1889. mmm To Da. Alfbbd R. C. Sblv^yn, C.M.G., LL.D., F.RS. Director of the Oedogical and Natural Hittory Surrey of Canada. SiE, — ^In 18T7, 1 prepared, in connexion with the Government Sur- veys for the Canadian Pacific Railway, a general note on the Mines, and Minerals of Economic Yaiue of British Columbia, which was pub- lished in the Railway Survey Report for that year, and was afterwards reprinted, with some additions, in the Report of Pi-ogress of the Geo- logical Survey for 1877-78. Since that time great changes have oc- curred in respect to the aspects of mining in British Columbia, and important additions have been made to our knowledge of its mineral resources and geology. In view of these, and the increasing interest now manifested in the development of the natural resources of the province and the numerous enquiries constantly received on that sub- ject, it appeared to be desirable to place the available information respecting its mineral wealth in the hands of the public in a summar- ized form. With this object in view I began the revision of the pub- lication firet referred to, but soon found that in order to obtain a reasonably satisfactory result, it would be necessary practically to re- write the whole. The work has, in consequence, assumed proportions larger than were at first contemplated. I have had an opportunity of personally examining most of the important localities here described. Other places have been examined by yourself, by the late Ma^*. James Richardson and by Mr. Amos Bowman. For a few which have not been visited by any member of the staflf of the Survey, information has been drawn from other trustworthy sources. Ottawa, March 1, 1889. I have the honor to be. Sir, Yom* obedient servant, GEORGE M. DAWSON. f" I! # 'A '(*•> ^J SI vJ^m f :*i ' m I' w 'i-. I «^ NoTB.— The ton refeiicd to throughout this report is the ton of 2000 Ihs., unless otherwise stated. THE MINERAL WEALTH or BlilTISH COLUMBIA. By GEORGE M. DAWSON. D.S., F.G.S. The object of this publication is twofold. It is, in the first place, JS;roV*?«i>ort. intended to serve, i.\ some measure, as an exponent of the mineral wealth of the Province to which it refers, to provide an answer of a general kind to the enquiries now so frequently made on this subject, and to collect for this purpose in a convenient form brief summaries of the facts contained in -the several official reports on the geological features of the Province, with specific references to the pages in which thoy are treated of at greater length. In the second ])lace, it is designed to place in the hands of the ' prospector ' or miner a conve- nient synopsis of facts, with a list of localities likely to be of interest to him. in the endeavour to carry out this second purpose, it has been considered advisable to add notes on such general principles, and to ad- vance such suggestions, as from my study of the geological features of the Province, (dating from 1874) appear to be of importance, and likely to be of service at the present time in guiding the search for or ex- l)loitation of its metalliferous deposits. In further pursuance of this object, some facts resulting from late practice and investigations in other mining regions are alluded to, and their application to the problems of development in British Columbia is briefly noted. The treatment of the various subjects included in this publication is necessarily more or less unequal, and no one can be more fully alive than the writer to its incompleteness in many respects. While the important developments now in progress in the Province appear to call for the present publication, it is to be anticipated, that within a short time anything that can now be said regai*ding vein-mining will be relegated to a position of merely historical interest. In connexion with the preparation of these notes, I have had occa- Ackhowiedge- sion to apply to several gentlemen for information, which has been 7f k i 6r MINKRAL WBALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. readilj and cordially supplied. I am under obligationH particularly to MeMsrs. O. M. Sproat and A. W. Yowell, Gold Commissioners for Koo- tanie District ; to Mr. G. B. Wright, and for some special notes to Mr. R. D. Atkin, J. W. McKay, J. F. Allison, S. Robins and Hon. R. Dunsmuir. Much assiHtance has alno been received from Mr. Amos Bowman, and in the matter of assays and analyses from Mr. G. C. Hoffmann. General Physical Fbaturbb. ArMftnd podtioD of Britlih Colombia. Ml belt. \ ■ (l-^! ■s^ The Province of British Columbia, with an area of 390,344 square mileM, includes a length of over 800 miles of the Cordillera belt of the West Coast, a region of mountains and of geological disturbance, which in this part of its extent has, between the Pacific Ocean and the elevated western margin of the Great Plains, a breadth averaging about 400 miles. This great mountain region extends north-wostwai^ and south-eastward, and constitutes the effective cautie which has uro- (luced the similar trend of the Pacific coast between the same paral- lels of latitude. It represents the northern continuation of the most important metalliferous area of the United States, essentially repeat- ing its main orogrophic features, though presenting also some notable differences of a general kind as well as many local peculiarities. The Cordillera The Cordillera belt, in British Columbia, may be described as com- prising four great mountain systems or principal axes of uplift and geological disturbance, which are, in the main, nearly parallel to each other and to the coast, — the Rocky, the Gold, the Coast and the Van- couver ranges. The Rocky Mountain Range proper, is the furthest inland, and has an average breadth, in its southern part, of about sixty miles, but is decreased near the Peace River to forty miles or less, and apparently loses its importance and regularity locally where cut through by the Liai-d, though recovering both still further to the north-westward. Near the 49th parallel, several summits occur in this range which exceed 10,000 feet in height, but northwai-d, few attain this eleva- tion till the head-waters of the Bow River are reached. About the sources of the North Saskatchewan and Athabasca, the range appears to culminate, and Mounts Brown and Mui-chison occur, with reputed heights of 16,000 to 13,500 feet respectively. Near the Peace, few summits exceed 6000 feet, so far as known. Though more or less extensive snow-fields occur in many places, true glaciei*8 are found only about the heads of the Bow, North Saskatchewan and Athabasca. Some of the valleys penetrating this range on the east, The Hooky HoantaioB. DAWMN.] OKtfBRAL PRT8ICAL TEATURIl. t» are lightly ttraberod or in part prnirie-like in character, but, as u rule, tho mountains are thickly womlod wherever sufSciont hoU exists for the support of trees, and owing to the greater rain-full on tho western HJopes of the range, the forostN are there often very den.He. Ci'ystallino schists and granite, are scarcely known in any part oflUtokiV tha the Rocky Mountains between the 49th and 60th parallels, the ranges M^aiftaim. Itcing built up chiefly of a great series of Pala)ozoio rooks, extending from the Cambrian to the Carboniferous, with a total thickness of more than 28,000 feet in the Bow Kiver region. There are also, how- ovoi', more or lesH isolated baninw of rocks of Cretaceous age, which rocks wore evidently at one time continuous with those of the same :ige in tho eastern foot-hills and Clroat Plains. In those basins, beds of Itituminons coal and of anthracito are found. Deposits of copper-ores antl of galena are ko far tho most important metalliferous minerals discovered in association with tho older rocks of this mountain H3'8tem. The south-western side of tho Rocky Mountain Range, is defined bya Valley t mouth very remarkable, straight and wide valley, >vhich can be traced unin-MountAini. tciruptedly from tho 4&th parallel to the head-waters of tho Peace, — a distance of 700 miles or more. This valley is occupied by the upper portions of several of the largest rivers, iiif'.uding th^ Kootanie, Col- umbia, Eraser, Parsnip and Finlay. Gold-placers have been found and worked at a number of points along this valley, and importimt dis- coveries of various ores are now being made in its vicinity near the Upper Columbia and Upper Kootanie. It is naturally adapted to be- come a main line of communication between the southern and northern portions of the Province, near its eastern boundary. The next mountain system to the south-west of the Rocky Mountains, Tiie Ooid is referred to under the general name of tho Gold Range, though really a complex and somewhat irregular mountainous belt, which includes several more or less distinct and partly overlapping rai-^^cs. The Pur- coll, Selkirk and Columbia* ranges constitute its southern part, while to the north it is represented by the Cariboo Mountains, and still further northward, — after an important interruption, — by the Omenica and Cas- siar mountains. These mountains are, generally speaking, less rugged in detail than the Rocky Mountains, including extensive areas of high, rolling plateau-country, and supporting in their southern and more massive portion, numerous glaciers and wido snow-fields The highest summit so far actuallv measured is Mount Donald, on the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, 10,045 feet. The forests of the Purcoll, Sel- kirk and Columbia ranges are dense and tangled, and these mountains are much more difficult to traverse, and even less perfectly explored * Tlie name Gold Range is oftoa apeoially applied to that here spuken of aa the Columbia Raogo. 8m MINIRAL WEALTH 07 BRITISH COLUMBIA. PrinoijMl naUinferoui mati bait. Jrititb Ooluabla. than the correH)M)nding portion of the Bocky Mountains. Granites and crystalline sehlHts of great ago are abundant in the Gold Bange, together with great masses of Paloiozoio rocks, res])ecting the struc- turul relations of which very little is as yet known. The Qold Range, us a whole, doubtlesH constitutes the most impor- tant metalliferous belt of the Pix>vinco. The richest gold-HeIdH are closely related to it, and discoveries of metallil'erouH lodes are repoilod in abundance from all parts of it which have been explored. The deposits already made known are very varied in character, including highly argentiferous galenas and other tiilvor-ores and auriferous quartz veins. IntoriorPiaiMu Between the Gold and Coant ranges, lies a region, which for purposes of Brititb q|< description, has been named the Interior Plateau of British Columbia, having an average width of one hundred miles and a mean elevation of about 3500 feet. Its height, on the whole, increases to the south ; while northward, it falls gradually toward the group of largo lakes and the low country about the head-waters of the Peace. This has, over a considerable part of its area, been covered by wide-spread flows of basalt and other volcanic rocks in the later Tertiary period. It is now traveraed in various directions by a ttystem of deep, trough-like valleys of erosion, generally occupiod by streams and j'ivers. Water standing at an elevation of three tiiousand feei above the present sea-level would flood most of these, and would divide its surface into a number of islands, while a large tract of counti-y about the 53rd and 54th paral- lels of latitude would be completely submerged. In some places the plateau is pretty level and uniform, but many portions of it attain an elevation much exceeding the mean above stated, and it is usually only when broadly viewed, and in contrast with its bounding mountain ranges, that its character as a plateau is apparent. Its main area in practically closed to the north, about latitude 50° 30', by the ends of several intercalated mountain ranges, in which many of the summits attain a height of 8000 feet. Nearly coincident with the 49th parallel, is a second transverse mountainous zone, formed in the same way, the only orographically important gap in which is that found in the vici- nity of the Okunagan Biver. The southern portion of the Interior Plateau includes much open country, constitutes the best grazing region of British Columbia, and aifoi'ds besides some good agricultural land. To the north, with increasing moisture, it becomes generally forested, but embraces large areas which are suitable for eventual agri- cultural occupation. The Tertiary rocks of the Interior Plateau hold, in many places, beds of lignite or of coal. Where not concealed by the later rocks, the formations pieponderantly represented belong to the Palaeozoic age. Qfology of toe Interior PlatMU. OtWMM.] aCNEBAL PHYSICAL FEATURES. • « Those includo very notable devolopniontH of inatorialb originally vol- canic in ori^icin- Tho geological utiuctura in HC«iculy less complex than that of thu mountain regions, and much yet remainH to be f iliu Toast Ruiij: ■ pursues a direct north-westward course for ,»ver 1)00 miles, forming throughout this distance the bordering mouiitain-zonc of the continent. The Coast Ranges have an average width )>f about one hundred miles, and consist of numerous constituent ridges and minor mountain axes with varied trends, frequently separated by ilcep parallel iind transverse valleys. The average altitude of the higher summits is between 6000 and 7000 feet, while some cxccetl DOOO feet, trlaeiors are of frequent occurrence, and large in size, in the northern portions of the Coast Ranges. The mountains are, as a rule, densely forested and extremely rugged, the flora of their seaward slopes being that cliaractoristic of the West Coast and coordinated with its great humidity, while on north-eastern flanks the forest resembles that of the inland ranges. Geologically, the Coast Ranges owe (he greater part of their eleva. Rogk, ^f (j,, tion to a period later than the Cretaceous, of which formation patches '^*""' H«nge«. aro found in them at groat heights. Tho rocks consist chiefly of grey granites and granitoid materials, with which are associated gneisses and other crystalline schists, as well as Palaeozoic rocks resembling some of those of tho Interior Plateau. In association principally with tho last-named rocks, gold-placers occur locally. Copper- and iron-ores are frequently found, and rich silver-ores hasO been discovered. The name Vancouver Range, ma}- be applied as a general one to tho fi)urth groat mountain-axis, which, in a partially submerged condition, 1: 10 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. The Vancouver appeara in Vancouver and in the Queen Charlotte Islands, and In ^"•*' continued sotihwai-d nearly to the Columbia River by the Olympian Mountains of Washington Territory. The islands of the Alaskan archipelago have, on the map, the appearance of constituting a north- ern continuation of the same mountain system, but I believe that they may be more appropriately regai-ded, from an orographic point of view, as forming a partially submerged lateral expansion of the Coast Banges. The highest mountain of Vancouver Island — Victoria Peak — reaches an elevation of 7484 feet, while there is a considerable moun- tainous area in the centre of the island, which surpasses 2000 feet in average altitude. Several summits in the Queen Charlotte Islands exceed 4000 feet. The Vancouver Range, while still to a considerable extent formed of crystalline rocks like those of the Coast Ranges, is principally com- posed of sti'atified rocks of Pala?ozoic and Triassic age, and is flanked in places, both on Vancouver and on Queen Charlotte Islands, by Cre- taceous I'ocks, which are here important because of their coal-bearing character. The areas underlain by these rocks are in general compai-- atively low, and hilly rather than mountainous, while a large tract of level land, based upon the Tertia.y formation, occurs in the north-cast part of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Gold-placers have been workeil in several places on Vancouver Island, but few ever attained much importance. Iron, copper and leaii ores and gold-bearing quartz are also known to occur in connexion with this mountain-axis, but up to the present time the coal deposits have proved to be vastly its mo(*t important feature.* RootcB of the Vancouver Range. Geneu.vl Notes on 3I[neral Deposits. Similarity of The general corre-spondence of that portion of the Cordillera belt ^nt parte of "included in British Columbia with that of the western portion of the cordil era eit United States, in some parts of which mining operations of the tir^t importance have been in progress now for many j'cars, has already been alluded to. No feature of the geology of the continent is more remarkable, than the general persistence of certain zones of similar rocks in a direction coincident with that of the Cordillera itself, — a cir- cumstance in part due to the original similarity in conditions of depo- * In connexion witli the foregoinB outline of the ruling physical and geological features of the Province, it should be stated that while these features are moderately well known in the southern imrtion of the Province, and as far northward as the 5Ctb dugree of latit ide. and thiit while in connection witii the Yukon expedition some accurate information has been obtained for the extensive northern purtioD : there yet remains a large region, chiefly included between the 56th and 58th parallels, which, though touched upon hero and there by the gold miner, is yet almost unknown geographically and geologically. OAWMN.] GENERAL NOTES ON MINERAL DEPOSITS. 11 R sition of sodimente, and in pni-t to their equal participation, at a later date, in changes produced by like metamorphic agencies. The similai'ity thus observ^ed, in a series of geological zones parallel to the general direction of the Pacific Coast, is here more striking than the continuity of the constituent orographic uplifts of the mountain-belt, and con- trasts very markedly with the diversity of rock-formations found to occur where this belt is crossed at right-angles. While metalliferous deposits individually ai'o inconstant, and even the best defined lodes can be followed, in the vast majority of cases, for but ja moderate dis- tance, their character is found to depend fundamentally upon that of the enclosing or adjacent rocks, in which, under the required local dynamic and other agencies, these deposits are found to recur with nearly identical features. It is not intended here to discuss the resem- blances and differences of the various rock-series met with in the cor- responding region in the Western States with those of British Columbia, but it may be mentioned, that the metalliferous districts of the Province may with advantage be compared by the minor with those which have already been more full}* developed in each corresponding portion of the Cordillera region to the south, and that from such rational compar- isons, useful indications may he derived in the present early stages of the development of the mines of British Columbia. The Eocky Mountains pi-oper, as doHned on a previous page, can Continuationg bcarcely be traced southward, with identical characters, further than wnrd of various 1 r. 1 »f .1 11.11 mountain the main head-waters of the Missouri, beyond which the eastern ranges ranges, of the Cordillera become more lax and irregular. The Gold Range may, however, be followed further in a southerly direction, being con- tinued by the Cabinet, Cour D'Alaine and Bitter Boot mountains, for about 300 miles. The Interior Plateau of British Columbia repre- sents the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada and the great plains of the Columbia, and combines to some extent the features of both, though diifering markedly from the first in the fact that it is not here self-contained as to its drainage, and from the second, in the diminishetl importance of its Tertiary lava-flood. It has already' been stated, that the Coast Ranges of British Columbia are not continued to the south of the International Boundary. They resem Mo the Sierra-Nevada more closely than they do the Cascatle Mountains of Washington Territory and Oregon, and hold a similar relation to the Interior Basin with that held by the Sierra. While, however, the Sierra owes its elevation to a time immediately antedating the Crelnceuus, the main uplift of the Coast Ranges of British Columbia occurred at or after the close of that period The Vancouver Range, again, datinsr from the same period with the last, is not traceable south of the Columbia River, be- youil which, in Oregon and California, the Pacific is bordered by u it ^' it f Tf 12 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Auriferous rooks of Britiih Columbia and California oompared. No Tertiary Coaat Ranges in Britigli Columbia. 1-ange of coast hills, which, from a geological ijoint of view, are of very recent origin. In California, the principal auriferous territory coincides with the run of a certain bolt of slaty and schistose rocks, which occurs on the western flank of the Sierra-Nevada; these rocks being referred by their contained fossils, to the Triassic and Cretaceous divisions of the geologi- cal scale. In British Columbia, while rocks of Triassic age are largely developed, and in some cases with characters identical with those of the Californian gold-bearing rocks, no such persistent belt of these rocks is found in connexion with the Coast Banges, where (from what has just been said of the resemblance of the two mountain sj'steras) it might, from analogy, have been sought for. While local occurrences of rich gold-placers are known, in association with slates probably' of Triassic age, on both sides of the Const Eangcs, the main auriferous teri-itory in the Province is found to align itself on the Gold Eange; and the original deposits of gold, from which the placers have been supplied, are already known to exist in different series of rocks widely separated in ago and ranging all the way from the Triassic to the Cambrian. While, therefore, there is no single well developed gold- producing region, as in California, the area and mass of the rocks throughout which deposits of gold may be hopefully looked for, is hero greatly increased. The circumstances would also warrant the belief, that the mode of occurrence of gold in its original matrix might differ from that found to the south, and in particular that this might be more varied. So far as investigation has gone such a belief appears to be well grounded, and it would seem, that to a very considerable ex- tent, the natural laws of this mining field must be worked out inde- pendently. In correspondence with the absence of the Tertiary Coast Hills of California, in which, under peculiar conditions of mineralization, the cinnabar ores of that State are developed, it is observable that In British Columbia no really important deposits of mercury have yet been discoverec^. It is by no means Improbable that mercuiy-ores may yet be developed in the Province, but if so, it cannot be in any con- tinuation of the Californian cinnabar belt, and the conditions of such deposits may be expected to prove unlike. Another and very important point of diversity, is found as respects , the Cretaceous rocks of the southern and r.orthern coast regions. In Califoj'nia and Oregon, the mineral fuels which have been found and worked are lignites of Tertiary age and of an inferior value. Similar fuels are known on the coast of British Columbia, but the rocks of the Cretaceous here assume the role of a coal-bearing series and yioM coals of excellent quality', which more than hold their own in competi- tion with all other fuels employed on the Pacific. DAWtON.J' GENERAL MOTES ON HINERAT, DEPOSITS. 13 R Still another noteworthy circumstance of difference, and one which Fffeota of is applicabletopractically the entire area of the Province when it is con-*"*'* °"* trasted an ix whole with the Pacific States, is that which has been pro- duced by the general spread and movement of ice over this region, during the Glacial period. The changes thus effected in the distribution of surface materials and directions of drainage have most important bearings on the question of placer mining. They have also encumbered the surface of considerable tracts with "drift" deposits, which, while tending to produce a more fertile soil, largely conceal the indications to which the prospector generally trusts in more southern latitudes. At the same time, a great part of the oxidised upper portions of metalliferous veins, together with the atmospherically decayed cou^^try- rock associated with these, has been removed, thus often obscuring the outcrops of such veins, which would otherwise be well marked ; and in the treatment of certain classes of ores, rendering it necessary to begin work from the first with machinery and processes which in some other regions are only required after considerable depths have been attained. These conditions, brought about by action during the Glacial period, Chums which are amongst those which, in my opinion, have most tended heretofore development. to retard the development of metalliferous mining in British Columbia. Other circumstances which have operated in the same direction are; the densely wooded character of a great part of the country, the fact that the rivers are suited for navigation only in detached reaches, the remoteness from the coast of the richest and best known placer-mining districts, and the cost of labour, supplies and machinery, which may be regarded as in pa.'t concomitants, in part direct results of these. Owing to the inaccessibility of the country, it has, till very recently, been prospected and exploited by the placer-miner alone, who has been deterred by no difficulty from reaching the most remote spots in which rumour, or reasoning of his own, lead him to expect the existence of the precious metal. Little knowledge or effort was expended in the search for metalliferous veins. Many such deposits supposed to be of value were, it is true, located, and time and money which could ill be spared, often uselessly spent upon them, leading only to discouragement. Even where the indications mot with were altogether favourable, the original discoverer generally found that the capital and knowledge re- quiied for their development wore not at his command, and it was difficult to interest those capable of dealing with such mines in a region which they could not easily visit and become familiar with at fii st hand. With regard at leost to the whole southern portion of the province, however, all this is now happily changed. While speaking of causes which have hitherto stood in the way of cxagferated vein-mining, it must also be mentioned, that net the least important of ^'''""" i'i ^Sl 'mi m\ t 8 ., 14 b lUNBBAL WBALTH OF BBITI8H COLUMBIA. region. these has been, and still is, the fictitious or exaggerated value too fre quenty placed upon entirely undeveloped discoveries. While it is manifestly right that the discoverer should be properly remunerated, it should be remembered that a mere surface shewing, however pro- mising, generally requires the expenditure of a large sum before its ti'ue value can even be ascertained, and that till thus developed it is un- reasonable to expect a large payment for any mining claim. ImporUtnot In preceding paragraphs, particular attention has been drawn to Columbia aa a certain notable differences between the better known and more fully developed regions of the southern part of the Pacific Slope and tho^ie of the province of British Columbia, chiefly as a note of caution against the rash assumption of complete uniformity in conditions too often made without due investigation. The salient fact of the general identity of the structural features of the Cordillera region south and north, however, remain, and is such, th^t from this alone, even with- out taking int(^Qonsideration the numerous and important discoveries already made, we should be Justified in predicting an eventual great development of metalliferous mining in the Province. It has already been stated, that British Columbia includes a length of over 800 miles of the most important metalliferous belt of the continent, and adding to this the northern extension of the same belt, beyond the 60th paral- lel, we find that within the boundaries of Canada its entire length is between 1200 and 1300 miles. This, as I have elsewhere noted, is almost precisely equal to the whole length of the same region included by the United States from our southern line to the northern boundaiy of Mexico, and after having enjoyed, exceptional opportunities of investigation, I feel no hesitation in recoi*ding my belief that the northern moiety of the Cordillera will ultimately prove to be suscep- tible of a development corresponding in importance to that which has already been attained in the southern. British Columbia first rose from the position of a fur country to the rank of a colony, on the discovery of gold upon the Lower Eraser in 1858. Its subsequent history, for a number of years, is substantially that of the sudden rise and subsequent slow decline in importance of placer gold-mining. Coal raining has, however, concun-ently, advanced slowly but steadily till it has obtained its present pre-eminent position. Such historical facts as appear to bo important to the appreciation of these industries are touched on later in connexion with them. With respect to vein-mining proper, we have as yet to chronicle merc'y the first steps, but in the southern part of the Province the completion of the Canadian Pacific Bailway, has at length affoi-ded the necessary impetus in this direction, and it is very gratifying to find, as an imme- diate consequence, that this part of the country is rapidly beginning to Rise and progren of mining. Preient poaition. ', ■? m OAWMN,] PUBLICATIONS BEARINO ON QIOLOOT, ETC. 16 b prove its valuable character and to justify the confidence which those best able to form an opinion on the subject have always felt, and fre> i|uently expressed. Everything which has been ascertained of the geo- logical character of the Province as a whole, tends to the belief that so t^oon as similar means of travel and transport shall be extended to what arc still the more inaccessible districts, these also will be discovered to be equally rich in minerals, particularly in the precious metals, gold and silver. In the southern district, for which information is most complete, praiseworthy efforts are now in progress at a number of widely separated localities, toward the exploitation of ores, which, in many cases, have already been proved to be of ai exceptionally valu- able character. Hero at least, we have every reason to believe that we are on the point of witnessing the inauguration of an era of milling activity of the most important kind. PiBLicATioNS Bearing on Geology, etc., of British Colcmbia. The operations of the Geologieal Survey of Canada, were first ex-List of reporu tended to British Columbia in 1871, when the former colony became a province of the Dominion. Since that date a number of reports bear- ing on the Province have been published by the Geological Survey, which arc here enumerated, as frequent refei'cnce is made to them on subsequent pages : — Beport of Progrefs 1871-72. — Seluyn : Journal and Report of Preliminary Explo- rations in British Columbia. Richardson : On the Coal Fields of the East Coast of Vancouver Island, with a map of their distribution. Appended notes by Dawton {J. W.) and Hunt on Fossil Plants and on Coals. Report of Progress 1872-73. — Richardson : On the Coal Fields of Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands, with a map of the former; an Appendix by Dawson {J. W.) on Fossil Plants ; another by Billings on Me^ozoic Fossils ; and a third by Harrington on the Coals of the West Coast. Report of Progress 1872-73 — Richardson : On Geological Explorations in British Columbia. Riport of Progress 1874-75. — Richardson : On Explorations in British Columbia. Rqiort of Progress 1875-76. — Selu-yn : Report on Explorations in British Colum- bia, with sketch-map or route and ap^iendices by Macoun on Botany ; iteaves on Fossils ; and Le Conte on Coleoptera. Dawson (G. M.): Report on Explorations in British Columbia; Appendix by Scuddr {S. H.) on Tertiary Fossil Insects. Report of Progress 1876-77.— Daivson (G. M.): Report on Explorations in British Columbia, chiefly in tlie Basins of the Blackwater, Salmon and Nechacco . Rivers, and on Francois Lake, with a coloured Geological map. Dawson (O. M.): Report of a Reconnaisance of Leech River and vicinity. Dawson {O. M.) : General Note on the Mines, and Minerals of Economic Value of British Columbia, with a list of Localities. m I Tf 16 a MINERAL WEALTH Of BRITISH COLUMBIA. mv^ >■ Riehardton: Report on the Coal Fields of Nanaimo, Comox, Cowichan, Burrard Inlet and Sooke, British Columbia, with a coloured Geological map. Scttdder{S.H.) : Additions to the Insect Fauna of the Tertiary Beds at Quesnel. Report of Progress 1877-78. — Dawson {Q. M.): Preliminary Report on the Physi- cal and Geological Features of the Southern Portion of the Interior of British Columbia, with s coloured Geological map. Report of Progress 1S78-79. — Dawson (O. M.): Report on the Queen Charlotte Islands, with two coloured Geological maps and sketches of Harbours. Appendix A. — On the Haida Indians of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Appendix B. — Vocabulary of the Haida Indians. Appendix C. — Whiteaves : On some Marine Invertebrata from the Queen Charlotte Islands. Appen- dix D. — Smith {S. J.): Notes on the Crustacea from the Queen Charlotte and Vancouver Islands. Appendix K — Macoun : List of Plants from the Queen Charlotte Islands. Appendix F. — Meteorological Observations. Appendix G. — Notes on Latitudes and Longitudes. Report of Progress 1879-80. — Dawson {0. M.) : Report on an Exploration from Fort Simpson, on the Pacific Coast, to Edmonton, on the Saskatchewan, embracing a portion of the Western part of British Columbia and the Peace River Country, with a map in three sheets, with Geological Indica- tions. Appendix I. — Macoun: List of Plants collected in the Northern part of British Columbia and the Peace River Country. Appendix II. — Meteorological Observations. Appendix III. — Note on Latitudes and Longitudes of the Region from the Pacific Coast to Edmonton. Dawson (G. M.): Note on the Distribution of some of the more important Trees of British Columbia, with a map. Report of Progrtas 1882-84. — Bauerman (H.): Report on the Geology of the Country near the Forty- ninth Parallel of North Latitude, West of the Rocky Mountains, from Observations made 1859-61. Annual Report, 1895.— Dawson (G. if.): Preliminary Reporton the Physical and Geoloiiical Features of that portion of the Rocky Mountains between Latitudes 49° and 51° 30^, with two coloured Geological maps. Annual Report, 1886. — Dawson {G. M.) : Report on a Geological Examination of the Northern part of Vancouver Island and adjacent coasts, with a coloured Geological map. Appendix I — Whiteaves: Note on some Meso- zoic Fossils from various localities on the coast of British Columbia. Appendix II. — Macoun: List of Plants from Vancouver Island and adja- cent coasts. Appendix III. — Meteorological Observations. Annual Report, 1887. — Dawson {G. AT) .- Report on an Exploration in the Yukon District, N.W.T., and adjacent Northern portion of British Columbia, with an index map and a detailed map in three sheets, with Geological indications. Appendix I. — Note on the Distribution of Trees. Appendix II. — Note on the Indian Tribes. Appendix III. — Macoun: List of Plants Appendix /F.— Zoology. Iletcher (J.) : List of I^pidoptera, etc. Appendix V. — Adams: Notes on Rock-specimens. Appendix VI. — Meteorological Observations. Appendix F//.— Astronomical Observations. Bowman : Report on the Mining Region of Cariboo. Part I. Besides the reports above enumerated, which are contained in the DAWtON.] DISCOVERY OP GOLD. 17 B annuti! volumes of the Geological Survey, the following special reports bearing on British Columbia have been issued by the Survey : — Mesozoic Fossils. Parts I., II. and III., by J. F. Whiteaves. Report on the Polyzoa of the Queen Charlotte Islands by T. Hinks' Comparative Vocabularies of the Indian Tribes, by W. F. Tolmie and G. M. Dawson. Various contributions to the geology of the Province and to the knowledge of its minerals, including several short reports by Mr. A. Bowman, are also to be found in the Annual Summary Beport of the Geological Survey, and numerous analyses of ores and minerals are included in the Contributions from the Laboratory of the Survey from 1871-72 to date. From the Annual Eeports of the Minister of Mines of British Colum- bia, from 1874 to date, much valuable and detailed information may also be obtained. In the following pages, placer gold-mining is given the first place, as it forms the natural introduction, from a historical stand point, to mining in general. « The Discovery op Gold. re important The firet authenticated discovery of gold within the limits of what is Original now the province of British Columbia, occurred at Mitchell or Gold Har- (fSidTnSe bour, on the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands. This discovery Charlotte created considerable interest at the time, but was in no way connected i*'""*^' with the Fraser Kiver excitement, and general commencement of placer- mining, which occurred later. As, however, the matter is of some historical interest, and as several versions of the affair have been given, the following notes derived fr< a Mr. J. W. McKay, who was conversant with all the circumstances, at the time, are inserted here.— The first gold was a nugget accidently found by an Indian woman on the beach in 1851. After a part had been cut off, it was taken by the Indians to Fort Simpson and sold there, weighing, as received, between four and tive ounces. The nugget was then sent by the officer in charge, to the Hudson Bay headquarters at Victoria. The Company in the same year sent the brigantine Una to the place of discovery, where a quartz vein seven inches wide and traceable for eighty feet was found, and reported to contain twenty-five per cent, of gold in some places. Some of the quartz was blasted out and shipped, but the brigantine was lost on the return voyage, at Neah Bay, near Cape Flattery, in the month of December. In January, 1852, a U. S. brigantine, named the Orbit, which was on the rocks in Esquimalt Harbour, was bought by the Company, registered under the British flag, re-named the Recovery, and sent north with thirty miners in addition to the ships company, the 2 igs^aii— i A 18 b MINERAL WBALTH OF BRITISH OOLUSIBIA. Diaoorery of Kold-plaoers. ^A , Ooldflnt- obUined. miners gcing 'on shares ' in the venture. Three months were spent in getting a cargo of the quartz, which was eventually sent to England, the miners receiving $30 a month each as the result. Meanwhile, the discovery having become known, several little vessels from San Frnn- cisco followed the Recovery to the Queen Charlotte Islands, and H. M. S. Thetis was sent from Valparaiso to keep order. The deposit proved, however, to be quite limited, and these vessels, as well as the Thetis, shortly left. Soon after, a vessel named the Susan Sturifiss arrived, and the captain (Rooney) collected a quantity of the quartz which had been discarded by the Una expedition, and taking it to San Francisco, realized $1400 on it. A second trip made by this vessel in the same year, ended disastrously, the vessel being captured by the Indians at Masset, and the crew kept as prisoners for some tim( .\l released by the Hudson Bay steamer Beaver. It would appear that gold to the value of about $20,000 may have been obtained from this little vein, while an estimate us high as $75,000 has been made. It is now difS:cult to ascertain under what precise circumstances the first discovery of gold placers on the mainland of British Columbia occurred. Little attention was at first given to accounts of the finding of small quantities of gold, and nt a later date, when gold mining sprung into importance, numerous stories respecting its discovery were invented or exhumed.* One statement, is to the effect that the Hudson Bay Company's agent at Kamloops had bought gold ft-om the Indians as early as 1852, but, if correct, the amount purchased must have 'been very small. In 1855, a servant of the same Company dis- covered gold near Fort Colvilie, a short distance south of the Inter- national boundary, and moderately rich diggings began to be worked in that vicinity. It seems certain that the epoch-making discovery of gold in British Columbia, was the direct result of the Colvilie excitement. Indians from the Thompson Biver, visiting a woman of their tribe who was married to a French Canadian at Walla-Walla, spread the report tbat gold, like that found at Colvilie, occurred also in their country, and in the summer or autumn of 1857, four or five Cana- dians and half-breeds cixissed over to the Thompson, and succeeded in finding workable placers at Nicoamen, on that river, nine miles above its mouth. On the return of these prospectors the news of the dis- covery of gold spread rapidly. It is also probable that their arrival ou the Thompson caused the Indians to take an interest in gold-mining, for wo read in a despatch of Governor Sir James Douglas, that from October 6, 1857, to the end of that year, three hundred ounces of gold had passed through the hands of the Hudson Bay Company, this amount being all, so far as known to Douglas, which had been obtained. * See Banoioft'e Works, vol. xxxii, chapter zz. OAWtON.] PROGRESS OF OOLD-MININO. 19 R Spent in England, hile, tho %n Fran- H.M.S. , proved, e Thetis, ! arrived, ^hich had i'rancisco, the same ndians at leased by )ld to the ittle vein, tances the Columbia he finding >ld mining discovery •t that the ifi-om the lased must pany dis- the Inter- jbe worked scovery of le Colville woman of alla-Walla, rred also in |r five Cana- icceeded in liles above of the dis- ir arrival on old-mining, I, that from ces of gold Douglas speaks of the region including the Lower Thompson, from which the gold came, as the " Couteau Countiy." Nearly ten yeans previously, in 1849, gold had been discovered in inflm of foid- California, and that country was swarming with a cosmopolitan popu- **•''*"• lation of gold-seekei-s ; thus when the discovery of gold in the north became known and authenticated by the exhibition of the gold itself, an extraordinary migration followed. Between March and June, 1858, from 20,000 to 23,000 persona arrived by sea from San Francisco in Victoria, and converted that place (first founded ly the H. B. Com- pany in 1843) from a quiet village of 200 or 300 inhabitants, into a city of tents. At the same time, many miners (estimated by some at 8000 in number) reached British Columbia by overland routes from tho south. A large proportion of those who arrived at Victoria never got so far as the mouth of the Fraser River, their objective point, and 80 great were the natural difficulties and the resulting disappointment experienced, that all but about 3000 of this promiscuous migration returned to California before the following January. The inland country was entirely without mutes of communication, by nature a singularly difficult one, and unprovided with means for the support of a large population. Meanwhile, by the more fortunate and energetic, tho development of its wealth had been fairly inaugurated. The auriferous river-bars in the vicinity of Hope and Yale on the Lower Fraser being the most accessible, were the first to be worked, and the return of gold began to assume important dimensions. The actual shipments made from Victoria during the first five months of work in f/ ^ij*""""'" 1858, are stated as below *. — June...^ $ 6,000 July 45,000 August 45,000 September ' 164,000 October 283,000 $543,000 Frogbess of Placer Gold-mining. It is impossible here to follow the further progress of gold discoveries in British Columbia in detail, though such facts relating to discovery and former mining, as appear still to possess importance as guides to future development, are mentioned in connexion with the several dis- * Acootding to Maofle, Vanoourer Island and British Columbia ; London, 1866, p. 72. There are •aid to have been 4000 miners alons the Fraser between Hope and Yale, in November, 1858. I At Hope 400, and at Tale 1300. 20 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. fc I 1 V \ Progreu of minlni to 186a ;1858 Theory of the minen. Early diiooreries in Cariboo. tricts and localitioH to which they relate.''' A few words muHt suffice to indicate in a general way the progress of the army of gold-minern, the outlines of the topographical features of the Province previously given, serving to acquaint those not personally familiar with it, with thcsalientfeatures of the regions which were thus rapidly overspread. Before the close of the working season in 1858, some of the adven- turers who had come overland from the south, had pushed onward in face of extraoi-dinary difficulties, — resulting not alone from the rough- ness of the country itself but combined with the want of supplies and occasional overt hostility of the Indians, — as far as Fountain, a short distance above Lillooet on the Frascr, and by the line of the Thomp- son to Tranquille Biver on Karaloops Luke. In the following year a renewed advance broughta number of miners to the Quesnel Eiver,and in 1860, rich diggings were found at The Forks of the river and over 600 Whites wore at work on its length, while Antler Creek was discovered and some work done upon it by a few score men, — thus fairly entered on the extremely rich central region of Cariboo. Also in this year, good placers were found on the Similkameen, in the southern part of the Province. The theory formed by the miners who first worked the fine 'flour' gold of the Fraser bolow Yale, was that this gold had its origin in richei- deposits toward the sources of the great river, and though this theory was only very partially correct as regards the origin of these particular deposits, it none the less served as the impelling force which led to the opening up of the Cariboo district. In 1861, Williams and Lightning creeks, Cariboo, the two most cele- brated in the annals of British Columbian placer-mining, were dis- covered, and in this and the following year most of the other rich creeks in Cariboo became known. The first gleanings from the old Cariboo stream-courses were notable. It is estimated that gold to the value of $2,000,000 had been got out by a population not exceeding 1500 before the end of 1861. In consequence of those finds a second important migi-ation of miners and others towards the Province com- menced before the close of 1861, which continued in greater or less volume till about 1864. A series of letters from a correspondent of the "Times" contributed largely to this result, and extended the area of interest to very wide limits, bringing adventurers from England, *AmaM of information respecting tlie iiistorical and otlier featuraa of gold-mining in the Province ia contained in Bancroft's Works, Vol. zxxii, History of British Colombia. The details there collected may be consulted with advantage, and h»ve been frequentl? referred to in connexion with localities mentioned in later pages of this report. It mast be added, however, that many of the statements quoted by Bancroft must be accepted with caution, having been derived often from the nld-inining in the J^ Colombia. Th« Intlf referred to in 1 added, howevtft ^ion, having been I truitworthy.but 'which call for ttl Canada, Aastralia and New Zealand. A party of men even set out for Cariboo from Eastern Canada overland, in 18G2. Of this jtarty several members lost thoir lives in the mountains, but some eventu- ally reached their destination. A further consequence of the Cariboo excitement was to depopulate almost completely the other mining camps in the Province, oven those which were yielding a good average return for work, some promising localities lying untouched for years at\erwai'ds, or falling entirely into thu iiaiids of the Chinese and Indians. In 1863, however, rich placer deposits were found on Wild Horse l>ifiooT|riei on Creole in the Kootanie re;'ion, the extreme south-oast portion of the Creok ami T. • mi ?..,,,, . , . Lvveh Kiver. Province, These caused considerable local excitement at the time, and were somewhat extensively worked in the following year and thereafter, notwithstanding the attraction of Cariboo. In 1864, Leech River, in the southern part of Vancouver Island not far from Victoria, was discoveied to be auriferous, and in 1865 a number of miners from tiie Kootanio district were prospecting and working in the neighbor- ing Big Bend (of tho Columbia) country, the report of their success re- sulting in the Big Bend excitement of 1866. This subsided almost as quickly as it had arisen, tho number of men who rushed to tho place being much too great for tho opportunities of work. Though miners fi-om Quesnel, following the routes employed by theOoidon Hudson Bay Company, had reached and worked with some success on and Omenioa. Peace River as early as 1861, it was not till 1869 that the richer depoBits of the feeders of the Omonica Branch of that river near lat. 6t)° were discovered, and the Omenica excitement did not attain its height till 1871. In 1872, the rich northern mines of the Cassiar dis- trict, on the hoad-watei's of the Dease, were brought to light, and a general migration in that direction occui-red, which, in 1873, led to the almost complete abandonment of Omenica. The discovery of the Cassiar mines carried tho miners to the vicinity ^^ . ^ of the 60th pa>'allel, the northern boundary of the Province. Gold was Yukon, next found in paying quantities on the tributai'ies of the Yukon, still farther to the north, in 1880.* No such rush has occurred to this dis- trict as happened in the case of some of those previously mentioned, but in 1886, the miners wore at work as fur north as lat. 04° 30' having found * coarse ' gold there on Foi-ty-mile Creek. Granite Creek, a tributary of the Similkameen was found to yield Granite Creek, ricli diggings, in 1885, and though it has not proved to be as important as at tirst hoped, it has led to renewed activity in its vicinity. * Mbymper states, however, in 1809, that gold bad been found in minute sfiecks by employees of the Hudson Bay Company before that date. Travels in Alaska and on the Yukon, 1S69, p. 227. 1 . «i^^B ( *'^^B • i^H 1 ■ / 22r MINUUL WBALTH Or BRITISH COLUMBIA. irindMl fold B^tion of th« While it may now be safely RfHrmed that gold is very generally dis- tribatod over the entire area of the province of British Columbia, ho much 80 that there is scarcely a stream of any importance in which at least ' colours ' of gold may not be found, the enumeration of the prin- cipal discoveries of important mining districts, shows very clearly, that most of these are situated along the syKtem of mountains and hi^h plateaux which comprises the Purcoll, Selkirk, Columbia and Cariboo ranges and their north-western continuations, lying to the south-woHt of theBocky Mountain Eange properly so called, and parallel in direc* tion with it. Of all the gold-producing districts that of Cariboo hm proved the richest and the most continuously pi'oductive. Yield of Gold. Explanation of ■■'V '.J' The firsi part of the annexed table, extending to the yoai* 1875, won ' originally prepared in Victoria by Mr. Charles Good (then Deputy Minister of Mines and Provincial Secretary) and the writer, in the winter of 1875-7(3. It was first publiHhed in the Annual Report of the Minister of Mines for 1875, and has nince been republished annually in the same report, with the necessaiy additions. It is based loughout on the amounts of gold shipped by the banks, express and 'bor com- panies from Victoria, this being the best available means of aucertaining the yearly product. It has from the first been impossible to ascertain the amount of gold annually taken away in private hands, largely by Chinese, and no account was obtained of the gold carried south from the Kootanieaud Similkameen county, which did not pass through Victoria. To allow for these amounts, an addition of one-third is made to the amount actually known to have been exported, up to the year 1877. In some of the earlieryears it is probable that this addition is an under-estimate, while the reverse may hold in the case of the years immediately pro- ceeding 1877. Subsequent to the year 1877, an addition of one-tifth only has been made in the British Columbian report. It will thus be apparent that the figures given can only be accepted as a near appro- ximation to the actual yield. Under the year 1887 a small quantity of bullion obtained from a quartz mine is added, but the amounts are otherwise entirely duo to placer-raining. D««*ON.] aOLD PRODUCTION. 23b rally dis- imbia, ho which at the prin- f clearly, and hif^h 1 Caribou outh-woHt il in direc- Eirlboo hoH 1875, wan »n Deputy ter, in the port of the innually in loughout thor com- »certaining a ascertain largely by 1th from the ;h Victoria, the amount In some r-estimate, lately pre- lof one-lifth ill thus be [near appro- led from a trely due to Tablc shewing the actually known and estimated yield of gold; the OoM produot nnmlier of miners employed ; and the average earnings per man, Columbia, per year from 1868 to 1888, in the Province of British Columbia. Yrar. Amount actually known to have bMn exported by Uanks, Jto. 185H \ (partinl return.) / ]8.'it 1S()0 lS(il 18ti2 18(iS 18()4 ISO") 18(i(l 1867 18«;8 18WI 1870 1871 187'J IS73 1874 L' ','5 187ti 1877 1878 1S7!I 1880 , 18S1 , 1K82 18r. 1884 188f) 1886 1887 1888 $ 543,000 1,211,304 1,«71,410 1,{)9U.589 l,{»2,(i77 2,935,172 2,801,888 2,618,404 1,990.680 1,860,051 1,779,729 1,331,234 1,002,717 1,349,580 1,208,229 979,312 1,383,464 1.850,178 1,339.986 1,206,136 1,062,670 1,075.049 844,856 872,281 795,071 661,877 613,304 594,782 753,043 578,924 613,943 Amount added tonvproientgold oarriod away in private handi . .3ra 403,768 | 1,015,072 K 557,133 2,228,643 5 II 118,956 713,738 IC 150,608 903,651 n of the river and its im- mediate tributaries, while another portion may have been derived from the glacially transported drift matei-ials. The first-mentioned moiety may be supposed to include the ' coarse ' gold, the last must be in great part ' fine ' gold. A great proportion of all this gold, from whatever source derived, Distribution has been gradually confentrated in the river-bottom by the action of the of the gold, stream, while in many places paying deposits have been left upon the surfaces of ' benches ' at various levels, or buried beneath their material, each such ' pay streak ' representing some portion of a former bed of the river which has I eon left behind as erosion progressed. Thus when the work of 1858 and 1859 began, the miners obtained, with c«)mpaia- tive ease and in a short time, a lai-go quantity of gold. How much gold has been obtained from the Fraser and the lowej* part of the Thompson it is impossible to ascertain, bnt it raa\' be stated that prac- tically the entire output of the Province for 1857 and 1858, with the greater pai-t of that lor 1851), was derived from this river, and by far the larger portion from that part of the Fiaser extending from Hope to the mouth of the Queincl. The aggregate yield for these early yoai-s alone cannot be placed at iess than 81,700,000. The mode of working these gold deposits was comparatively a simple niarncter of one. The so-called 'bars' were nothing more than jiortions of the *''**" river-bed, which, being left bare at low water, could be reached by the miner. They varied in richness not only in diiferent parts of the length of the river, but also in correspondence with the local relation of the currents and set of the stream. They wore woi'ked generally Mode ot to but a very limited depth, Iteing often merely skimmed over, in cou- '*""^'''"'* i. ' 'i ' •\ u Ha II li i i Partial abandonment of the Fraser. Hill's Bar. 26 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBFA. sequence of the ti-ouble from water and the cost of removing any considerable thickness of non-remunerative material to reach deeper ur'ierlying ' pay streaks.' Most of the work was accomplished with the primitive rocker, and in 1858 no other means was employed on that portion of the river below Yale. At Yale, and further up, even in that year, sluicing was resorted to in some places, and a number of short ditches were constructed for the purpose of bringing water to the places worked. There were also, from the first, certain 'dry diggings' recognized and worked ; those bring auriferous layers in river-flats or benches which were above the high-water mark of the stream. When the exciting discoveries in Cariboo diiitrict became known, the Pi'aser was almost abandoned, long before its plaeei-s had ceased to be remu- nerative, but since that time more or less desultory work along the Fraser and Thompson has never ceased. A groat number of the high benches have been in part superficially worked, and have in some cases yielded excellent results. In the bed of the river itself, at each season of flood, a partial re-arrangement of material occurs, and additional supplies of gold are brought in by the wearing away of the banks, a feature having important bearings on the probable successful applica- tion of hydraulic mining to some of. these deposits. Though no longer exceptionally rich, *he bars and benches of the Fraser seem to attord a practically inexhaustible supply of gold. Had no further discoveries occurred in the north, the Pi-aser would not so soon have been deserted by the energetic white population, but with the gradual improvement in methods of mining would have been made to yield a vastly greater amount of gold than it has yet produced. Nothing illustrates this fact moi-e forcibly than the table given below of the annual yield of the river during late ^^ ears. Hill's Bai', near Yale, has probably atlbrded mox-e gold than i ny other single locality on the Fraser. It was estimated to have produced in all, (to 1875,) not le.'^s than 82,000,000 worth of gold from a total area of less than half a square mile. (Eeport of Minister of Mines of B. C, 1875, p. 17.) Its position at the foot of the very i-ay 'd portion of the Fraser, where the river first frees itself from the caiion and expands to a gi-eator width, with a slacker current, is a suggestive one in respect to the origin of its gold. Instances of the yield of other bars are given in con- nexion with their enumeration on page 115 R, et seq. ig any deeper sd with on that in that )f short e places •-flats or When B Fi'aser 36 remu- long the the high itne cases 3h season idditional I banks, a il applica- les of the old. Had uld not so but with lave been produced, ■n below of [r Yale, has ly on the ,) not Icf-s lan half a 1.17.) It^ Iwhere the ;or width, [the origin in in con- DAWION.] GOLD MININO DISTRICTS. 27 B Partial statement of value of gold derived from the Fraser River and sotne of its tributaries, approximately as included in the list of lonalities. pp. 115 e to 119 r, 1874 to 1888. 1874 $ 55,000 1875 50,000 1876 42,000 1877 37,000 1878 14,000 1879 54,000 1880 93,300 1881 75,184 1882 70,200 1883 73,000 1884 122,934 1885 123,700 1886 157,000 1887 126,000 1888 (partial, not including Lower Fraser) 90,160 The above table is derived from the returns in reports of the Minister Yield of the of Mines of British Columbia. It is, unfortunately, very imperfect, "^"" even for the years which it professes to represent. It is more than usually difficult to obtain returns from the Chinese and Indians, in whose hands a large part of the work done here is. In addition, the returns for the several years arc not stiictly comparable, and do not in most cases include all the several localities referred to in the title. No returns appear to have been obtained from the Lillooet region in some years, and in others a portion of the upper part of the river is included in Cariboo district. I believe it would not bo excessive to estimate the yield of the Fraser, including the Main Thompson Eiver, Bridge River, and the Lillooet country at $100,000 per annum since 18(i0, which would give a total yield from that date to 1888, of about 82,900,000. It scarcely I believe admits of doubt, that extensive and successful Future pros- mining enterprises based on the application of the hydraulic method '"'*''' ° """^ ' of working, will yet be instituted along a great part of the length of the Fraser valley, while dredging or other methods by which the materials of the bottom may bo obtained and treated, may also bo protitably employed. The groat extent of tho bench or terrace deposits of tho valley, with the excellent opportunity of disposing of tho waste, offer exceptionally favorable conditions for hydraulic work, and tributary streams with a sufficient quantity and head of water for mining purposes are not wanting. 28 R MINERAL >VEALTH OF BRITISH CO.TiUMBIA. i i jM ' ;!■ Importance of reoordinf obiervations on plaoerf!. 'Coarse' and ' fine ' gold. Fine gold on the lower river. Runs of coarse gold. Cionnexion of ooano gold with rook- formationt. On a subsequent page, a list is given of the principal bars and dig- gings which were formerly worked along the Fraser River. This list is as complete as the available information permits, both in regaixl to the names and positions of the bars, and in respect to their yield and the quality of the gold. It may be objected, that as many of these deposits have now ceased to be continuously worked, such a list possesses merely a historical interest. This, however, is far from being true. It is of importance, not only as a guide to the selection of local- ities for hydr£'ulIo or other similar systematic work on a large scale, but also as affording a clue to the places of origin of the gold, and in directing the search of the explorer who is in quest of paying deposits of gold in its original matrix. It is unfortunate that so much of the practical information obtained by the early miners is now irrecovei ably lost, but an examination of that whii h I have been able to obtain is sufficient to lead to certain genei-al conclusions. Nothing has been more certainly ascertained in connexion with placer-mining in general, than that the * coarse ' or ' heavy ' gold, unless under very exceptional conditions, does not travel far from the place of its origin, even in very rapid streams. 'Scale' or ' flour ' gold may, however, be transported to great distances by a river such as the Fraser, befbi-e it finds a final lodgment, or becomes reduced bj- attrition to invisible shreds. The lowest bar on the Fraser which was found to yield remunerative returns, was Maria Bar, about twenty-five miles below Hope, and nearly opposite the mouth of the Chilliwack Eiver. Thence to Hope, and in the neighborhood of that place, all the gold found was ' flour ' gold, of great fineness. In ascending fi-om Hope to Yale, how- ever, it was observed that the bars became richer and the gold Avas often not so fine. It is highly piobable that all this gold was trans- ported by the river itself, and that none of it has a local origin. From a point on the river a lew miles below Boston Bar (or about sixteen miles above Yale) to Sisco P'lat, a short way below Lytton, a distance in all of about twenty-five miles, rich deposits of ' heavy ' gold were worked. Further up the river is a second run of ' heavy ' gold, the limits of which cannot now bo so well defined, but which appeal's to have extended from a point about halfway between Lytton and Foster's Bar, to some little distance above Fountain. Here nuggets of somo size were occasionally unearthed, and there wore some exceptionally I'ich diggings. On the Thompson, the vicinity of Nicoamen, where the original gold discovery occurred, has always been noted for its 'coarso' gold. On comparing the portions of the Fraser River thus found to yield 'coarse' gold with the rock formations of the country, it is found that i dig- is list ard to Id and r these a list \ being »f local- i scale, , and in ieposits >btainod ation of certain ained in jarse' or lot travel ' Scale ' ices by a ■ becomes unerative ope, and 'hence to ,und was ^'alo, how- gold was as trans- „. From iteen miles istance in liold were gold, the ,ppears to ,d Foster's ,tt of some leptionally where the ,8 ' coarse ' DAWSON.] GOLD MINING DISTRICTS. 29 k the first described i-un of ' coarse ' gold corresponds almost exactly with that portion of the valley which is excavated in certain schistose argillites and micaceous and other schists of dark colour to which the name of Anderson Eiver series has been provisionally assignwl. It must, however, further be remarked that a series of Cretaceous argil- lites, conglomerate and sandstones which have probably been deposited in a jtill earlier hollow excavated along the out-crop of the soft rocks of the Andei'son Eiver series, also runs parallel to this part of the river, on its east side ; and that while it is probable that the gold has originally been derivetl from the Anderson Rivers eries, a portion of that now found in the river may have been obtained by the robbing of Cretaceous placers contained in these later rocks. This is rendered all the more probable, by the fact that the second run of ' coarse ' gold again corresponds with a similar trough of Cretaceous rocks, in the bottom of which, though the occurrence of the Anderson River schists is known in some places, (as near Lillooet), these older rocks are not extensively exposed by the present river. Near Nicoamen, on the Thompson, the ' coarse ' gold is found along coawe gold a portion of the river which follows the junction of granitic rocks *' Nicoamen. with the edge of a great thickness of Tertiary rocks, chiefly of volcanic origin. I have supposed that the gold may here occur in a dissemin- ated form in some of the volcanic rocks or may possibly have been robbed from Tertiary placers occurring beneath the volcanic part of the series. The ' coarse ' gold is, in any case, on these rivers, distinctly in asso- ouidanoo in elation with certain geological conditions which offer a fairly certain gotd^ore».' clue as to the rock-formations in which it should be sought for, either in the form of lodes, or in a disseminated state in certain beds. The precise location of exceptionally ' coarse ' gold in certain bars and benches, making due allowance for a certain amount of movement down stream, should further give an indication of the actual localities in which the search for gold in its matrix may be engaged in with the greatest prospects of success. It may fiirther be observed, that gold has been found on the Anderson Beit of gold- River, on Lillooet River and -i Bridge River, all nearly on the line of *•**"''« "^'"• strike of the Anderson River series and the overlying Cretaceous rocks, in such ^ manner as to mark out pretty distinctly the course of an auriferous lolt to the east of, and parallel with, the axis of the Coast Ranges. Jid to yield Ifound that h ^- 30 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Cariboo District. Pbysioal characters of the Cariboo district. ProfresBof mining. Deep mining and old ohanneli. I i The Cariboo district,* entered b- the miners in 1860, has ever since produced the greater part of the gold of the Province. It has proved to be one of the best ' ])lacer-mining camps* ever discovered, and though most of the heavy runs of gold on bed-rock, so far ifound, may now be considered as worked out, its capability as a field for placor-mining of one kind or other, is by no means exhausted, and the very limited area within which some of the richest finds have occurred, encourages the belief that no great difficulty will eventually be found in tracing these alluvial deposits to their sources. The fifty-third parallel of north latitude passes through the centre of the Cariboo mining district, which may be described as a moun- tainous region, but is perhaps rather to bo regarded as the remnant of a great high-level plateau, with an average elevation of from 5000 to 5500 feet, dissected by innumerable streams which flow from it in every direction, but all eventually reach branches of the Fraser River. These streams, falling rapidly about their sources over rocky beds, descend into great V-shaped valleys, and, with the lessening slope, the rock becomes concealed by gravel deposits, which increase in thick- ness and extent till the valleys become U-shaped or fiat bottomed, and little swampy glades are formed, through which the stream flows tor- tuously and with gentle current. The steep-sloping banks of the valleys are densely covered with coniferous forest, of which compara- tively little has been destroyed by fire, owing to the dampness of the climate at this great altitude. The surface of th^ broken plateau abovo is often diversified b}'- open tracts, affording good pasture in summer ; and the whole country is more or less thickly covered by drift or de- trital matter, concealing the greater part of the surface of the rocky substratum. As in all new gold-mining districts, the shallower placer deposits, and gravels in the present stream-courses first attracted attention, but with the experience of California and Australia, it was not 4ong before the * deepdigginffs ' were found to be far the most profitable. Williams and Lightning c: ..^.d have, so far, yielded the greater part of the gold of Cariboo. They were known from the first to be rich, but have been found specially suited for deep work, in having a hard deposit of boulder-clay beneath the beds of the present watex'-courses, which pre- vents the access of much of the superficial water to the workings be- low. By regular mining opei'ations, the rocky bottom of the valley is followed beneath fifty to 160 feet of overlying clays and gravels, the * This term is here used in a restricted sense, being applied to the mining region, and not to the much more extensive electoral district of the same name. DAWION.] GOLD MINING DISTRICTS. 31 B Since roved , and bund, lid for I, and I have itually centre moun- nant of jOOO to m. it in • River, cy beds, ope, the n thick- aed, and 0W8 tor- } of the lompara- 18 of the au above ummer ; 't or de- le rocky courae of the ancient stream being traceable by the polished rocks of its bed, and the coai-se gravel and boulders which have filled its chan- nel. In the hollow of the rocky channel the richest * lead' of gold is usually found, but in following the rock-surface laterally, side-gi-ound, rich enough to pay well, is generally discovered for a greater or less width. The old stream-courses of the Cariboo district are found to have pursued very much the same directions that their present representa- tives follow, crossing often from side to side of the valley with different flexures, and occasionally running through below a point of drift material projecting into the modern channel, but never, f believe, actually leaving the old valley or i-unning across the modern drainage system, as is so often the case in the deep placers of California and Australia. The most important deep work was t .irried out in the old pre-glacial peon mininB and buried channels of Williams and Lightning creeks, where it has and Lightning now practically almost ceased. As the methods employed are, how- "* '' ever, of interest in illustration of the mode of occurrence of the richer gold deposits, and may yet be applied to other valleys even in this dis- trict, the following description is inchided. It will serve as a general description of this class of mining, and is substantially the same with that given in the previous publication on the mines of British Colom- bia, and refers particularly to the work in progress at the time of my visit to Cariboo in 1876. To reach the buried channel, on which it is generally impossible to shaft-sinking, sink directly through the superposed loose and watery materials^ a shaft is usually sunk at the lower, or down-stream end of the claim, on the sloping side of the valley, where, after having gone through a mod- erate depth of clay or gravel, the slaty rock of the district is reached. The shaft is then continued through this, till a depth supposed to be sufficient is attained, when a drift is started at right angles to the^"*^*'"'* course of the valley, and if the right depth has been chosen, — either by rough estimation, or calculation based on that required in other neighbouring workings — the old channel is struck in such a way as to enable the subterranean water collecting in it from the whole upper part of the claim, to be pumped to the sui'face by the shaft. On driving out of the slate rock, however, into the gravel, so much water is frequently met with that the pumps are mastered, rendering necessary a cessation of work till the latter part of the season, or the applica- tion of more powerful machinery. When the drift is not found to be at a sufficient depth to cut the bottom of the old channel, it is generally necessary to close it, and after continuing the shaft to a greater depth, to drive out again. The old channel once reached, and cleared of water, is followed up its slope by the workings, to the upper pai't of the claim, and where paying side-ground occurs this is also opened. t^ r^ ' ;r ftht 82 b MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Character of the buried deep channel. Deposits of old channels. Difficulties from vater,etc. i ':W. Fig. 1. Section across Lightnintc Creek valley at the lower end of Victoria Claim, shewing position of old channel, etc. From report by J- Evans, in Report of Minister of M'nea of British Columbia, 1875. Approximate scale 120 feet to one inch. The richest pay is generally obtained in the actual channel ot luo old stream, but where this is much contracted the force of the water is often found to have swept the gold away to those places where its width i» greater. The harder rocks still presei've their polished and water- worn forms, but most of the slates are rotten and crumbling, to a con- siderable depth, and in cleaning up in the bottom, a thickness of one to two feet is frequently taken out with the pick and shovel, and sent up to the surface with the overlying gravel, for treatment. In the side-work, as in the central channel, the greater part of the gold is found lying directly on the ' bedrock,' though, in some cases, parti- cularly on Williams Creek, paying layers occur in the gravel several feet above it. The side-ground is worked up from the channel in suc- cessive breasts parallel to it. The lowest layers of gravel generally contain many large boulders of quartz and slaty fragments not much water- woi-n, which must have come down from the hill-sides ; the appearance being that of deposit by torrential waters to a depth of four to six feet in the channel, above which the gravel is generally better rounded, and more evenly spread, though still mixed with clayey matter. In consequence of the unconsolidated nature of the gravel, the pres- sure on the supports of the workings is often excessive. The sets of timber are, in some places, only a few inches apart, and, the whole of the workings have, in some cases, to be lined with complete lagging. The timber used is usually massive, being from one to two feet in average thickness, and consisting of the spruce of the country, simply barked and sawn into lengths. Its cost delivered at the mine at the date mentioned, was eight cents per running foot, all suitable sizes being taken at the same rate. The lagging, which is merely split out, four feet long, five inches wide, and two thick, cost seven dollars a hundred pieces. W ith every precaution, the timbers are frequently crushed by the pressure, or the uprights even forced downward into the slate. s m, shewing )f Wnea of of uioold ir is often 8 width i* id water- to a con- OSS of one [, and sent it. In tl»e tie gold is ases, pavti- ivel several ine\ in euc- DAWSON.] GOLD MINING DISTRICTS. 33 R Where largo boulders are removed from the sides, or ' slum ' is found, spruce brush requires to be extensively used behind the lagging, and in many places the water streams from the roof like a heavy shower of rain. The whole of such deep workings were, as a rule, annually filled with Flooding of 1 • /. 1 • /I 1 1 • • i -ii workings, water at the time of the spring floods, and it was sometimes not til late in the summer or autumn that the pumps again acquired the masteiy. The following are particulars referring to the Van Winkle mine on van winkle Lightning Creek, which was the most successful in operation at the """*■ time of my visit in 1876. The claim covered about 2050 feet in length of the valley, the deepest part of the old channel of which had been cleared out to a length of between 1600 to 1700 feet in October of 1876. Much side- ground, however, yet remained, and the workings sometimes attained a width of from 200 to 300 feet in following this up as far as it could be made !o pay. The claim yielded the first dividend in December, 1873, $40,000 having been expended before gold was reached in the channel. It afterward paid handsomely, having produced in one week i;old worth $15,700, and on other occasions at the weekly ' clean-up,' sums of $14,000, $12,000, etc. At the date above mentioned the total product of gold had amounted to the large sum of $500,965. In the Van Winkle mine, the average depth of the workings was about y, . seventy feet only, the lowest shaft being placed 300 feet from the stream, on the opposite side of which tho rock rises to the surface, form- ing steep cliffs. The water was raised to within forty feet of the sur- face, when it was discharged into an adit 3000 feet long, which was also used by other claims. There were two pumps, ten inches in dia- meter, the power being supplied by an eighteen-foot breast-wheel. This did not, however, represent the total volume of water pumped, as the ground of this claim was partly drained by others lower in the series, in which work could not be carried on till late in the season. In October of 1876 the following companies on Lightning Creek were driving their pumps day and night, the Van Winkle being the only mine clear of water : — Costello Claim. — Pump, twelve inches diameter, nine-foot stroke, making ten strokes a minute. Vulcan Claim. — Pump, twelve inches diameter, six-foot stroke, making eighteen strokes a minute. Vancouver Claim. — Pump, twelve inches diameter, nine-foot stroke, making ten strokes a minute (double acting). I Van Winkle Claim. — Pumps, ten inchesdiameter, fourteen-foot stroke, making ten strokes a minute (two pumps). 3 '^''•^^ t 'I i; d-i' m i'. t 34 R MINKBAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. The quantity of water being raided at this time would, therefore, amount to about 13,870 gallons a minute, or 19,874,000 pei- diem. In many cases the machinery and appointments used in mining on the deep channel were very creditable, and almost the whole of this work was paid for by the miners of the district itself. Money gained in one enterprise was usually invested in another, and the share-holdeiH in a mine were frequently to be found themselves at work in it. worSin/on ^'^ Lightning Creek, the old deep channel has been followed and deep channel, worked out to a length of about 16,000 feet in all, and in addition a number of rich bench claims and ti-ibutary creeks have yielded good returns. In endeavoring to * bottom ' the old channel further down the valley, very great difficulty is encountered, in consequence of the quantity of water and the increased depth of the sinking required. The Eleven of England is the lowest claim in which the old channel has been reached, and though evidence was here found, in the finer character of the gold, of increasing distanto ii-om the main sources oC supply, it is probable that still lower portions of the valley may be proved to pay, with improved facilities. Yield of claims It is impossible to present complete I'eturns of the amount of geld Creek* "'"* obtained from the old bed of Lightning Creek, but the following approxi- mate statement to November 1st, 1875, published in the report of the Minister of Mines of British Columbia for 1875, is still of interest in showing how large this amount, in the aggregate, must have been. The claims are here arranged in their order following down the creek. — Campbell and Whitehall $200,000 Dutch and Siegel (now Perseverance) 130,000 Dunbar 30,000 Lightning '. 163,962 Discovery and Butcher 120,000 South Wales 141,531 Spruce 99,908 Point 186,625 Van Winkle 363,983 Victoria 451,642 Vancouver 274,190 Vulcan 56,955 Costello..; 20.476 It would probably not be an exaggeration to state that the deep channel, for the portion of its length above referred to, with the adja- cent side ground worked at the same time, has yielded throughout gold to the value of over $200 to the running foot. Williams Greek On Williams Creek, on which the towns of Barkerville and Bichfield are situated, the chief workings have been in a space of about two miles and three-quarter in length. I^ this the deep channel has been worked 0AW90N.] HOLD MINING DISTRICTS. 35 R areforc, Qing on of this r gained -holdeiH t. iwod anil Idition a ded good ler down ce of the required. I channel the finer sources of sy may be nt of geld ig approxi- )ort of the interest in tiave been. le creek. — lit the deep th the adja- Ithroughout Ld Bichfield It two miles ^en w or lied through, and also as much of the side-ground ns would pay at the time at which the mining took place. Many of the lateral creeks and gullies lit' 10 have paid remarkably well ; and the hill-sides, in some places to a height of a hundred feet or more, have proved to be sufficiently rich f(ir the hydraulic method of working, which is now profitably carried on. Though Williams' Creek has produced in the aggregate the greatest ninount of gold, Lightning Crock showed for a time a larger annual yield. 'The Cafion ' between Barkervillo and Eichfiold divides Williams ^^ro"'"? »•»»*• « and l)el<)w Cioek into two parts, rov about half-a-milo above it, the ground was ' The Cnflou.' shallow, and has been woiked open to the bed rock. Further up, deep drifting was practised in former yeai's and hydraulic work is now carried on. Below ' The Cailon,' all the work has been deep, in the old channel, alhough 'pay streaks' were sometimes found after getting down ahout twenty feet, these wore usually disi-ogardod in early days. In the Cameron claim, however, half-a-mile below Barkervillo, the dirt ])aid nearly to the surface, and was worked in stages from below after the old channel had been cleared out. The workings wore about sixty feet deep at Barkei-ville, only thirty-five feet at the former site of Cameronton, and at the Ballarat claim, — three-fourths of a mile below Barkervillo — eighty feet. This is one of the lowest claims in which the old channel has been bottomed, and most of the gold obtained was liglit and scaly. The valley is hero wide, the present stream turning abruptly to the west, while a wide, low hollow, known as Pleasant Jf"2[|Py''' Valley, runs off in the opposite direction, to Antler Creek, It is sup- posed by many, that the main channel of the ancient water-coui'so turns off in this direction, but owing to the great quantity of water and loose character of the ground, neither this nor the present valley of Williams Creek t)elow the Ballarat, has yet been proved, though much money has been expended in the attempt. The Lane and Kurtz Com- pany wont to groat expense in importing machinery and erected very comi)lcte works some years ago, but did not succeed in proving their ground, and have since abandoned the attempt. The place at which this work was carried on is known as ' Tho Meadows,' the valley here 'The Meadow*.' opening out and becoming wide and flat-bottomed. The Company held a concession covering about four miles in length of the valley, but suc- ceeded in reaching a depth of 125 feet only, and in drifting out found that they were still too high for the deep channel, while the volume of water was greater than their pumps could master. As shewing the great local accumulation of gold in tho deep channel Yield of of Williams Creek, and indicating its local origin, the following^"""**"*""' approximate statement of the value of gold obtained in various claims, covering certain lengths of the channel, is important. All these claims ilb ' 1! ♦ 1 yri}% Ait' 36 R MINERAL WCALTII OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. were bolow ' The Cnfioi),' but they do not form a consecutive series, m such details being nvaiiablo for many other claim?. — Adams 100 feet. $ 50,000 Steele 80 " 120,000 Diller 50 " 240,000 Cunningham 500 " 270,000 Burns 80 " 140,000 Canadian 120 " 180,000 Neversweat 120 " 100,000 Moffat 50 " 00,000 Tinker 140 " 120,000 Watty 100 " 130,000 1340 $1,440,000 i'clil^lW Proip«ou for ^^ Cariboo district, even to the present time, the piices of labour on wfiliams^ *"*^ supplies have never been lowered to a point at which it would be Oreekf*''*"'"' proOtable to work any but the richer deposits, which in the nature of things bear a small proportion to those capable of yielding a moderate or small amount of gold; and in working over the deep ground in early days much was left that would even now pay handsomely, but cannot be found or reached on account of the treacherous nature of the movotl ground, filled with old timbering and water. On both Williams ami Lightning creeks, but particularly in the former, there must be a great quantity of gold in ground of medium richness even yet. To render this gold available however, and to prove successfully the lower and more di£Bicult parts o '' "^ ''"'leys, greater and more exact engineering knowledge, better and largei ^. ' 'Tiary, and, above all, cheaper labour and supplies, dependent on greater facilities of transport, such as would result from railway connection, are required. Bed-rook Erain The most important works of a general kind which have so far been and Flume. carried out in Cariboo district ava the Ped-rock Drain and Bed-rock Flume, on Williams Creek. The tir-t of these is a tunnel which runs through all the old deep worki'^'p, beginning at the lower end of the part of the creek called 'The Cuiion ' (about 1000 feet above Barkei- ville) and running out in ' The Meadows.' The total length of this tunnel is about one and one-eighth mile, and the cost of its consti-ue- tion is estimated at about 6100,000. "The Flume, constructed in 1SG5, begins about 1000 feet above the head of the Drain, at the upper end of ' The Caiion.' It is a cutting averaging about twenty feet in depth and a mile in length, and is estimated to have cost about $250,00^'. Into it the small flumes of the various companies working along the creek discharge, and it has also served for the working of the ground belonging to the Flume Company. By means of the free drainage ifies, no of labo\ir t would be ) nature of 1 moderntc ad in early but cannot ' the moved illiamH and t bo a great To vender lower and ingineering taper labour ch as would o««ioN.] GOLD MtNINll DISTRICTS. 37 R atlordod by those works, n groat part of the latoi- mining hax boon lendorod posHibio. Art an illustration of what might bo done in this way, it may bo p.wMble flmno miMitioiied, that it has boon suggested, that by cutting a flume to Antler*" *"""*"'■'•«'' Crock — part of which would requivo to be a tunnel — free drainage of tlio whole upper part of Williams Crook would bo obtained , and if the grade should prove lo be sufficient on survey, it would enable the valley from its sources to the flume level, with all its old workings, and the groat depth of tailings holding more or less gold which has accu- mulated, to be completely stripped by extensive hydraulic works. In the above general notes on Cariboo district, Williams and Light- g[,"{|nj'^'*""' uing creeks have been particularly referred to as exemplifying the ""'" "''•"'"• (onditions there found, and the methods employed in working the old deep channels. These two creeks have, besides, yielded by far the greater quantity of tho gold, and on them the pro-glacial channels have heen found to be continuous, and though deep, specially well adapted for working. Underground drifting on old channels has, however, been practised, as well as several other creeks, of which Keithly, JIarvoy, Grouse and Mosquito creeks may be specially mentioned. There are besides a number of creeks which have yielded much gold by surface work or in open sinkings of moderate depth, portions of which still remain, which it is confidently believed by miners would prove rich in deep gi-ound if properly explored. Antlor, Cunningham, and Jack-of-Clubs creeks with Willow River are supposed to be specially promising from this point of view, and though attempts have been made from time to time to test the deep ground on several of those, it has not ye* eon successfully accomplished. On Antler Creek; in particular, the i .son Company has been at work with this object for a number of years, and has not yet abandoned tho ctforts. Approximate statement of value of gold produced by Cariboo -^'S^nc^.oo'd yieWof from 1874 to 1888. =*= 1874 (partial) $ 700,000 1875 l,075,237t ^ 187« 640,000 1877 411,402 ' .. 1878 380,535 1879 r)00,000 1880 504,000 1881 610,737 1882 471,525 * From the Reiiorts of the Minister of Mines of British Columbia. t Po: I -=!* it 42 B MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. on them. The sources of the Nation River have also boon favourably- spoken of, and the Misinchinca and other tributaries of the Pai-snip, present all the appearance of gold-bearing streams, but so far as I know have never been tested. The * fine ' gold which is found and "has been mined along the whole upper portion of the Peace Eiver, has doubt- less been carried through the mountains by that stream, and is derived from the wide belt of dark, shaly and schistose rocks which runs along the western flanks of the Rocky Mountains in this portion of theii- length. Arqueriteor Considerable quantities of arquerite, a silver amalgam containing "*'*' *""''^'"" about eleven per cent, of mercury, have beon found with the goM in scales and nuggets, in Omenica, particularly upon Vital and Silver Creeks. This nrtal is commonly referred to by the miners as 'silvei-,' with which itb j -ance is identical (see p. 73 r). Very promis- ing deposits of hu ai'gentiferous galena have beon found in the vicinity of the placei uiines in Omenica, but no attempt has so far been made to work them. (See p. Td r). Routes to The miners reached Omenica by two principal routes, vir.^ with Omonica. pack-animals, by trail from Quesnel via Stuart Lake, and on foot across the Babine and Fire-pan Mountains from the Forks of the Skeena, the Forks being attained in the first place by ascending the Skeena from the coast in canoes. Gold yield of The gold-3'ield for the first and more prolific yours of the Omenica menicii. district Cannot be ascertained with any completeness, and even since the commencement of the annual government reports, a gap of three years occurs, no returns being given for 1876, 1877 and 1878. Dui4ng these years, however, the field was virtually almost deserted. The following table is based on the government reports. — 1874 §38,000 1875 32,040 187o no return. 1877 1878 1870 50,000 1880 45,800 1881 :5!t,300 1882 25,330 1883 21,000 1884 12,000 1885 16,500 1836 17,600 1887 13,000 1888 no return. CAWION.] arably M'snip, [know 9 been doubt - lerived 9 along )f their itaining he goM d Silver ' silver,' promis- l in the far been ir., with on foot J of the vscending Oraenlca ?en since of three Dufing M. The GOIiD MINING DISTRICTS. Cassiar. 43 R rn. The Cai?Hlar district, includes the most northern region of gold- mining in British Columbia, and some of the creeks which have been worked lie to the north of the 60th parallel, or northern boundary of the Province. Deaso Lake, lat. 58° 30', long. 130° may bo considered as the central point of the district. This lake is the isource of the river of the same name, which is a tributary of the Liard, itself a branch of the Mackenzie. Gold had already been found and worked on theCi''®nocaiitie§ •' 01 ipininff. liver-bars of the Stikino for eleven years, when Thibert and McCullough, coming from the east, reached and discovered the richer deposits of the Liard drainage-basin in 1872. The minere, who soon flocked into the district, came by way of the Stikine River, though a i-oute for cattle and pack-animals was aleo openeil overland from Fraser Lake. Dease, Thibert and McDame creeks and their tributaries have proved the richest, and a large quantity of gold has been obtained from them ; though the yield has, of late years, become comparatively inconsider- able. The region presenting identical or analogous characters with that Rpgiontobe^ portion of it which has proved to contain these rich deposits, is very '"^° '' extensive, and much the same remarks which have been made in je- gard to the exploration of the Omenica district apply here also, though the cost of living in Cassiar has usually been somewhat more moderate. The country is generally wooded and mountainous, and difficult to ti-averse, but n waggon-road or even a railway, might with- out difficulty be constructed from the head of navigation on theStikine to Dease Lake, and this will no doubt eventually be accomplished, as discoveries of veins containing the precious metals are contidently to be anticipated. Argentiferous galena has already been found, and the rough, unworn character of the gold on some of the creeks leads to the Iielief that its soui-ce might bo ascertained without great difficulty. ' Coarse ' gold is found locally on that part of the Stikine above Tele- L'ra;)h Creek, and the circumstances appear to indicate the existence thi'ie of an old channel, above the present river level, but covered by massive flows of basalt of Tertiary age. (see p. 47 R.) J)ifficulties have been encountei'ed in this district from permanently Frozen soil. trozcn soil met with in mining, but when once the covering of forest and moss had been cleared oil' by tire these disappeared.* The gold yield of the Cassiar District, from the commencement of ooidyield of mining to the present date, so fai as known, is shewn in the fol- '*'*'"^''- lowing table, which, however, gives no returns for the earlier years of mining, when work was contined to the Stikine River. — • For further piirticulars on the Cassiar Region gee Annuitl Report Qeol. Survey, 1887. Part B. 'I't . '*■! 44 B MINEBAL WEALTH OF BBITISH COLUMBIA. 1873 Not known. 1874 $1,000,000 1875 830,000 1876 556,474 1877 499,830 1878 5\9,79r. 1879 405,200 1880 297,850 1881 198,900 18S2 182,800 1883 119,000 1884 101,600 1885 50,600 1886 63,610 1887 60,485 1888 43,325 Total.... 4,929,394 Great length of auriferous rivers. Yukon Disfriot. This extensive region, situated to the north of the 60th parallel, and west of the main range of the Eocky Mountains, lies beyond the northern boundary of British Columbia, but in the continuation of the same metalliferous Coi-dillera belt, and is therefore naturally included in connexion with the Province. Gold-mining began here only in ISSO, and so far has been chiefly confined to river-bar work, nearly all the long streams tributary to the Yukon having proved to yield more or loss ' fine ' gold. The aggregate length of rivers upon which gold has already been found is almost unprecedented, and the field for pros- pecting in search of richer deposits of * coarse ' gold is very extensive. So far the only discovery and mining of ' coarse ' gold has been upon Forty-mile Creek, in lat. 64*' 30'. The country is wooded and in gene- ral not extremely mountainous, and the rivers afford a means of travel in summer, though usually swift. Access to the country is, however, difficult, being generally obtained by way of the Chilkoot Pass which crosses the continuation of the Coast Eanges at the head of Lynn Canal.* Skeena River. Gold yield of Skeena. \ r On the Skeena River, which i-eaches the Pacific near the northern end of the coast-line of British Columbia, placer-mining has been carried on to a limited extent during the past few years. Lome Creek is the most important auriferous locality, but gold has been found in * For further particulars on this region see Annual Report Ueol. Survey, 1(87, Part B. DAwnoN.] OOLD MINING DISTRICTS. 45 R several other creeks and gulches in the same vicinity. These are easily reached by canoe from the coast. The yield of gold, chiefly from Lorno Creek, is reported as follows. — 1884 $17,000 1885 18,000 1886 13,400 1887 5,280 1888 no return. Vancoucer Island. In Vancouver Island, the only placer mining district of importance u" Ich has been worked, is that of Leech River, some particulars rc- latmg to which will be found on page 141 R. m illel, and yond the on of the included only in learly all lield more ich gold for pros- xtensive. icen upon in gene- of travel however, ss which of Lynn northern has been |>rne Creek found in General Considerations Kespecting Placer Gold-Mining. Though the yield of the gold-placers of British Columbia is now F„ture of very much less than it was at one time, and shows at present a gradual pi''cer-mininf. decrease, placer-mining still contributes substantially towaixl the pros- perity of the Province, and employs a considerable number of men. It is, nioi'eover, to be anticipated that this form of mining may continue to be a feature in the industries of the Province for many yeai-s to come, and it is quite possible that circumstances may occur which shall bring about a notable revival of mining of this kind. Else- where it is commonly observed that placer-mining has been the first step toward vein-mining, not alone indirectly from the fact that the placer work has drawn a population to the metalliferous regions, but also directly by the actual tracing up of the gold first found in the alluviums to its original matrix. We cannot therefore afford to t^et this class of mining aside as a dead issue. The future of placer-mining deserves consideration, particularly from the following points of view : — 1. In each proved auriferous district, the poorer or less concentrated Respective gold-bearing ground must necessarily greatly surpass in area that of Ld'poor" the very rich deposits which alone pay for work with primitive appli- *'^""° ances and with the cost of supplies and labour at high figures. Thus the cheapening of these essentials, produced by improved means of communication and by the settlement of the country, coupled with the attendant facilities for bringing heavier machinery and appliances into use, will enable the profitable working of greatly extended areas. These considemtions apply particularly at the present time to the region of country in the vicinity of the railway or connected with it by f;^ 46 b MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. ensily travelled routes. By the construction of the railway a large part of the Eootanie district, together with that bordering upon the lower part of the Froser, has been opened up for work of this kind, and deserve particular attention. The hydraulic method of mining will doubtless rank first among the moans to be brought into use for the utilization of the poorer deposits. From this point of view, the railway has also, to some extent, changed the conditions in the Slrailkameen and Rock Creek country, and in the Cariboo district. It has effected no change in regard to the Cassiar district, but as already noted, this district may, without great cost, be rendered easily approachable fi'om the coast. The difficulties remain greatest witli respect to the Omenica district, and a number of outlying places of less importance. Further 2. Another point deserving consideration, is the further exploration pKoer-m'hiing of the already known rich deposits of gold confined principally to the looaiitie" ^^^ buried channels of the streams. In reviewing the experience already obtained in working these, we notice, in a majority of cases, that it has 80 far been found possible to wox'k lengths of from one to three miles of these old channels only, and while, in some instances, it ap- pears that the rich ground is :.oi more extensive, in many there is good reason to believe that much more i-emains, capable of yielding good returns, but which it has been found impossible to got at with the appliances and means at command. There are also quite a number of valleys in which, though the bed of the present stream has proved rich, the deep ground or old channel has not even yet been reached, or if cached, has not been satisfactorily tested. In all these cases it requires only more etfective machinery and greater engineering skill to be brought to bear, to attain and work the deposits referred to, and it is likely that many of them will pay well when such means can be applied at a reasonable cost. It is not improbable, for instance, that thus treated, such localities as Williams Lightning, Cunningham and Antler creeks in Cariboo might be found to yield great additional amounts of gold, and whenever railway communication is provided for the Cariboo district, they will at least be thoroughly tested. Other methods involving extensive works with the same object, such as the damming or diversion of streams, and the construction of long, bed- rock flumes or drainage adits, fall under the same head, and thei-ecan be no doubt that extensive works of this character will eventually be under- taken in the Province with satisfactory results. 3. The discovery of important now gold-bearing creeks is still to bo anticipated from time to time. The small portions of the lengths of individual streams which have been found to contain great quantities of gold, is alone sufficient to show how easily such localities may be New difleoTeries. OAWtON.] PLACER GOLD MININQ. 4*7 R I largo )n the id, and ig will for the \v, the in the liatrict. but as I easily 3t with )laces of )loration y to the porience ises, that to three 33, it ap- there is f yielding- t at with a number iB proved reached, cases it ing skill to, and leans can instance, iningham additional ovided for Other ch as the long, bed- tOre can be be under- I still to bo [lengths of Iquantities Is may he d. missed or passed over in a rough mountainous country of great extent. Granite Creek and Coyooh Creek att'ord definite cases of this kind, the HrHt discovered only in 1885, the second in 1886, and both in parts of the country which have been more or less thoroughly over-run by armies of prospectors for the past twenty-five years. The tracts which have been slightly or scarcely at all examined, oven those situated on the line of the auriferous range, are very extensive, and in the Yukon district, to the north of Bi'itish Columbia, the prospects for discovery of this kind appoar to bo *mo8t favourable, and are still almost limit- less. 4. Not the least important consideration, however, from the point ^''^^'j'*'''® . of view of placer-mining, is that of the probable existence of placer "'dor placers, deposits dift'ering in age and character from those which have so far been worked in the Province. The rich deep leads of Cariboo evidently date from a period antecedent to that in which the country was for a time covered by a great ice-mass, or are, in other words, pre-glacial, and lie beneath the boulder-clay and other deposits due to the ' ice age.' The wearing down of the country-rock and natural Ternary "^ ° concentration of gold had been in progress from the close of the Tertfary*" Miocene or Middle Tertiary period (or perhaps in some localities'*'"'*"' even from an earlier date) to the glacial period. During the period of the Middle Tertiary, a great part of the Province included between the Coast Eanges and Gold Range became occupied by fresh-water lakes. These covered and by degrees filled up with their fine sedi- ments, whole systems of drainage which had been produced during early Tertiary time ; and into the lakes themselves, during the period of their existence, streams from the surrounding mountain regions discharged, forming gravel-beds, which are particularly abundant at the base of the finer deposits. Toward the close of the Middle Tertiary, extensive volcanic action occurred, producing the basalts and other igneous rocks which still overlie the greater part of the Modern placers nrea of the old Tertiary lakes. Denudation whioh has gone on since this time, has locally removed consideraMe ])ortion8 of these Middle Tertiary deposits, and has cut new valleys in them, and thei-e II Fig. 2. Section on the Stikine River, above Telegraph Creek, shewing basalts filling a pro- Miooeae>aIley and overlying the old rivar-gravels. Frum Annual Report G^eol. Surv. Can.. 1887, p. 71 B. 48 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. ib reason to believe that some of the modern placer deposits have been enriched more by the robbing of these old, early and Middle Tertiary gravels than directly from the wearing down of the original roclcM. Places where Whenever, therefore, these old Tertiary gravel-beds or conglo- may^be ioundr* merates exist in the vicinity of the known auriferous districts, they well deserve careful examination, thoui^h, so far as I am awaro, none of them have actually been ^worked as yet in the Province. In such locali- ties for example as Mission Creek, the South Similkameen and Whip-saw Creek, recent auriferous gravels rest upon the worn surface of Middle Tertiary rocks, consisting of soft argillites, shales and sandstones. These rocks are generally known to the miners as ' false bed-rock,' and it is highly probable that if they were sunk through to the bottoms of the still older valleys in which they lie, rich go'd-beai-ing gravels or conglomerates might be found. .1! i'' Probability of Cretaceous plaoen. Fig. 3. Diacram representing mode of occurrence of gold on Mission Creek, a. Recent gravels, b. Crystalline rooks, c. Auriferous gravel, d. Tertiary beds, shewing the possible occurrence of underlying Tertiary placer-deposits, e. Line representing present bed of stream. From Report of Progress, Oeol. Sarr. Can., 1877-78, p. 157 b. Mission Creek- The accompanying section, reprinted from my report of 1877-78, illusti*ates the known mode of occun-ence of gold on Mission Creek and the possible existence of old Tertiary gravels in that vicinity. It is further probable that gravels dating from periods still earlier than the Tertiary, and now consolidated into conglomerates of varjing degrees of induration, may be found to contain gold in remunerative quantity. Allusion has already been made in this connexion to the Cretaceous conglomerates of the Lower Fraser (p. 29 r), and similar conglomerates are also known to occur in great mass near Tatlayoco Lake and the head-waters of Bridge Biver, on the Qnesnel Bivor, and elsewhere. It may in fact be affirmed, that all gravel-beds or conglomerates of whatever age, occurring in or near the auriferous regions, are worth examination for gold, and particulai-ly so when they are found directly in contact with the surface of the still older rocks which constituted the ' bed-rock ' at tho time of their formation. e been ertiary vocks. conglo- ts, they none of h locali- hipsaw f Middle idstones. ock,' and ittoms of ravels or DtASON.J PLACER OOLD-MINiNO. 49 R Bk. a- K«oent ig the possible bed of stream. of 1877-78, Creek and y- (till earlier of varying Imunerative ion to the md similar Tatlayoco Isnel River, ^vel-beds or auriferous when they lolder rocks Ition. The gravels and conglomerate deposits of the Middle Tertiary, often iieution of l)oar a distinct relation to the modern valleys in the more mountainous Jiiffer")? ilistricts, in which the main outlines of erosion have been nearly con- {Ihygicai'** slant from a very early period, but in the wider and lower parts of the '*"'"■■*'• Interior Plateau, groat areas are covered by neaidy horizontal flows of basalt, beneath which, should old auriferous stream-beds exist, they can only be traced b}' underground work or by boring, in the man- ner adopted at Ballarat and elsewhere in Australia and in some places ill California, Since the period of deposition of the still older Creta- ceous conglomerates, the surface of the country has suffered so many changes, including among others the clevatiim of the Coast Ranges, that these conglomerates now bear little or no relation to the present drainage systems. The considerations above stated are not merely of a theoretical char- instances of I 11 • .1.1 'mi nnoiont plaoer actor, but are warranted by experience gained in other regions. The deposits, old buried placers of California (which Prof. "Whitney believes to have been in process of formation by erosion continued throughout nearly iho entire Tertiary peiod), and those of Australia, are so well known to most gold-miners as to require no more than mention. It is not so generally known, however, that conglomerates of Carboniferous and of Carbonifero-Permian age have been worked for gold in New-South- Walos, and in Queensland (as at Peak Downs) and that gold in greater v or less quantity has been found in conglomerates of the Carboniferous l)eriod in Nova Scotia (at Gay's River), and in France. Of still greater interest, in the same connexion, is the existence of gold in the Potsdam conglomerates of the Black Hills in Dakota, where these rest upon the surface of certain still older schistose rocks which contain siuriferous quartz-veins. Regular raining operations have been conducted in these conglomerates, and they have been found to be, locally, ex- tremely rich. Mr. Jenny states that there are four distinct ages of Sehld. • CamaiH Mint*. iPoitdam. FiV. i. Section in the Black Hills, Dakota, shewing the mode of occurrence there of ancient Uolil-pliicers in conglomerates at the base of the Potsdam sandstones, and the manner in which Itbese have served as a source of supply of gold for newer placer-deposits in valleys subsequently I formed by erosion. From paper by W. B. Devereux in Trans. Am. Assn. Mining Engineers, Vol. |X,p.468. 4 '<■ i : t 60 R MINERAL WBALTn OF BRITISH OOLUilBIA. iji M gruvel formationfl in tho Black Hills : — (1.) Potsdam, (2.) close of Tertiary, (3.) close of Glacial period, (4.) recent, and that all of therte have proved to be auriferous, except the third. The accompanying section will illustrate the mode of occurrence of the 'fossil placers' of the Potsdam in the Black Hills, and the formation of recent placers secondarily from these, better than any description. The auriferot i Potsdam conglomerates are very compact, and require to bo milled and treated like auriferous quartz, and the same may be said with respect to some uf tbe old conglomerates or * cements' of Vic- toria and of New Zealand, bone of those in Victoria are, however, stated to have yielded an average of twelve ounces of gold to tho ton.* Connexion of PbACER-MiNifio and Vbin-Minino. Intimate reia- The transition from placer-mining to 'quartz-mining' is an easy and gold-ores. one. The r'cher and more easily reached placers are, as a rule, soon worked over, and it then becomes natural to enquire as to the sources of these old concentrations. The consequent change of tho centre of iii- tereiit has already occurred in most parts of California and in Australia, but British Columbia is still in the transition stage in respect to <• mining. Save in a few exceptional cases, the occurrence of 'coc or ' heavy ' gold in the old channels, may safely be accepted as prov- ing that the original source of the gold is not far off. The distance to which 'coarse' gold travels is, as a rule, very inconsiderable, even in the beds of rapid streams. Additional evidence to the .same effect is generally afforded by the varying assay value of the gold found on different creeks or even on diffevant parts of the same creek, and this is often emphasized by the rough unworn character of tho gold and the cir- cumstance that it not unfrequontly still holds imbedded fragments of quartz. It is from this point of view in particular, that it is most im- portant to note and preserve a record of the observations made by the placei'-miners in the course of their work, even where the deposits do not any longer continue to be remunerative. Speaking of broad areas in California and Australia, where work of both kinds is in progress, it may be affirmed that tho rich placer dis- tricts coincide with the rich quartz districts throughout. Innumerable 8pecii.i cases might be cited, if it were necessary, to shew the excep- tionally rich local deposits of placer-gold depend on the occurrence of notably rich quartz-veins in immediate and clear relation to them, and in the fact that extremely rich localized placers have been found * See, in this oonnezion, Ore Deposits, J. A. Phillips, pp. 232, 4S9, 508, 602 ; Mineral Wealth of Queensland, 1888, p. 25; American Inst, of Mining Engineers, vol. x, p. 466; U.S. Tsnth Census, rol. xiii, p. 90. Conditions in California. OAWION.] OENBRAL REMARKS ON VCIN-HINING. 51 a j1080 of )f therto )anying placers ' : placers I require y bo eaiil ' of Vic- howover, the ton * 8 an easy rule, soon aBOurcesof ntre of in- 1 Australiii. set to ^' 3f 'con ,ed as pvov- distance to even in the 18 generally )n different Lhia is often ind thccir- .•agments of is most im- uade by the [deposits do jre work of placer dis- tnnuraerahle the exeep- jcurreneo of )n to them, been ioun'^ Mineral Wealth &66;U..-. lentil in many parts of British Columbia, and particularly in the Cariboo district, wo find justification for the belief in the future of • quartZMndicmtive'of ** mining.' It is true, that in some instances the natural concentration quart^l*"* Af the gold derived from the wearing away of a great mass of com- paratively pool" rock, may give rise to rich placer deposit?^ or that the veins from which the gold has been derived may be too irregular in richness, or too much broken, to be profitably woiked themselves ; but those exceptions cannot be regarded as negativing the general rule. The fact remains that a large proportion of the mines of precious metals in California and in Australia have been discovered by tracing the placer deposits of gold to their sources. J*lacor deposits derived from tho Comstock lode were worked for ten years before the lode itself was discovered, and when found and opened, it proved to be essentially a great silver mine in which gold occurred in relatively small quantity. In tho same way, the working of placer deposits preceded tho dis- covery of the now celebrated Treadwell mine in Alaska, and the ' pro- pcctor' is justified in following up this clue wherever he can find it. General Hemarks on Vein-Mining. — {Precious Metals.) Gold. The conditions of occurrence of workable auriferous lodes in British *^''ff!'''eno?,.o? sola ID British Columbia, yot remain to bo studied in detail and discovered as the de- Columbia, velopment of mining of this kind progresses. It may, however, bo stated from what is already known, that while not confined to rocks of this class, the more important gold occurrences are usually found in connexion with areas of argillite-shales and schists, commonly of dark colours, and often more or loss distinctly cai'bonaceous. Further, that only in certain parts of the extent of these argillite rocks have really rich placer deposits been found, a fact depending apparently on the occurrence locally of quartz-veins traversing them, and also, possibly, on the existence of igneous intrusions or other peculiar circumstances, which remain to be ascertained. So far as these generalizations ^"{h'caUfornia go, they correspond with those ali-eady arrived at in California, saving that in British Columbia the argillaceous and schistose belts referred to, appoar to belong to several geological horizons widely separated in date of formation, as already noted. The accessory local causes which ihavo I'esulted in the deposit of gold in veins, etc., appear to be found I nwst frequently in and near the Gold Ranges. Whilo it is not possible here, even if it were necessary, to enter into I any general discussion of the features and principles of the mining and 1 treatm ent of ores of the precious metals, it may be useful to those now ^^^C 52 R Tendency of recent mining Low grade gold- ores. Austunlia. Californifl, MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Dakota. interested in the discovei-y and development of such deposits in the Province, to note very briefly a few important points bearing on this subject and dependent on recent investigations. As showing tlie general tendency of recent mining, and for the pur- pose of directing attention to the larger deposits of low-grade ores, I can not do better than quote the following judicious remarks of Mr. Clai'ence King, who writes : — "it may be said that the richer and purer ores which were sought for in the early days of mining, have been gradually giving way to those of more complicated nature and gener- ally of lowei" value in the precious metals. Consequently in the re- duction processes we find smelting acquiring a relatively more im- portant place than it formerly held, and in milling an increasing use of dry crushing processes connected with subsequent roasting of the ore,^ and a marked growth of the )ixiviatiried rather told-beaving have been l-ores which lepresenting la and i" the lines yieW [tain propor- ^^ the foui-th Ld those for „ of 2,240 Ibl. 1867, and 1- "• Mink. QuaiUitv iifnri' trc;\tRd. Tons. 54,479 66,052 213,190 106,a55 Mining. S 4.06 4.36 MillinK. ManaKement, etc. Total cost. $ 3 83 5.57 3.35 212 8.97 Total yield. $ 6.08 7.60 6.73 3.57 18.59 s Sierra Butles, Cal $ 56 0.61 1.21 1 ^^ Plumti^ Kurekft. Oa.1.... 2 03 Ilumestake, Dak Total cost per ton, miningr, milling, etc . <» K tt AvPFAflre eO^t nf mininfr. millinir *»fr» .... IS Father de Smct, Dak Tji)ho Mine. Grass Val.. Cji.l. 1.45 e** It is of m-eat interest further to observe, as the result of discoveries <^t>i.«'■ '^i " •' ' quartz. ing to trace out the sources of placer-gold and discover workable gold- ores, attention should not be too exclusively given to quartz-veins alone. While the greater part of the known gold-ores belong to the class of <]uartz-vein8, it is now found that gold occurs also in payable quantity in many other associations. It has long been recognized that certain belts of rocks containing numerous small and irregular quartz stringers only, will pay for mining and crushing as a whole, and where, as in Cariboo, there is reason to be- lieve that the larger known veins can scarcely be looked upon as the true sources of the ' coarse ' gold of the placers, such quartzose belts of countiy -rock may well be sought for and tested. In Queensland, Peculiar ooour- Victoria and New-South-Walcs, Mr. Daintree and others have been able Queensland. to prove, not onl}' that there is an association between the paying quartz-veins and the vicinity of the occui-rence of certain intrusive igneous rocks, but also that in these intrusive rocks and notably in certain pyritous diorites, gold occurs in some instances in such quantity as to have produced ])aying placers by their decomposition. Similarly, in Colorado, between South Park and Blue Eivor, Prof. J. J. Stephen- Colorado, son describes certain dykes of compact trachyte and Silurian and Car- boniferous quartzites as the sources of the placer gold which has been extensively worked there, though not themselves cont;i ling gold in payable quantity. In further evidence of the wide distribution of gold, li may be added, \orth Carolina, that in North Carolina, Prof. VV. C. Kerr notes the following I'ocks as being thei'e auriferous. In Morse County, a mine which j'ields its gold mainly from fblspathic schist. In the famous King's Mountain mine the gold is obtained not only fj'om certain tscams of quartz, but aUo from a Hixt3^-foot bod of schistose liniestone, which is quarried out bodily and sent to the stamps. Gold is also found in paying quantities in quartzite-Bchist and quartz-slate, and in "grey much jointed quartzites and felsites of the Huronian hills on the eastern side of the 54 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. deposits. Treadwell Mine, Alaska, great slate belt" of North Carolina. From these facts Prof. Kerr is led to conclude that, *' gold is so widely diifused that we may expect to find it in any kind of rock." Mount Morgan The Mount Morgan gold deposit of Queensland, which is the most important recently discovered, illustrates still another jjculiai occur- rence of exceptionally rich gold-ore. The gold is hero founa mirutely disseminated in a mass of brown and red hiematite and siliceous sinter, which has apparently been produced by a former thermal and geyser- like spring. The gold-content of this material is no less than about seven ounces to the ton and at present 1500 tons a week are treated. Frag- ments of richly auriferous rock resembling that, of Mount Morgan have been found at Clinton, in British Columbia, but have not yet been traced to their source. I am not aware that any systematic description has yet been pub- lished of the Treadwell mine of Douglas Island, Alaska, but from an examinationof it which I was able to make in 1887, I may say that the rock there worked appears to bo nothing more than an upper part or edge of a great granitic dyke or intrusion, which has broken through the black, slaty argillites of the region, and has been subjected to exten- sive hydrothermal action, produced either by emanations from tjje granite mass itself, consequent on its relief from pressure on approach- ing the surface, or subsequently to the intrusion of the granitoid rock by independent agency. This action, however brought about, has entirely decomposed whatever m ica or hornblende the rock may have originally contained. It has also, to a great extent, decomposed the felspars and has charged the whole mass with quartji of secondary origin, which sometimes takes the form of minute stringers, but more generally spreads itself uniformly in the decomposed rock-material, and is associated with small crystals of auriferous iron pyrites and minute quantities of free gold. The same hydrothermal action which lias caused the decomposition of the edge of the granitic intrusion, lias evidently produced the quartz-veins found to penetrate the adjacent slaty rocks; which veins, in the neighboring " Silver Bow Basin," are found to hold gold in distinctly visible particles and small nuggets. The rock-formations met with on the part of the Ala^skan coast whore this mine is situated, being identical with those of the coast region of British Columbia, to the southward, it becomes important that all similar contacts of rusty or pyritous granitoid rocks with the argillitos, should be examined and assayed, as it is not improbable that further deposits of the character of the Treadwell mine yet remain to be discovered there.* • On peculiar m< des of occurrence of gold referred to in the preceding pages, consult Ore De- posits', J. A. Phillies; Quart. Joun. Geol. Soc, voIh. xzviii, p. 271, zxxiv, p. 4.'il; I.S. lieogrnphical Survey west of the lOOih meridian, vol. iii,p, 423; Trans Am. Inst, of Mining Engineers, vol. x, np. 340, 475 ; Mount Morgan Gold Fields, 1884 ; Mount Morgan (jold Dcixn-its, Second Report, 1889, It. L. Jack, Queensland, Government ; Mineral wealth of Queensland, IhSh. DAW80N.J Kerr is )xpect to the most xi occur- mii-utely us sinter, i geyser- lOUt seven d. Frag- igan have yet been been pub- t from an ,y say that upper part en tlirough 5d to exten- j from the 1 approach- litoid rock about, has may have Lposed the secontlary ,, but more aterial, and land minute wliith has rusion, lias [ho adjacent iBusin," aie ,11 nuggets, loast where it region of Jnt that all Ic argillitcs, Vat further [main to be oonsull Or.-- De- i. V • 4'" ' ■"' ■ Inpt. olMimns OBNERAL REMARKS ON VEIN-MINING. Silver. 55 R l^ Eespecting silver-ores in the province of British Columbia, it may be stated, as the result particularly of the developments of the past two years, that these appear likely to achieve importance even before those which are distinctively auriferous. There is every reason to believe that before many years elapse the Piovince will take its place as one of the great silver producing regions of the world, and it is possible that silver may attain and continue to hold a greater import- ance than gold. Charactoritstically silver-bearing ores have already been found in Definition of numerous widely scattered localities. The greater number of these, bearing belt, however, arrange themselves along the metalliferous belt which has already been referred to as that upon which the most important placer-deposits of gold occur. Argentiferous galenas appear to be the most abundant ores, and the knowledge of these already attained is suffi- cient to enable us to trace this silver-bearing belt, from point to point, tVom the International boundary north-westward to the 60th parallel of latitude (forming the northern boundary of the Province) and lieyoiid it to Fortj'-mile Creek, where the Yukon leaves the IS^orth-west Territory to enter Alaska. The belt thus defined has the almost unexampled linear extent of about 1200 miles, and it may be said that wherever it has been explored ami prospected (which has occurred generally in connexion with woik on gokl-placers), highly argentif- erous galena ores have been found. The most considerable discoveries so far made luwever, are those Discoveries in in the southern part of the belt, and for the most ]iart at no gioat liritifh distance from the Canadian Pacific Eailway. These deposiis, it is " '"" ""■ fair to assume, have been brought to light on account of the acces- sibility of the region in which they occur; for nothing is known to show that other parts of the same belt of country, when similarly brought within reach and examined, may not prove to be at least equally rich in such ores. Even in the district in which discoveries and development are now being actively pushed at several centres, there is reason to believe that what has become known, bears but a small proportion to that which remains to be found; for by far the greater part of this rough mountainous country is still un- explored, or has been traversed only along certain routes, between which are wide, untrodden and often densely forested and rugged tracts. Thus, from every point of view, the discoveries made within a very short time in this southern portion of the metalliferous belt, naisl bo considered as of the most encouraging character. 1.1 ^.t- m ?• f m. 56 a MINERAL WEALTH OF BBITI8II COLUMBIA. Modes of The principal modes of treating the various classes of silver-ores, oresanS " ^*'' depending on their composition, may be summarized as below : — * expense. Free silver, decomposed argentiferous ores or chloride minerals : Treated by free silver milling. Silver ore, accompanied by sulphides of copper or other base metals : low grade, fine concentration; high grades, roasting milling. Argentiferous copper- or lead-ores : Coarse concentration and smelting. A large pi-oportion of the ores found up to the present time in British Columbia, including nearly all those of the Kootanie region, belong to the last-noted class. The expense of treating such ores must vary very materially according to the cost of labour, fuel, etc., but may run from $15 to $25 a ton, and this the price of the metals in the ore must be sufficient to cover after all the cost of mining, concentration and transport to the smelter have been charged against them. Vein-Mining Districts {Precious Metals). CiMsificationof Under this heading, it is proposed to give a few particulars relating to the various districts which have ah-eady attracted some notice on account of the occurrence of veins containing gold and silver. Some of the deposits mentioned might with equal propriety be classed as lead-ores or copper-ores, but when these contain the piecious metals in workable quantity, it becomes more convenient to include them here. As it is difficult to follow any regular geographical order, the Cariboo district, as being that in which the earliest attempts at 'quartz-mining' have been made, is placed fii-st. Cariboo. History of ' qaartz- mining.' Thegeneral features of the Cariboo mining region, have already been referred to in connexion with iig phicer mines. Almost from the first working of the placers, the existence of numerous quartz-veins was noticed, but no particular attention was given to these till the yield of alluvial gold began to be notably diminished. It was then felt, that notwithstanding the remoteness of this district, the existence of settlement and of a considerable mining population in it, justified the attempt to develop 'quartz-mining.' This feeling brought about the premature quartz excitement of 1877 and 1878, which was based (Hi exaggerated ideas of the richness of certain known lodes, and on errone- ous views as to the facilit} with which gold migiit be extracted from the pyritous ores which these afforded. From the collapse of this * From the Mining Juunial, vol. lix.. p. 278. sr-ores, _* Treated tla : low ting. 1 British >elong to ary very may run tre must itiijn and •elating to )n account )rae of the s lead-ores 1 workable 5. As it is 00 district, ling' have OAWSON.] VEIN-MINING DISTRICTS. 57 R oxcitement, vein-mining received a severe check, but in spite of this discouragement, the miners of Cariboo have not relaxed their efforts toward the development of %'ein-mining, their attention being, as is only natural, almost entirely directed to gold-bearing quartz. From what is known of the district, I can entertain no doubt tluit it Eventual , . , , . ... Til success assured IS destmed to become an important vcin-mmmg one. It has been made clear that in that part of the district in the immediate vicinity of the rich placers, there exists a great number of well-defined quartz- veins, and while such small tests as have so far been made, shew that a majority of these yield low returns in gold, some are already known to fitl'ord encouraging results, such as to warrant extensive working if the region were better provided with means of access. The explorations of the miners have been assisted bv the work (in Great number "of vein?. 1885 and 1886) of Mr. Amos Bowman, of thotreological Survey. In a preliminary report already published* Mr. Bowman enumerates nearly a hundred lodges and ' quartz prospects ' visited by him, adding that these do not comprise probably half the number noted or a hundreth part of the i-eally good ledges which a prospector might find in the Cariboo country. These places are described in greater detail in his forthcoming report on the district. Notwithstanding the absence of railway communication, the prospects of the establishment of an im- portant ' quartz-mining ' industry in Cariboo were never so bright as at the present moment. It is, of course, impossible to mention here all the vei-y numerous ,.,,jj. localities in which ledges have been located or noted, or even to specify '"^°™'""8 veins those upon which more or loss prospecting and exploratory work has been done. These details will find a place in Mr. Bowman's forth- cDming report. It may bo stated, however, that Mr. Bowman con- siders the following grouj)s or series of ledges as among the more promising ones known up to the present time, and apparently worthy ot special attention : — Ledges between' Island Mountain and Mosriuito Creek, extending two miles. (Including " Walker," " Sadou," and "St. John's " or " Is- land Mountain.") Ledges near Wiliiams Creek, from Lowhee divide to Proserpine ^toun- tain, extending one mile and a half. (Including " Proserpine," " Stedman," " Big Bonanza," " Enterprise," "Victoria," and " Sam Crane.") Ledges at Burns' Mountain, Lightning Croek, entending half a mile. (Including " Perkins," " Burns' Mountain," and some of the Lijiht- ning Creek ledges.) ledges crossing Grouse Creek. (Including " Dutferin " and "Foun- tain-head.") * Ri'port of iMiniater of Mines of Uritish Oolumbiii, ISSG. M ill jr 'p -i ,* 'ti hlf^. 58 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Points to be considered. Ledges on Snow-shoe Plateau from Break-neck divide to French Snow- shoe Creek, extending about two miles and a half. (Including " Haywood " and " Arastra ".) Ledges crossing Hixon and Canon Creeks. (Including "Washburne," " Stewart " and " Morrison.") Table of nssayg Reference should also be made to the assays from various veins given elsewhere. (See p. 76 r.) Transition While it is conceivable that extremely rich placer deposits, like vein-mining, some of thosc of the Cariboo District, might be produced by the wear- ing down and natural concentration of great masses of rock, through which gold may have been very thinly scattered, or in which the gold occurs merely in small and irregular quartz stringers, there is no pi-o- bability that such conditions are universal in the Cariboo district. The very 'coarse' character of much of the placer gold and the definite localization of the richer parts of the deposits here, shew that these must often be near their points of oi-igin, and the problem now before the miner is that of ascertaining the sources of the gold, and discovering the rules locally applicable to the original deposits. In connexion with this problem in Cariboo, I would invite attention specially to the points alluded to in the general remarks on vein- mining (p. 53 r) for the purpose of inducing an enlargement of tlio scope of the enquii-y. It may also be mentioned that the very fact of the ' coarse" character of much of the Cariboo gold, goes to shew that while gold may exist as well in paying quantities in a finely disj^em- inated state, much of it must evidently occur very irregularly in the productive ledges, from which it may, therefore, be necessary to obtain the average of a largo quantity of rock before a conclusive test can br said to have been made. The existence of 'pay chutes' is a fact familiar to all miners, and has been found notably to charactoiize gold lodes in both California and Australia. Such chutes may form but a small portion of the natural outcrop of the veins, an additional circumstance calling for trials of lodes on a somewhat extensive scale before they can bo affirmed to have been fully proved. In the Californian golil belt, according to Mr. (1. F. Becker, so gen- eral is the association of gold with sulphurcts, that where gold is not visible, miners, judge of the value of an ore by the quantity of --iil- phurets it contains. Mr. Becker adds: — " Quartz with plenty of siil- phurets and no visible gold often occurs in large bodies, and is apt to pay better in the long run tSan quartz with very coarse gold, or 'specimen quai't/.,' as it is called by the minors."* While this rule seems to hold also to a considerable extent in Cariboo, particularly in the association of gold in veins with iron-pyrites, it would appear, so • U. S. loth Census, vol. xiii, p. 10. Relation of sulpliurets to gold. DAWSON ] VEIN-HININQ DISTRICTS. 59 R QOW- ding me," ins given isits, like the wear- , through 1 the gold is no pro- district. and the ghew that jblem now s gold, aiul sits. te attention ,i6 on veiu- nent of the very fo^t of o shew that |nely dis^^em- ilarly in the ,ry to obtain test can bf. is a fact [charactcriM ,s may fov™ .. additional Itensive ^^cale [kev, so ge»- gold is not [ntity of ^"1- llonty of sul- \nd is* apt ^^ Irse gold, ov lie this rule L-ticularly i" [d appear^ far as experience has gone, that it is either not so constantly the case, or that the proportion of gold in the pyrites is less considerable than in the gold belt of California. This and other similar points are, how- over, only to be settled by exploratary work and by working tests, and as several very strong pyritous lodes are already among those best known, it will probably not bo long before their character is fully ascertained. With the object of encouraging such trials, the government of Brit- Test-mill, ish Columbia has erected a test-mill, near Barkerville, which is at the present time nearly ready for work. There are also already in the same vicinity four small stamp-mills. '■'•-' Kootanie. " * This region includes the Selkirk and Purcell I'nnges and adjacent western slopes of the Eocky Mountains proper. It may be conve- niently divided, for purposes of description, into West and East Kootanie, the line of separation following approximately the watershed between the two arms of the Columbia River. Since the vSelkirk Mountains have been traversed by the Canadian Recent Pacitic Railway, and have thus been rendered accessible, and a means rich ores, afforded for the shipment of ores, very active prospecting has been carried on in a number of localities, and has resulted in the discovery of numerous deposits of rich ores, principally silver-bearing. This region is, at the present moment, that in which the interest of mining men is chiefly centred, and the developments so far • -nile, — though but in tiieir initiatory stages, — are of the most pron.ising kind. The summer of 1889 will no doubt witness great activity in this entire region, and it is confidently expected that before the autumn the tirst really considerable shipments of silver-ores will have been made, and the reputation of the region as an argentiferous one well establisht 1. Though not in a position to speak from personal investigation of the localities which have c^uite recently sprung into notice here, I am indebted to Messrs. G. M. Sproat and A. AV. Vowell, Gold Commissioners, and to Mr. G. B. Wright, for a number of particulars, upon which and on such other information a. is available, the f)ll wing brief notices are based : — , . West Kootanie. — The principal metalliferous belt which has -o far attracted atten- Chief metall- tion in this region, is believed to extend along the western slope of the mountains, with a width of about twenty miles and a general 'ourse slightly to the west of north, from s; point six or eight miles south of the outlet of Kootanie Lake, nearly to the Big Bend of the ill -.iferous belt. 60 b MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. i> ■^4 U X Columbia, whore the Selkirks, as a distinct range, seem to terminate somewhat abruptly. The localities on this metalliferous belt which require special notice, are, in order from south to north, Toad Moun- Mining Camps, fain Mining Camp* with silver and gold ores ; Hot Springs and Hendryx Camps, with silver-ores and lead; lUecillewaet, with silver and lead ores ; and the Big Bend region, apparently characterized principally by gold-bearing <]uartz. Toad: Mountain Toad Mountain Camp. — The centre of the group of metalliferous deposits included under this name, is situated about four miles and a half south-west of the outlet of Kootanie Lake, some forty miles north of the International boundary, at an elevation of about 3900 feet above the lake, or approximately 5700 feet above sea-level. The deposits Sliver ores. were discovered in the autumn of 1886. They occur principally in ti belt of calcareous rock (called by the miners a lime-shale), which is said to be bounded on both sides by granite. This belt has a width of a little less than a mile, and has already been imperfectly prospected for a length of live or six miles. The course of the metalliferous belt is nearly east-and-west, running along the northern slope of the high, southern mountain-wall of the valley of the Kootanie River. The silver-bearing lodes are, however, not strictly limited to the above described belt, hat have been found also in various places several mile.-; I removed from it. The claims registered in and near the Toad Mountain Camp numbered on the first of August last 228. The deepest shaft at that time did not exceed seventy-five feet, and most of the shafts or tunnels were much less t' ni this in depth or length. The most promi- nent claims at the present time appear to be those in the Hall Brothers "Silver King "S'*^"P' ^^^ "Silver King," "Kootanie Bonanza" and "American Flag." The lirst-named is that upon which the largest amount of work has been done. The outci-op of the vein here showed an apparent width of about twenty feet, but is reduced to a width of from six inches to four feet, at the depth to which it is now opened. There are no well- defined walls, the ore being apparently incorporated closely with the country-rock. The ore is said to consist of copper-stained iron-ore, peacock copper, coi^por-pyi-ites and tetrahodrite, with streaks of what the miners term ' brittle silver,' and is often very rich. Assays of choice specimens are said frequently to run from 100 to 1700 ounces of silver to the ton. I have seen the returns of a trial shipment of twenty- Triai^shipmenti j^^ ^^^g ^f Q^.^^ ^^j^^ for treatment to Montana, which yielded $641)3, chiefly in silver. The ore was hand-picked, but not otherwise concen- trated. It was divided into two lots, which assayed respectively': — * The expression " mining camp " is here used in its western seiasc, as a convenient and gener- ally recognized term fur a mining disirict uf limited area, more or less definitely separated from others- jvminate it which jd Moxm- ings anil ith silver •acterized talliferons liles and a lilea north feet above le deposits ipally in u I, which is a width of prospected iferous belt f the high, liver. The 3 the above evoral miles ad Mountain pest shaft at he shafts or most promi- all Brothers M-ican Flag.' of work has larent width lix inches to are no well- lely wich the Led iron-ore, leaks of what Assays of 00 ounces of |nt of twenty- elded $6W3, ■wise coucen- ictively :— .enient and gent- ly separoted from 0AW8ON.] VEIN-MI NINO DISTRICTS. 61 R I. ir. Silver 297-70 oz. 285 oz. Gold $2-U> SI -44 Copper L'89%. 27-2%. Other small shipments have since been made of similarly rich ore, but no systematic plan has yet been adopted for working the mine on a large scale. Other claims shew a greater amount of <;alena, which is apparently Character of r,., V^. ... c< ' rr - jresand veins. present in the " Silver King ore m very small quantity only. The "Dandy Mine" and the "Tough-nut Mine" are mentioned as shewing veins from four feet to ten feet wide, the ore from the latter being stated to assay about $100 to the ton in silver. About sixty claims in all have been partially prospected or opened up to a limited extent, most of these being within an area about three miles in length. West of the silver-bearing veins, and upon Cottonwood Creek, near the Gold <"■«■• Kootanie River, claims have been located which show rich free-milling gold-ores. These have lately been bonded for $40,000, which amount is believed to be covered by the ore in sight, while another gold-bearing deposit has been purchased, the intention in both cases being to put in stamping machinery in the spring. Most of the claims in this camp appear to be held by the discoverers at very high prices, which circumstance has up to the present time somewhat tended to prevent its rapid development. Hot Springs Camp. — The Hot Springs Camp is situated on the west ca°m^''"°*' side of Kootanie Lake, about thirty-five miles from the last. It may be said to embrace an area of about five miles by three, lying Itetween Coffee and Woodberry creeks. The country-rock is described tn being a mica-schist, with associated magnesian limestone, and it is f,a\d that sorae of the veins can be traced without apparent break or interruption for distances of one or two miles, with widths varying from two to eight feet. The argentiferous galena appears to be somewhat irregu- Argentiferou* larly 'distributed in these veins, with a thickness varying from a few inches to three feet. Near the lake the ores are stated to assay from twenty to forty ounces of silver to the ton, but at a greater distance and elevation, the ores appear to be more decomposed, assuming a rusty appearance, and being known to the miners as ' carbonat*) ores.' The ores of this class are generally found to be richer in silver. About sixty claims have been partially developed in this camp. During the past season a considerable ariount of capital has been invested here and good prospects have soli well. The highest price so far paid for a claim is $20,000, on a bond, a few days only after its discov- ery. Other claims and interests in claims have changed hands at prices ranging from $5000 to $1500. A considerable quantity of ore (j2r MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH OOLUBfBIA. '/'' M Quantity and quality of thi tio ore. ,,i»l^af c I I: %^ I •W" ' is now being brought doyrn to tho edge of the lake in small lots for shipment. In a letter received from a gentleman well able to judge of the facts, it is said that in quantity the ore of the Hot Springs Camp will equal the Cour d'Alaine mines, while in quality tho ores are much better, some of them carrying three or four times the amount of silver to tho ton. According to the same authority, it is stated that it appears that there arc several distinct veins running northerly and southerly for a distance of about five miles, all shewing a continuous body of fair grade ore, say thirty ounces to one hundred ounces of silver, and sixty per cent, or more of lead, and that for each hundred feet in vertical depth the various veins already discovered will eventually turn out 500,000 tons of whijjping ore in the aggregate. Various claim*. Of the numerous claims taken up in this camp, some of those which have attracted most attention, and for which notes are available, are enumerated below. As before explained, while unable to speak from personal knowledge of the accuracy of the statements made, I have every reason to believe that they are in the main correct : — "Little Donald Mine."— Situated 1250 feet above the lake. Vein, eight feet wide, shows two feet and a-half of galena, which assays 60 to 130 ounces of silver to the ton, and 60 per cent, of lead. " Krao Mine." — Galena obtained here said to run over 100 ounces of silver to the ton, and a few tons of rich ' carbonate ' ore yielded 280 ounces to the ton at Butte City. " Sunshine Mine." — Apparently a strong vein, six feet wide, but little developed. Buns N. 60° W., cutting across the others. Assays said to average sixty ounces silver to the ton. " Gal- lagher."— Situated higher up the mountain than those above-men- tioned. Ore largely the so-called carbonate ore, i.e., galena, etc. decomposed by sub-aerial agencies, soft and easily worked. Assays said to run from 60 to 190 ounces silver to tho ton. Contains about 10 per cent, of lead, with a large quantity of iron oxide. " No. 1 Mine."— On a line with the last. Ore of the same character. Assays from 60 to 500 ounces of silver to the ton. Hendryx Gamp. — Situated on the east side of Kootanie Lake, opposite Hot Springs Camp, the lake being here about a mile and a-half wide. The galena ores of this place are said to have been discovered by the botanist Douglas in 1825, and have frequently been referred to, but have only of late come into prominence, though locations have been taken up and successively abandoned several times. The ore is under- stood to be of comparatively low grade, but to occur in great mass and to be of easy access, being situated close to the shore of the lake. The " Blue Bell Mine " is owned by the New Haven Mining & Smelting Co., which h£ i already spent $100,000 in preliminary work. The galena Hendryx Camp. CIiara«ter of its ore. DIVW(ON>] VIIN-MININQ DISTRICTS. (JSR lots for ho facts, ill equal \x better, er to the ears that irly for a y of fail" and sixty n vortical turn out LOse which lilable, are peak from ,de, I have ike. Vein, 1 assays 60 \d. " Ki"w of silver to ) ounces to strong vein, g across the ton. "f^al- above-mcn- galena, etc. ed. Assays ■,ins about 10 ,.lMine."- ays from 60 ike, opposite a-half witle. vered by the srred to, but have been ore is undei- eat mass and ,elake. The Imelting Co., The galena hero occui-s in a series of parallel veins, separated by bands of lime- Rtono, and associated with oxidized vein -matter. The vein is reported Great «iie ' ' 01 veins. traceable on the outcrop for over 400 feet, and has been cut across at some depth by a tunnel 195 foet long, and shows in one place an unbroken body of galena ore 86 feet in width. The galena is said to assay from 16 to 40 ounces of silver to the ton. Several hundred tons have been shipped and several thousand are plainly in sight. The "Kootanie Chief" and "Comfort" mines, in the same vicinity, are owned by the Ainsworth Syndicate. Little development has yet been made on either of these, but their appearance is reported to be equally favoui'able with the last. In addition to the above recognized 'camps,' it may be stated that Continuation ill this region numerous isolated 'prospects' of silver-bearing galena motaiuferoui have been found in the same general district. One of these is situated '^ '' .'ibout eight miles west of the Columbia River, near the Boundary ; and another to the east of the Columbia, on the summit of the divide between Slocan Lake and Kootanie Lake. * Prospectors ' report a very largo surface showing of galena at this place. Following the Lardo River, which enters the north end of Kootanie Lake from the north- westward, nearly on the line of the main metalliferous belt referred to on a former page, we tind several lodes of silver-bearing ores reported l»ut respec ting the extent or richness of these nothing absolutely certain is known. On the north-eastern arm of the Upper Arrow Lake, known as Galena Bay, locations have been recorded on a vein which is said to assay 50 ounces in silver to the ton, and on the head waters of Fish River, running into this bay, another vein is ropoi-ted, yielding about 100 ounces in silver to the ton. Continuing a short distance still further nortliward, we reach the Illeiillewaet River and line of the Canadian Paeific Railway. Ulecillewaet Mines. — This group ©f mines is chiefly contained in the iiieeiiiewaet. angle between the north and south branches of the Ulecillewaet River, in a very mountainous country. Over 200 claims have boon located here, and on sixty or seventy of these the work necessary to hold them under the provincial mining law, has been done. Some of the claims aio not fnr above the valley, but many are high up in the dividing ridge between the two rivers, and the ore so far brought down from there has been carried on mule-back. Di'. Selwyn describes the mode of occurrence of the ores here as Mode of follows.* — "The argentiferous galena of Ulecillewaet occurs chiefly in quartz- veins, cutting a series cf black carbonaceous or graphitic slaty shales, • 8 uiumary Report Qeol. Surv. Can., 1887, p. 4. occurrence of ores. 64 R MINERAIi WEALTH OF IIRITI8II COLUMHIA. Work done on claims. and thin bedded limestones, often much folded, Imt shewing nn avorn"'"«, of wliich Gold c,.»I '" •."'"ofly been tnniod i„„.„, ° " ' ;«•»".-■-. The. ,„::'„,:: ;,\;.;'; -"«,..,..» „,. .,,:;t " - "1 iongth from Kevel«tok. r, ■ i ■>' "'"" "f "bout ,i,.,. „ »";,be.ctivo„.o„,.,.w :• w;ir;;''«'"^ "■"' p-0-p.o"^;^.:':' •V ■< 'ullooh crMk. vein, of » , '" "™'' ''"""•«• On k^L , '"nie D strict —"Ar« i , '^'- Sproat writes of »»,„ nr ^''s^ Kootanie Wliiit may be described «« f),„ i. «.....„, lopes „, the Selkirk .„, P^telf T"'' ''^'"""' "-'-^"» the 01 tne Co umbia anri ir^ . . ^"''^eii Mountains thn ,- "*"feo- Ihe discoveries Rn fu.. > ^ ^* *"« Eockv Mniin*„- metals In +u- ,. ^*^ ^'^i macio nf h«„ -^ -^ ^♦^ountam 7^^^^^=^^^^^i^!!£^ ''^-r Field StaoTorV'*'^'^' '^'"^ «« " fl ll^^ IIBfe 66 R MINKAAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. n 1 . i way ; Ottei'-tail, near the station of the same name ; Spilimichene and Jubilee Mountain, Columbia Eiver; Spilimichene River, Second Fork; McMurdo district, near head of the Spilimichine River. Mount Stephen At Mount Stephen (Tunnel Mountain) the four original claims, known as the " Monarch," " Cornucopia," " Alpha " and " Mogul," are stated to have been sold for $25,000 to the British Columbia Smelting Company, which company has expend • a large sum in opening up the deposits, and has already, to the end of 1888, shipped about 600 tons, chiefly from the '• Monarch," to their works at Vancouver. The gen- logical formation of this locality is fully described by Mr. R. G. Mc- Connell in a late report of the Geological Survey,* where some account of the mineral deposits is also given. The ore is galena, which frequentl}' appears in considerable mass, nearly pure. It seems to impregnate a zone of interbedded calcareous rocks, and had been traced for a considerable distance even before tb j work previous- ly spoken of had been carried out. It is most favorably situated for shipment, but carries a very moderate amount only of silver, which, according to assays made in the laboratory of the Survey, varies from four to eleven ounces to the ton. Otter-tail. At Otter-tail, one of the claims is situated directly under the railway- track, and several others at no great distance from it. In the report last referred to, the ore is described as an argentiferous galena, asso- ciated with some copper and zinc, and holding traces of gold. It occurs in quartz and calcite veins, which run parallel or nearly so to the strata of the calcareous schists and limestones of the district. The veins seldom exceed eighteen inches in thickness, but the ore is reported in some instances to contain a high percentage of silver. Several assays made in the laboratory of the Survey run from 5'8 to IIS'T ounces of silver to the ton. Cinnabar. Further down the Wapta (Kicking Horse) Eiver, not far from Golden, and also in the immediate vicinity of the railway, a vein of white calcite holding flecks of bright red cinnabar, has been ' prospected ' to some extent. Copper ores. The deposits of copper-ore met with in Copper and Castle mountains and in their vicinity, may also be alluded to here, though, as they occur , to the west of the water-shed, they lie beyond the eastern boundary of British Columbia. Massivespecimensof purple ore have been obtained [ at the iirst-mentioned locality, and some woi-k has been attempted iu I connexion with the deposits, though so far without important results, The precious metals are found in these ores in very small quantity, and, I generally speaking, the result of numerous assays made up to the pre-l sent time, is to shew that neither the lead- nor copper-ores of the Rockyj * Annual Report Geol. Surv. Can., 1886, Part n. •] VEIN-MINING DISTRICTS. 6tR ene and dFork, , claims, gul," are Smelting ng up the 600 tons, The ge^- B. G. ^1^- here some is galena, It seems 3j and had •k previous- situated for ver, which, varies fro.n the railway- n the report 1 galena, asso- Id. It occurs ^0 to the strata The veins is reported in Several assays il3-7 ounces of ,not far fi'O"^ a vein of ^ay, prospec- ted' Ltle mountains V, as they occur [rn boundary of 5 been obtained 1 attempted in portant results. II quantity, '^n'i- ^ up to the pi«-| LofthoBocky Mountains proper in this region, compare favourably in this respect with those of the Selkirk and Purcell mountains. Jubilee Mountain, situated on the west side of the Upijer Columbia Jubilee , Mountain. River, about thirty miles south of Golden Station, and in easy com- munication with that place by the river, has been the scene of consi- derable ' prospecting ' operations during the past two years. The ore- deposits here are said to occur in a limestone formation and to be very massive, though of somewhat low grade in silver and containing scarcely any gold. The specimens received, show much copper in the form of copper-glance and other snlphurets and some galena. They are gen- erally much decomposed, and present a rusty or greenish appearance. Assays of the richer specimens made in the laboratory of the Survey run from 5'1 to 39'3T ounces of silver. Thirty-tive claims were recorded here or in this vicinity in 1888. In the vicinity of the Spilimichene Kiver, which flows into the vicinity of Columbia thirty-seven miles south of Golden Station, active 'prospecting' r^v""'*''^'"'* has been in progress, the discoveries being in three groups, known as Spilimichine Mountain, Second Fork of Spilimichine River and McMurdo District, including the Middle Fork of the ri^^r. Not having had an opportunity of visiting these places, I am not in a posi- tion to give details relating to them. In 1888 nine claims were taken up in the first, nine in the second, and twenty-one in the third. The "Spilimichine ■' and " Eothschild " claims, taken up in 1884, are,. . ^ '^ ' \ arious claims. said to be upon a ledge of great size, containing galena and reported to average $12 to the ton in silver, Avithout concentration. Four claims, known as the "Southern Cross," "M-onitor," " Great Republic " and "Old Dominion," in the McMurdo district, are stated to have been bonded for $36,000, and others have been sold. Assays are said to run from S15 toi$200, almost entirely in silver. Specimens of ores received consist of quartz, holding galena, with some tetrahedrite, copper-pyrites, ' " etc. Two assays made in the laboratory of the Survey shew 13-88 and 37'53 ounces, respectively, in silver, but it is doubtful whether these fairly represent the general character of the ores. /Five claims have been recorded lately on Wild Horse Creek and a wild Horse like number on Toby Creek, covering deposits of argentiferous galena, cheeks. 0,'e from the first-mentioned place is reported o contain $20 to $80 in silver, from the second 65 ounces of silver to the ton. The lode on Toby Creek is said to be very large and well defined, and has been partly opened up on the " Jumbo clai.21." n Principal localities. 10 Cherry Creek. tli ^r i " Monashec ledge." -H Rook Creek and vicinity. 68 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Interior Plateau Region. In a number of places in the southern part of the Province, included between the Gold and Coast ranges, or on the western and easteiTi flanks respectively of these mountain systems, discoveries of ores hold- ing silver and gold have been made. Of these the following require tipecial mention as being those in which groups of claims have been located and some ' prospecting ' and exploratory work undertaken. Of '.hese Stump Lake and Eock Creek are, however, the only ones which, as yet, are entitled to be called 'mining camps': — Cherry Creek, Rock Creek, Stump Lake, Jamieson Creek, Upper Tulameen, Cayoosh Creek, and Big Slide. , The occurrence of exceptionally rich silver-ore at Cherry Creek, thirty-three miles east of the head of Okanagan Lake, has been known for a number of years, and several attempts have been made toward the development of the deposit, but difficulty has been experienced in following the vein. The "Hidden Treasure Mining Company" are at present engaged in prosecuting exploi-atory work on a scale more extensive than pr viously attempted, and apparently with fair prospects of success. The ore consists of argentiferous teti-ahedrite or freibergite, with galena and blende, the gangue being quartz, and the country-rock blackish shales or slates. Average specimens broken from a large mass of the richer ore, yielded on assay 658'43 ounces of silver to the ton. In addition to the vein here particularly referr(^d to, several other silver-bearing veins have been found in the same neighbourhood, and pellets of galena found in the S'luice-boxes on the creek above the out-crop of the principal vein, yielded at the rate of 220*93 ounces of silver to the ton. These doubtless indicate additional silver-bearing deposits which have not yet been discovered* Eight miles south-eastward from the placer-mines on Cherry Creek, on the south slope of the mountains between Cherry Creek and Xcttio River, is the so called Mclntyre or " Monashee " ledge. This is said to contain free gold. Some ' prospecting ' has been done upon it and a trail has been cut out from Cherry Creek to the ledge. The general character of Rock Creek, situated a short distance north of the International boundary, and east of Osoyoos Lake, is elsewhere noted in connexion with its placer gold-deposits (p. 38 r). This locality has been visited by Mr. Bowman of the Geological Survey, but at the I time little had been done in the matter of quartz discovery. During the past two years, however, general attention has here been turned | ip this direction, and very promising discoveries are reported, includ- ngboth free-milling gold-ores (yielding some very rich specimens)! and argentiferous galena-ores. On a claim known as the " Cariboo,' DAW80N.] VEIN-MINING DISTRICTS. G9r included d oastei'Ti ares boW- g require have been •taken. Of nes wbich, .,.y Creek, Cayoosh ;rry Creek, )een known ade toward experienced Company " on a scale \y witb fair tetrabedrite quartz, and tmens broken •43 ounces of larly referred in tbe same ^boxes on the ^t tbe rate of ■ate additional )d* jherry Creek, [ek and Xcttk> Tbis is said upon it and a I distance north i8 elsewbove Tbis locality ley, but at the I , been turned | ported, incluJ- [cb specimene) Vbc " Cariboo," ' a tunnel 200 feet in length is reported to have been driven, as well as a couple of shafts of fifty feet in depth. On the " Argen " claim, a prospecting shaft forty-two feet deep has been sunk, and the " Van- couver " has been opened to a depth of fifteen feet. On the " Eureka " is a shaft of about one hundred feet. A little mining town has already sprung up here. At a place about twenty-five miles west of Rock Creek and twelve miles north of the Boundary-line, discoveries reported to be important have been made within the past few months. The ore is described as con'..; ling galena and free-milling gold. Twenty-eight locations have so far been recorded here. In the year 1887, 200 claims were recorded in the vicinity- of Stump ^^'^^t* '^j^^ Lake, and during the summer of 1888, I had the opportunity of">ines^ examining a number of these, comprising all those upon which any considerable amount of work has yet been done. Some locations were originally taken up in this neighbourhood about six years ago, but 'prospecting' work appears first to have been undertaken in 1885. The principal developments are comprised within an area of about five miles in length, with a variable broadtu, lying nearly north-and -south on the east side of the lake. The claims included in the property of the " Nicola Mining Company " and in the ai.Joining property of the "Star Mining Company," are those upon which the most extensive operations have been undertaken, contined, in the case of the first- numed property, to development by means of several shafts and ' pros- pecting' on the 8': "ace. In the case of the second, a smaU crushing and concentrating plant has aleo been established. Development and 'piospecting' has also occurred to a considerable extent by the '' Mary luynolds Company" on the "Hepburn" group of claims, on the opposite side of the valley and further south than those above men- tioned, and from these, some of the richest ore, of which very satis- factory trial shipments have been made, has heen obtained. Mr. W. J, Sutton reports that up to the end of the year 1S88, about Developments 20t)0 feet in all of good working shafts and tunnels have been run in the course of development of these Stump Lake or "Xicola" mines. The metalliferous veins which have been found within the limited Ciiaracter of the viens. district al)ove defineil, are very numerous. They vary tVom al)out ten inches to rive or six foet in width, and some of them have been traced for a length of several hundred feet. Though it is probable, from the great number of veins which exist, that no single one will be found to be continuous for a very great distance, a large supply of ore is already !»>"-t,y has alreadv t.on with thegow insoraeoTtZl """='"■' ^"-^ «> In "tod."^ '""""- -^ri-^:C=X^^":,^rtn5 "umbe,. of ,„,ge vein, c4 'f^S:"" "' "'° SoW^ep^"; t;" miSMOf communication to ens,,,.. ,1 T'"'"' '» 'equire only inin.-oved'"""""' be.' of claims wore at one tim" " ^ ' '"■°'"""" "'■W-g A num F. «% »i„oe been abandoTed ;" "^ »>«" '"-». ""« "Ley 20 W mo,, a™ adjoining claim,1„ B„„ , . o?"t "'^"'^ " "»^ " aaok » -^liew a van twenty feet wide with ,r ,^ ^^ '^''^ ^'"■^<" '"> 8»M I'faom ore. The latter is de»eribM "' '""'' "^'^ °f ^'gMy mettl l'»'« «»lena. Other s,>ecimer^f 'l''f " ™"' ""«'" «>« "«« "f "eaX -eyera places within I SZlfZu?'"' '"""^ '«=» obtained torn '"Jge is situated near Lost Crff "" '* "'"'•■'*''■ ^te " Ohamp.on P'ticulars concerning it are wa°,^* """ '" «">"»■■ in characte"Tut Other Loralities. Still further north-westward in fh ^rS/P ^3k), in Which pract;j^„:;;:;:fr'' Ir- ^^ *^^^ C-iar Pijv-H« i"^ ^''^overy or development of 1.^'' T' ^^'^'"^'^^^ toward '"•^-^-■ . ^ ^'"- ""nora. when ,.ure ■ "' """'"^'"'^' rep^^Tf^^ns^T: mi '74 b MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Silver-orei in Yukon district, QneenCharlotte Islanda- Tezada. "Stirling Mine" veins of quartz are reported to occur in the vicinity of some of the auriferous streamH, and an attempt was at one time made to work some of these on a small scale by means of an arastra. Argentiferous galena ores also occur here, a specimen of one of which, from the South Pork of McDame Creek, on assay in the laboratory of the Survey proved to contain 75 ounces of silver to the ton, while still higher assays have been reported. Far beyond the northern boundary of the province of British Colum- bia, and still following the same belt of country, upon Forty-mile Creek, near the point at which the Yukon ci-osses the 141st degree of longitude (p. 44 b), argentiferous galenas are again found, one of which, collected by Mr. W. Ogilvie and lately examined, contains over 38 ounces of silver to the ton. It is not possible here to include mention of the numerous isolated localities in which discoveries of ores of unproved value have been made, or in which they have been reported. A number of these appear in the list of localities and in the table of assays on later pages. Allusion is elsewhere made to the exceptionally rich, though apparently quite limited gold vein of Mitchell Harbour, in the Queen Charlotte Islands (pp. 17 r, 14.-» r). This occurrence seems, at least to hold out encouragement for further search in the rocks of the same character as these inwhich it is, and which are very largely developed upon the coast of the Province. During the last few months attention has been drawn to the exist- ence of gold-bearing veins on Texada and a considerable amount of ' prospecting ' has been carried out on the island and a large number of claims have been recorded. The ores are said to be pyritous and favourable assays are reported, but I am unable to give any definite particulars respecting them. Their character will doubtless be fully proved during the coming summer. Reference may also be made here to the " Stirling Mine," Kokeeila Eiver, about twelve miles from tide-water, Cowichan District, Van- couver Island. Some ' prospecting ' work has been done here. The ore is an argentiferous galena with some gold, and assays are quoted show- ing from $10 to $75 in silver to the ton.* * Report of Minister of Mines of British Columbia, 1880, p. 431 ■ 'I- i some of the de to work rgentiferouB 1, from the tory of the 3, while still •itish Colum- . Forty-mile Lst degree of >ne of which J lins over 38 irous isolated '6 been made, appear in the es. Allusion h apparently jen Charlotte it to hold out me character ped upon the to the exist- >le amount of arge numbei' pyritous and [) any definite bless be fully ine," Kokesila District, Van- here. The ore 3 quoted show- I n 76 R MINERAL WKALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. fl4 o o o as O i 1-9 O H s O Ph w « O o < <^ Eh H b3 CO P^ O H n < EH ^ § I 6, ,^^ « CO 5> o a (2 CQ .J C OS H 1—1 O H I— I < O O Hi e Ol f" t- ^ i- H H H H H §. [2 fc«Sot!coo«S5So8$ r— -o V O O I* a, o a 3 ■S g « q 2 O c » d c * S S M * gas 3 .g . a V •S c C e «•- *'fe r* a N N 3 S 3 S S ►^ Si d 3 3 o- =^» §:§ 03^ ^: iJo-S :a . Soil = s .2| S S5 S g: J I KS' "-pa h-a"-" C 3— s 8 o '■ i c tsf^i : g g E^-2 ■«-• -*-Oc;^ ^ • ! • A • ' • t* ^ A O u * '► J3 : :£ » '• : » N • : « S ::| c .M : :§ "g* . «< « • ' 2 'St ' • pj '■ a S = ( • . M s.fc : S ■ :j3 •^1 a* >. ia* : .a c-.Mte C m a-si3 ■2«i •-5 * -M w h g ■«3 « iS 85S5« 0, « a: > § -s O i3 So' O ■* D 03 S ZJ ^. 03 o I rl C) COV*ft:Cl>-CCOJOrHW OAWION.] TABLE OP ASSAYS OF ORKS. 77 R - a f^ H (i s s as?s ii « ^ oc t-- tr Jr oB 5 "al:: S 5 Soo- e ■ 1- M -. ■:§ < ^ .• *. ', S pi ; :1 U • ;j: S •J«.-S >. ^^7* .a •« V as^ "o ft * c^ ?, -a m •0 S « S. 1 a 5 c 5 «i a j_ ~w>- . •.•y ^ •.•-d ; ■• ■.a • fi • r • • • -^ . .• IK • £ ; o ". 5: • J! ■^ -.'^ : » : 1 : >, . >, ■ M .•; . ja . jj : « . - » : I : S :| :~- ■."". •£ :a . :*S ;^ ;S '.g li *.^ *2 1*^ x5 ;i •.§ -^sl L- : a ■• a :;s--.? ■=■ •.•g : 31 -o bS r_fl t^,fi >-^ > e9-^ S K SSs M^ 3R • a! s.t; S m H I V=ft^--o t- .^ I- *^— *-» 3 ; >. 2 d (J * 8 "S tia 53 15 s rt G •o ft •S » OS a i a e e" ■c-c S 3 eyes' 5*» a V cp 1^^ N 8 = 3.8 O 'S ■3 ^ § •■= a : 6 a«.c3 e >>H at a 9 I d oi (9 a a a s (9 "3 = 2 a ft aa 5 is. . ••- a :5|§ 2 : -a r. „- "5-2^-2 s,-s*S2*§s§ aS5g:2'^SS-l »&*§a-5-5,-5 3 I C S " "« «rf^~ ^rf 4^ QJ O Q> i u » 4) C IS ft5 S aft a 1 a SB 5 3 3 3 3 OS o ■§•2 is S o -■>->>, a- •"- •5 d'S' ■ :.. -.£3 ■S'sSoft|= « „s>-a.a s cor : : S 0°^ 3 S V a c u isft ^2-' u s^ fa ■s. "3* a a : 3 H a o, J3- ft 00 ' S 3 O S. . I.- o 2; 14 • a :5 ; a . 3 o :S •Jil • 3 a S ^^ c3.£ a ; ee 53 o 'm'-''^'^ a _ fcs s'3 ^ ft M DO aj «< oe « e— .. «. S!!: «^SS;S8S5aS S5S ^S3S?i5iSgS:S?SS5!S?55:'S5S^SS 5i : : i-s lii :i? 5g:?gSraSfcSSSSgS3^ fr-" 78 R I MftriRAL WEALTH OF BHITISH COLUMBIA. t- !• fit' ti **9B flfl PS BQ Bfl flQfi ||s 5 3 = s S 5 aad d d d d d a aes f s s s^" a* s ggft S ff i6 S ff |2 00 3 o g CQ l§ » » 8 go S mn^^ Sir. 5 S S 5 9 S ^§7 $ SQ $ ^ s 00 ^ •tt t c il| ?■ a ■ ? S »" 7s5 5|5 i'i 'is* S ta Ed N tfi 9 B 3 a a o,s •.SS.2 Sooo — i* ■»■£ ® .fe-a Si a? a * S 9 S ' MS a N N ^a 7^ B d 99 d K-c 3 3 33_e I -an .si a a u S 3 * §•5 .- i, »!■ ao- en 13 § s CCS .J3 .» .ja .jri ^^oo'^oa a V oos s h!z;o IgS'S.s EH3.SS5i» .|C- eo — !•* 3 <■■> 3 e ^ l|=5»l«:2| 5| -E^Ei^ a c jj .8 C3 a A I I 8 s I to s o .a •1 iM !« i g s s § •< n « s a? a| S 09 jag .a i » ^ I s s 5 > gf^s g: S 53 SS 3 § Q o iS 3 O 03 I 1 3 e 3 to OAWtON.] TABLK OF ASSAYS OF ORBS. I -c i. 9 C "d s I 1 I •3 I o OP a e $ »i^wNf-t^^qor^*fJy^ 79 R s", r? is I^ *• ^ *'«"'' ^ "" "* ob b S^b gor-i S C S E-'obJ3^obb«: i^ E E ^"■ a s o cs-a a* «2 a- ^S8 S 1 a 1- blende an e and iron opper-pyr « •r3 « 05 111= s R. - ?^s u .* 22V >< MOO Iff aS ! u 04 : - 0) t- a t ••S «W ^ • "ri « a :^&= i '^ta- 3.2 . j4 03 a ^ ^ oB3K 3 0S5- z OQ ■5" a "•^■•j^ S a §: a cO -ii-a, a o j^ c aj.SP •iliila J S Sc" .MMs: S5B9 V ki ua.z a a : 3 s : Ss : ►3^ !► > O O as a o a. ?9i aJ '.a ' « . o: > »»^ - 3£s - >it>j< ^ -a £:5m COQOx^Od sas ssssssssssssssssasss ss ? ■ t-; t ; 80 R Discovery of ooal nenr SuqUHSb. Steamer Beaver. Discovery of coal at Nanaimo. Initiation of mining. WellingtonI Jiines. Other mining entcrpriscK. mineral wealth of british coli'mbia. Coal , . The discovery of coal in British Columbia antedated that of gold by more tht i twenty years, but did not at first produce any effect com- parable With that of gold upon the history of the country. Dr. W. F. Tolmie was the first to make known the existence of coal, on the coast o.^ the Proving"?, in 1835. He was then stationed at the Hudson Bay Company's post, known as Ft^rt McLoughlin, on Milbank Sound, and specimens of coal were brought to him by Indians from the north- east coast of Vancouver Island, — doubtless from Suquash. The steamer Beaver, belonging to the Company, arrived on the West Coast ir. 1836, and thereafter 'imall quantities of coal were obtained for her, as well as for blacksmiths' use, fi-om this place; being derived from natural outcrops on the beach. Iii the year 1849, a coal-minor was brought out by the Company, from Scotland, to more fully test the character of the coal on this part of the coast, and in 1851 a further number of miners and some necessary machinery were im- ported. Exploratory work by sinking and boi-ing was prosecuted alor.'g the coast of Vancouver Island, between Port McNeill and Beavci' Harbour, till 1853, but without resulting in any very notable discoverior*. Meanwhile, in 1850, the er'.stenco of coal at Nanaimo had been ascertained by Mr. J, W. McKay, and in the following year it appears that the most of the miners above referred to were transferred from the northex'n end of the island to that place. Woi-L: began in earnosi at Nanaimo in 1852, and before the close of 1853, 2000 tons are repori- ou to have been shipped, chiefly to San Francisco. The price of coal at Nanaimo was at this time $11 and at San Francisco $28 :i ton. The Hudson Bay Company, under the name of the Nanaimo Coal Company, continued to work the mines thus opened till 18G1, wlien these wore sold to the Vancouver Coal Mining and Land Company (limited), by which they are still operated. The total chipracnti from October, 1852, to November, 1859, are returned at 25,398 tons.* The Wellington Mines, situated a short distance inland from Depart- ure Bay, near Nanaimo, began to produce coal in 1871, and sevoial hundred tons of coal were shipped in that year. This colliery, like the last, has since continued in active operation, with yearly increasing output, and from the various openings belonging to these two enterprises by far the greater part of the coal product of the Province is obta d. In 1811 mining operations were in progi-ess atCowgitz, Queen Char- lotte Islands, and several hundred tons of anthracite were shipped, but the work was not continued. In 1874 the Harewood Colliery, near * For many details on the early history of the industry see Bancroft's Works, vol. xxxii.i m- 185, 686; also Annual Keport Geoi. Surv. Can., 1886, pp. 65 n., 69 b DAWSON.] COAl.. 81 R old by t com- , W. F. e coast )n Bay ad, and 1 north- L. The 8t Coast ined ibi- dei'ived )al-TOinc-i- fully test a 1851 a were im- ivosecuted ul Beaver iscovei'ver'. had been it appears jrred from |in earnest ,re repori- price of isco $28 11 (laimo CoiU 861, wben Company chipment) ,33S tons.=*= ,m Depart- ind several •y, like the increasing |enterpri:^es Ls obta '(l. lueen Chtir- hipped, but iUery, "ear vol. xxxii.rr. Nanaimo, was opened. It had previously been worked on a small srale in 1864 and 1865. In 1875 the Bayncs Sound Colliery, near ('omox, was opened out to some extent, and preparations for mininjjf and shipping coal were made, but from various causes, idiief among which was the low price of coal, both this and the Ilurewood were closed down in 1877. In 1882 a shaft was sunk at the Kast Wellington Ciilliory, about midway between the Vancouver and Wellington ininesj and a certain amount of coal has since been annually produced here. With the exce])tion of the Baynes Sound mine, the collieries above uurk at mentioned arc all in the N^anaimo area, and the work done in the Comox area (except in the case of the Ba^'n'^ , Sound mine) was of the character of 'prospecting' and exploration only. In 1888, how(!ver, the seriou ■ development of mining work in the Comox area has been ini- tiated by Hon. R. Dunsmuir at points situated between the old Baynes Soimd mine and "Comox Harboi", near the edge of the old " Union Claim." A railway, eleven miles in length, has been built to a suitable ^hipping place, and all preparations are being made for a large outj^ut of coal. This enterprise is known as ^he Union Colliery. Slice the initiation of coal-mining in the Nanaimo district, this industry has shewn a steady and satisfactory increase, and it has now attained large proportions, as evidenced by the subjoined table of out- put. Both the exports and the local consumption are constantly in- creasing, the latter being returned at 115, 9u3 tons in 1H88.* ' nitres? of oal mining. Table shewing the Annual PRnrvcrioN of Coal in British Ck)LUMTiiA.t Toxs.t Coal mined at Suquash by H. B. Co. at various times between 1836 and 1852 (say) 10,000 Total coal shipped from Nanaimo, October, 1852, to Novem- ber, i69 25,398 1S59 (Two months) 1,989 1800 14,247 1861 13,774 1862 18,118 1863 21,345 .864 28,63'-' 1865 32,819 1866 25,llo k67 31,239 1868 44,005 1S69 35,802 1870 29,843 •This includes the coal used at the mines. T This table is I l)elieve tiio iirst approximately oompleto statement of the annual output of the nines. T am indebted to Mr. S. Robins and Hon. R. Dunsmuir for the flgure.s relating to jcars ""t liresioHsly publifhed. iThesc and other figures relating to coal, (e.xcept California imports on following page) refer to the tun of 2240 lbs. 6 Annual and total output of ;,:-r 82 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BIUTI8H COLUMBIA. T<>;(s. 1871 (FxcluBive of Wellington Mines) 35,643* T 1872 " " " 46.408 I , *'^^ (Wellington Mines, 1871-73 (21,1S2)J • 1874 81,547 1875 110,145 1874J 139,192 1877 154,052 1878 170,84r) 1879 241,30] 1880 267,595 1881 228,357 1882 282,139 1883 213,299 1884 ;'.94,070 1885 3(15.5911 1886 326,63(i 1887 413.360 1888 489,301 Total 4,358,221 Pij,^^.;,,,, The exports of coal are chiefly to ports in California, including, in Sortcli'."'' l*^'*^^. ^'i" Fi-ancifico, Wilmington and San Diego. Sundry curgoos wore also shij)ped to Seattle, W.T.; Portif. ul, Oregon; Ahiska; Petropavlovsk ; Hawaiian Islands ; China and Japan. Coal has also been supplied dui ing the yoar to H.M. I^^avy, and to U.S. war and revenue vessels jis well as to ocean mail steamers and otiier vessels calling for fuel. 4lBal iiuiKiiis ci( ffi^jj standing of British Columbiii coal it» respect to the supjjjy ol Califoi'nia, which constitutes the principal market, is well shewn In the subjoined statement of the sources of coal imported into tliat Stii'e in 188H.t TO.NS. British Colnmbia 345,681 Australia 271,012 P^n^jland and Wales 1 26,l(i7 Scotland 10,680 Eastern States (anthracite, etc.) ;!0,lls Total from »oal mines on or near Puget Sound, W.T., in- cluding Seattle, ( arbon Hill, Groen River, Cedar Kiver, Kenton, Newport, South i'niirie, etc 568,94s Coos Bay 47,015 Japan 13,808 ( ul from various sources, other than British Colinnbia, received at Wilmington and San l)iego,(estiniated at) 1B1,0(3S Total rMiref| ol KCtSSS. |) W. r»;»SON.] COAIi 83 R r,9 )47 L45 192 052 ,84t> ,301 ,595 1,357 2,139 3,290 4,070 ,5.590 >0,(130 13,31)0 89,301 is,221 icludiiig, in iU-i^oes wore uppUcil ilni- e vessels ii> rfuel e f*uppVV **' U sViown l-y to U>iit Si;'"'' Tons. : VI 5,081 271,<31- 126,1<«' 10,0Si> ;uUl8 568,94s 47,015 13,S08 151,0(iS 1.565,097 Wns;, If Minister of Mi^«l Tho following particulars for tho various colliorie-s in operation inColiioriosnow Xunaimo and Comox, aro derived from the Eoport of tho Minister of Mines of Jiritish Columbia for 1S88. — Nanaimo OolUeri/. — Description of seams and workings. — South Field No. 2, worked by slope, seam, fi to 10 feet thick. South Field No. ij, worked by shaft, seam, 5 to 10 foot thick. No. 1 shaft, seam, f) to 12 feet thick. Total out-put 258,817 tons, 8 cwl. Wellhujf'iji Colliery. — Description of seams and workings. — Four working shafts, known as No. 3 pit. No. 4 pit. No. f) pit. No. (! shaft (sinking.) Three aii' shafts. Seams (i to 10 feet thick. Total out-put 1!)s.;j92 tons. liast Wellington Colliery. — Description of seams and workings. — Two shafts, known as Nos. 1 and 2 respectively. Total out-put 30,092 tons. Union Colliery. — (Comox). — Description of workings. — One shaft, on. >lope, four levels, three tunnels, one air-shaft. Total out-put 2000 tons. ^This mine is in process of l>eing opened.) The number of miners employed in the various Collieries in 1888, is Mining ,. ,, ciuployuj. US follows : — Xiinaiuio C(jlliery . ... Wellinjrton Colliery .. K. \VelliMi'ton(.'olliery Union U.-liory Boya. , Wliitos. 81!) 585 120 90 Chineso. Indians. 1 80 16 100 None 10 1 None 150 None Total. 30 10 ._) None !)45 ()!>5 132 240 Total miners employed in 1888. 2011 , Wiwe.- ri (■ wages paid to white minors at present, lange from 82 to $4 a' uay, and tho earnings of rninoi's working on contract from S3 to $1*50. I'hiin'se are paid at from $1 to .^^I'T"), anil Indians about 82 a day. .Si'v^'ral si'rious ;iccidcnt.s from explosion of tiris-damp have occurrtsd Aocil.uu-i ill the history of the Nanainio mines, viz. — Wellington Colliery, April 17,1879, 11 lives lost; No. 1 Pit, Vancouver Colliery, .May:!, 1887, 150 lives lost; No. 5 Pit,, VVellinglon Colliery, Jan. 24, 188S, 77 lives lost. Coal- and Lignite bearing Formations of British Columlna. While the coals of Nova Scotia and of the eastern half of the United Stutos are derived from tho Carboniferous fornuition, of Pala*oi.')ic age, those of the Great Plains and Pacilic Slope occur in association with much newer rocks, referable to the^ Mesozoic and Tertia'y jHa-iods. [Tlioii^ih in the western part of the continent i-ocks of Carbon- jifoi'ous jvge are known, and fretiuenUy appear in great thick- [h'sh and covering extensive areas, they generally rei)rosent the Ciiiil-he.'iriuif t'oriniition.'t of tlid Kiist ;ind S U' 84 R MINERAIi WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Coiil prmluoinB rocks ut' British Columbin. Fuels of the Cretitceous nnii Tertiary. All (Trades of coal represented in British Columbia. • Order of def>cription. accumulations which ha\e taken place in sea-bottom.s, and consii-t largely of limestone ; the .svran)p8 and mai-shy estuaries whicli afforded the conditions for the i^ccumulation of vegetable matter elsewhere giving rise to the production ofcoal-bediJ, do not, bo far a^ yet known, appear to have occurred during this period, in the West. Con- ditions of this kind, however, existed very generally in the West during; certain stages of the Mesozoicand Tertiary, while rocks of these perinds are developed on a comparatively small scale in the eastern half of the continent, and are there seldom found to contain coal. In British Columbia, the formations known to contain mineral fuels of economic value, of the character of coals or lignites, are (1) theCie- taceous, or highest member of the Mesozoic, (2) the Tertiary. Respecl- ing the latter, it is not yet clear whether all the coal- oi- lignite-beaiinn rocks included under it are referable to a single stage, but it is ]iroba- blo that at least most of them belong to the middle member of the Tci tiary, or Miocene. Ilocks of Cretaceous age are developed ovei' a considerable area in Bi'itish Columbia, often in very gieat thickness, and fuels occur in them in important quantity, in at least two distinct stages, of wliich the lowei- and older includes the coal-measures of the Queen Charlotte Islands and those of Qua tsino Sound on Vancouver Island, with those oi Crow Nest Pass in the Eocky Mountains; the uppev, the coal-measures oi Nanaimo and Comox, and probably also those of Suquash and nthc! localities. The lower rocks hold both anthracite and bituminous coal in the (Jueen Charlotte Islands, but elsewhere contain bituminoih coalonly. The upper have so far been found toyield bituminous coal only The fuels of the Tertiaiy rocks are. generally speaking, lignites. Iiu include also various fuels intermediate between these and true coals, which in a few places become true bituminous coals. The series of mineral fuels thus presented by Briti.sh Columbia aloiu. i-anging from anthracites wliich compaiv favourably with those ot Pennsylvania and Wales, to lignites, in wliich the original woodvj structure is still clearly preserved, and all embraced within the upjier |. art of the Mesozoic and the Tertiary, is sufficient to disprove the llieory at one time maintained, that the Carboniferous formation i> tlol .(uiy one capable of yielding true eoals. It is now generally acknouj ledged, that the character of such fuels depends essentially on th(Hoii| ditions of metamorphism to which they with the rocks containing thenij have been subjected, and only in secondaiy degree on their relative' at>soluto age. It will, howevdr, be most convenient, in presenting such now as ai'c here necessary on [the various coal-bearing areas ol i'rovince, to begin with those of the Cretaceous period, and this onlei ••"■'• (U-|.,,J r ^rV ..] COAL 85 R •' V' cousu-i 5 whub ) mattev ar -Ai- yet ^Bt. Cori- jst durinii' ^e period-^ iiilf of thf leval fuels 1) theCre- Kesipeot- ite-beariiiii it is proba- of the Tor able area In (is occur in eB, of wlii''!' en Charlotto with those ol l-mcasuros'>t ,h and o\\)Q\ luminous riwi bitumintiii- ous coal only. lijvnitos. I'Ut ml true coaiN |)lumbiaalom'. with those of ] liginal wo^^'l hin the upper (lispvov IvnAation i ji-aUy ''it'l^"'"' juy on th«''""- Intainin^' thom jeir relative ot 112 aucV. "OW i^ further i-endercd appi-oju-iate by the relative imi)ortance of the fiiolrt of that age. As most of the coal-Kelils are described at length in one or other of the I'eports of the Geological Survey, to which reference tiiiiy be made, it is not intended here to enter into details witii ros|)ect t I them. Principal Con!-fieM.s {Cretaceous). The mo.^t northe -n Cretaceous coal-field of the coast is that ol' the *?'."'!),", (^ueen Charlotte Islands. It extends over parts ni rlotte •ahani and Moresby I-ItkIs areas and thw or 1-huids, on boll) sides of Skidcgate Inlet, jiud is believed to i-un aci'oss tho fn'st-naracd island to the outer or ocean coast, though as yei only partially explored. Its area is consideiiible, and it has been in part geologically examined and mapped by the late James Richardson and liy the writer.* In th*; vicinity of Skidegate Inlet, the ('retaceoiis rocks containing the coal are ma le up of the foUowiiig sub- livisions, ill desceuding order JAif. A. Upper shak'S ami sandstf)ii(>s l,5t)0 B. Conglomerates 2,000 ('. liower shales and sandstones 5,000 I >. Ajrgkjmerates (of volcanic origin) o,.")Oil v.. Lower sandstones l.tKIO i;;,ni)0 The coal, so far as kriown. is continedto thobaso of the Lower shales :iiul sandstones (C), and is proved by its associated fossils to be iipproximatoly of the age of that member of the ii> of the coal have been brought out, and tested with favorable icsultr>, Means of communication with the coast must, however, be pro-»ide)\ Cowgilz, but it is very probable that it does so. Anuiy-is. The character of this coai is shown by the following analysis by Mr. Hotlmann.T — Hygroscopic water 2-65 Volatile combustible matter 3059 Fixed carbon (51.33 Ash 5-43 10000 Coil tidd'of ^" ^^^ northern part of Vancouver Island, the Cretaceous coal-luai- Vancou'\"cr "^^ rocks, though Occupying but a small portion of the surface' a< Islnnd. compared with the nlrlor formations, have in the aggregate a consider- able extent. The principal areas are those of Forward Inlet, Kojiriiw and Koskcemo, all on the shores of Quatsino Sound, and of Suquash, oi: the north-east coast of the island. Of the Quatsino Sound areas, ilio only one which has yet attracted much attention is that referred to as the Koskcemo, which is situated on the upper part of (,Miatsino Sniiiid, In this area, some exploration, botn by sinking and boring, has !it| • Report of Progrees, Geol. Surv. Can., 1872-73, p. 81. t Annual Report, (Jeol, Surv. Can., 1887, p. 17 t. Aistlnel hat the da com- lardsDii ; n. 1-89 4-77 i5'76 0-89 [)0-0(i oun River, nlet, a (Us- nt quali.y. eveval tons ble results. )e provided wn wheilier s as tluit <>(■ lysis by Ml'. 1000(1 |us coal-Vieiu- Ic a cousiilor- llot, Kopiin^' 'Suquash. on id areas, tlio [•eferred tc ti> itsino Snuml. bring, has :'^ CAW80N.] COAL. 87 R various times been carried out, though so far without resulting in the dis- Koskecmo. eoveiy of a coal-seam of a satisfactory workable character ; the gi-eatest thickness of good coal yet proved being about three feet only. The t )tul length of this small Cretaceous aroa is about seven miles, its ^M-eatest probable width about two miles, and its approximate area, not including under-watcf extensions, about 50l:{0 acres. Particulars re>pecting this urea, with a map and details of borings, etc., may be t.iund in the annual report for 1886.* The coal is ^bituminous, and is often of excellent quality. An analysis of a specimen, made in the luborator}' of the Survey, gives the following result. — Hy^rosoopio water 1 ■ 05 Analysis. Volatile combustible matter o4 • 38 Fixed carbon 54"01 A6h I0-5G 100-00 In the Forward Inlet Cretaceous area, coal is found at the head of Forwurd Inlet. ihe lagoon above Winter Harbour, but much disturbed locally and thin. It is not impi-»>bable, however, that boring operations on Winter Harbour would le^ult in the discovery of better seams. f It appears tlkely that tins area leally connects eastwaid with that of Koprino, Koprino. wliicii extends along the north shore of the lower part of Quatsino Sound for seven or eight miles, and has a considerable width. Though no rotil has yet been found in the last-mentioned area, it is larger tlian either of the others on t^uatsino Sound, and as the beds ai ■'• regular and little disturbed, it may, on proper in^'estigation by boring, prove to be the most important. J Till' coal-field referrfd to as the Suquash area, extends along the Siniun-h area.] II rth-cast coast of Vancov.'vcr Island from Port McNeill lo Beaver llarboiir, a distance of fourteen miles. Its width inland must be con- >iderable, and it probably also includes Malcolm Island, to the east- ward, of which the surface is almost entirely covered by drift deposits. The original discovery and early exploration for and working of coal ut this place are (.-isewhere refei'red to, (p. >S0 a). The coal-seams as vol found here are quite thin, the thickest, at Suquash, not oxeceding i/ 'WO Het. In consequence, howevei', of the flat^lying position of the beds aloiig the shore, the exposures are poor, and but a small ]»art of ihe ilii' kness of the Cretaceous rocks is shown. The regulaiity of the beds and their extent are favourable to mining operations should thicker seams bo discovered by boring. Particularb resj^cting this • Pint n, p. 90 B., tt aeg. • Scr Annual Report Geol. Surv. Can., 1886, p. 8.3 b. ; ibui. I). s7 li. \ ; . ri I 'it \ i ; I' -a m': R m\m (H. Analysis Relative iim; of the coals. Reports on Nanaimo aii<) Comox. Coal fields of Southern Vaucouver Island. Stratigraiihieal rolation!>. 88 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. disti'ict ai'o to bo found in the report ali-oady rofen-ed to.* The coal found at Suquasli is of very fair quality, as evidenced by the subjoined analysis. — Ilygroscoiiic water 5 • H3 Volatile combustible matter 41 "51 Fixed carbon •Hi'y2 Ash Git4 lOO-OO Respecting tiie stratigrapbical position of these coal-i»caring Cret;i- ceous rocks of the northern part of Vancouver Island, it may be stated that the coals of Quatsino Sound generally, are believed to occur at tlie same horizon with those ofCowgitz, or in Series C, of the Queen Char- lotte Islands section, while those of Suquash appear to belong to ii higher stage. The Comox and Nanaimo coal-tields are the most important in tlic Province, and the latter is that from which almost all the coal so fai' raised has been obtained. They have been in large part carefully examined by Mr. Eichardson, whoso various reports in the aimual volumes of the Geological Survey for 1871-12, 1812-73, 1873-74 and 1876-77,t may be consulted for details. The Cretaceous rocks constituting these coal-fields, border the south- wostei-n side ol' the Strait of Georgia, forming a bolt of comparatively low, rolling or hilly co.mtry between the mountainous region of the interior of Vancouver Island and the coast. This belt, including the Cowichen area, i-eaches to within about eighteen miles of Victoria to the south-eastward, and to the vicinity of Capo Mudge in the opposite direction, with a length on the shore of about 130 miles. Its continuity is broken however at two points, near Maple Bay and near Nanoose Harbour, respectively, v»'horo the older undorljMng rock-series comes out to the shore. Be^'ond Cape Mudge, it runs iidand in the sumo general north-westward bearing, but its extent in this direction is still unknown. The rocks accomj)anying the coals are sandstones, conglonieraie> and shales, being largely of the chaiactor of littoral formatii>ii>, but also containing, (particularly in the shaly members of the sorio-! truly marine fossils. They hold also in some layers abundance ol fossil plants, and in appeaiance and degree of induration much re- semble the older Carboniferous rocks of some parts of Eastern America. Coals of a workable character have been found only in tlio • Annual Report Oeol . Surv. Can . , 1886, p. 61 n. t In the la«t-named report, a general review of the geology is given . See also Annual Report Geol. Surv. Can., 1880, p. 10, n. ho coal bjoined 03 51 5-2 •00 ^' IVictoria to |ie opposite continuity 1- Han inches of beds. In this section, nine coal-seams oceur, with an aggregate liiickncss of Hi feet 3 inches, the thickest bed being the lowest in the series, and averaging 7 feet. In a section of 122 foot at tho Union mine, ten coal seams, with an aggregate thickness of 29 feet 3 inches occur, tho thickest seam being 10 feet. This section represents oidy a Mnall part of the Productive Measures. In a third section, on Trent River, — again embracing nearly tho entire thickne.-s of the Productive Measures, — thirteen seama are found, with an aggregate thickness of only 18 feet 1 inch, tho thickest bed being 3 feet 8 inches. On the area of the Baynes Sound Company, in 220 feet 10 inches of measures, two seams of 6 feet and 5 feet 10 inches, respectively, occur. .Mr. Richardson estimates the extent of country undeilain by the Extout and Productive Measures at 300 square miles, without taking into considera- hoi,'i.^" °' ' '* tion that vvhich may lie bej'^ond tho shore, and not including the unex- lilored north-western extension of the tield previously referred to. •Report of ProgretiS, Geo!. Surv. Can., 1S72-3, p. 85 1^ w«?. k 1. 1 Character of Comox cuiil;. Naiiaimo coal-field. t'O R MINERAL WEALTH OK BRITISH COLUMBIA. Computing the total thickness of workable coal in the Union (Jompanyn property at a little over twenty-five feet, he calculates the ([unntity ot coal underlying the hurface at 25,000 tons per acre, or 16,000,000 tonn per scjuare mile for this part of the region.* The operations now in progress in opening up mines in the Comox urea have been alluded to on a former page. The principal seam wliicli it is intended to work has been proved, by boring, to continue with g0()any h ity ot [) tons 'omox wli it'll .0 willi uperioi' tage nf [ strong 10 ted in inalysis jsentiiig :. It is (1, which ncho!< of :oking. •70 I -30 I- 08 1-86 )-00 94 AWION.] COAL. 1)1 R Sovenil proximate lUialyeos arc summarized in the talile at tho end of ,.,,„, ,,g„,j„f this chapter. That of (ho Wellington coal by Mr. C. Jlott'mann, may Na-mimoooniH. lie quoted here in full, as illustrating tho cliaracter of the larger part i<\' tho coal shiii|te(l.-'-''^ . , Slow coking. Fast coking. Hygroscopic water 2.75 2.75 Volatile combustible matter 30.05 38. 0:) Fixed carbon 59.72 52.04 Asli (i.oS 58 1(10.00 100.00 Coke (;G.:!0 59.22 Weiglit of one solid cubic loot 82.04 pounds. l''-vapora*ive power, 13'41 pounds of water (at 100° C.) \*! > V,. m fr" IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 ^^ ^ 1.8 II ■ 1.25 1 1.4 1.6 < 6" ► PhotDgraphic Sciences (Corporation 23 WBT MAIN STRUT WnSTH.N.Y. 149S0 (716)873-4503 i^ 6^ '.>2 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Total volatile matter :i0.33 Fixed larbon 00^23 Ash ».44 . 100.00 CoaiRnfpiiKct Tiiough iiumcroiis aiialyeoii of picked ^ulnple8 from mines in the vicinity of Pugot Sound, in Washington Torritoiy, can bo quoted, which compare favorably with those of Nanaimo, the fact remains that those actually shipped in quantity from Puget Sound points hold a distinctly inferior market value. This may in jiart be due to the largo quantity of ash which the.sc fuels often contain, a fact well illus- trated in the tables of anal^'MCs in the U.S. Tenth Census.* On Pugot Sound the greatest quantity of coal is shipped from Seattle and this ranks only as a lignite-coal affording no coherent coke. Of the follow- ing anal3'sos representing the character of the Seattle coal, the fir.st is quoted by Mr. Bailey Willis in the Census Report just cited, f the second is that given by Macfarlane.J — I. II. Water 41« llWi Volatile combustible matter 44*84 35 Oo Fixed carbon 4380 45-U7 Ash 7-14 (J-44 lOU-liO lOO-dO Relntive viiii'o-- ^*^ *'" impartial estimate showing the superiority of the Vancouver fueV^'^''^'""' '"^land coals, the following table establishing the comparative value of those and other fuels for steam-raisiig purposes, by the War De])arl- ment of the United States, will be interesting. One cord (8 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet) of merchantable oak wood i> there said to be equal to : — I'uunds. Nanaimo ("oal (Vancouver Island) 1,800 Bellinghnm Bay Coal (Washington Territory) 'J,*_'00 Seattle Coal (Washington Territory) 2,400 Kooky Mountain Coal (Wyoming, »&c) 2,500 Coos Bay Coal (Oregon) 2,6(»0 Mount Diablo Coal, (California) 2,(j00 The following statement of the weights of steam obtained as tlie result of working tests from a cubic foot each of various fuels, at a si w rate of combustion, may also be rofem-ed to. The water to be evapoi-atiMl had first been raised to a temperatuio of 212° F. The experiments * U.S. Tenth Oeniuf, vol. xr, pp. 776-780. 1 p. 761. X Coal RogiiiiiH of America, Third Edition, p. 569. •Ti 1 l«,l }3 23 44 00 s in Ihc quoted, vomaiiis nts hf)l 5-5)7 G-44 DO- (10 rancouvci e value oi r Depart- lU wood i> I'oiind!". l.SOO •J.-JOO 2,400 '.',500 '2,600 •2,000 ,ncd Ub tin' B.atusl"^^' cvaporati'il xpeiinaents DAWSON.] COAL. 93 R were made by the Chief Engineer of the U. S. Navy Yard at Maro island.* — Pounds of Steam. NanHiimo coal 372-64 Rocky Mountain, Monte Diablo, Coos Bay and Seattle .... IUfi*l)8 Though rocks of Crotaeeous age occui on the mainland of British ^'■"''"'^•'""''' "=' =" colli!' Oil I ho Columbia, and especially in the littlc-lcnown northern portion of the •'^'"'"'""•i- Province characterize extensive tracts, they have not generally been I'ound to contain coal. It may be stated, however, that specimens of ;.'ood coal have been obtained from these rocks in the region of the Upper Skoena, (p. 150 r) on the western, or British Columbian side of the water-shed in the Rocky Mountains in the vicinity of the Crow Xest Pass, and in the country adjacent to the Peace River; and that it is probable that many further discoveries of the same kind still remain to be made. The coals of the Crow Nest Pass, first described by the writer in ther.mixofCrow Annual Report of the Geological Smvey for 1885, (p. 60 b) have since * *' attracted some attention, and have been to some extent explored and opened up. The Cretaceous basin or trough in which they occur is Miraewhat extensive, and resembles in general character those which ucour on the opposite side of the Rocky Mountain water-shed, beyond the limits of British Columbia, in one of which the Cascade anthracite !•; included. The age of these Cretaceous rocks appears to be nearly tho same with that of those of the Queen Charlotte Islands. By the •prospecting' work which has lately been executed in the Crow Nest Pass, the existence of no less than lifteen workaldo seams is said to have been determined, two of which are reported as fourteen and tliirty feet respectively in thickness (see p. 97 r). An analysis of coal - from the thickest of these, (known as tho " Jubilee Seam ") by Mr. Ilotfinann gave : — f Hygroscopic water 1*79 Volatile combustible matter 25'45 Fixed Carbon fift^H Ash 3-62 100-00 I'n the Upper Skeona and its tributaries, Cretaceous rocks, again omi-benniiB btlicved to bo of tho same age with those of the Queen Charlotte §|fcAi"f. Islands, are extensively developed. One specimen of excellent coal lias been obtained from them, at a place about eighteen miles up the * Kx. Dne. No. ax;. 2nd Session, 42nd Congrei'. p. 30. Annual Report Geo). Surv. Can., 1887, p. 12 t. it V . If m 11 94 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Rivar. WalBonkwa, and impui-e coals have been noted in Heveral localities. It is by no means improbable that an extensive coal-field exists here.'" ^okU'on Peace To the noi'th of tho 54th degree of latitude, the eastern boundary ol British Columbia follows the 120th meridian, and the Province there- fore, includes a portion of the coal-bearing region of the Peace Rivor. Here, mineral fuels are known tu occur at two distinct horizons, ono being well down in the Cretaceous series, the other probably of Laramie ago. Some of the fuels are true bituminous coals and others ligniti- coals. The limited amount of exploration yet carried out has not re- sulted in the discovery of any very thick seams to the west of the 120tli meridian, but the region is still, for the most part, practically unknown in detail.f ■■S Fuels of PuKct Sound, etc. i!<' 'W Coal and Lignite of the Tertiary. Tertiary fuels. The Tcrtiaiy rocks of British Columbia occasionally contain true coal, but more usually att'ord only brown-coal or lignite. Most of thes^e rocks, as already noted, are assigned with probability to the Miocene period, but some of them, particularly those of the vicinity of tlie Fraser estuary, may be referable to the Laramie, to which stage the greater part of the coal- and lignite-bearing rocks of Puget Sound aiv now presumed to belong. X At Bellingham Bay, a short distance south of the International boundary, lignite was discovered about 1851, and in 1869, 20,500 toii> were shipped to Sun Fi-anci^co, but the mines were closed down, owinj,' to the inferior quality of their product, in 1878. Lignite-coals of tiie same age, or but little older, ai"c now very extensively worked, however, in tho vicinity of .Seattle, nnd in the Wilkinson coal-tield, furthei' southward, us well as to the eastward, neai- the border of the Puiret Sound coal region, where the better classes of fuels previously adverted to occur. Some of these are, however, probabi}' rel'erable to beds older than the Laramie or of true Cretaceous age. The interest of these facts, in the present connexion, lies in the circumstance that the Tcrtiury or Laramie coal-measures of Puget Sound und Bellinubam Bay are continuous novth of the Interna tional boundary, and must underlie nearly 18,000 square miles oi' the low country about the estuary of the Fraser and in the lower part of its valley. Lignite has been found in as.sociatiou with these rocks at Burrard Inlet and other localities, and specimens of a fuel resembling true bituminous coal (and coking on the Fuels of Burrard Iiik't and Lower Fraser. * Report of Progress GeoLSurv. Can., 1870-80, p. 101 k. t See Report of Progress Qeol. Surr. Can. 1879-80, p. 134 h. t See Report of Mr. Bailley WillU, U.S. 10th Census, vol. zv, p.7G'A on.the Puget Sound Oroup, Am. Juurn. Soi., vol, .\xzvi. Dec, 1884- Also Dr. C. A. White ;ie9. It ro.* dary ol > thorc- ) River, ms, one Laramie lignitc- s not rt'- he 120tli inknowii lain true t of tliese 5 Miocene ity of the stage tlie Sound art' DtwMN.] GOAL. 95 R application of heat) have been obtained near the Eraser above New WestminHter. The remarkably good specimen of coal from the Bivor Chilliwack, of which an analysis, by Dr. Harrington, is given on page !»!> of the Geological Suivoy Report for 1873-74, is probably from this scries. The seams yet discovered are quite thin, but the low country underlain by the formation is deeply covered with drift and alluvium, and exposures are few ; so that boring operations will be neces- sary before the existence or otherwise of workable scams of coal or lignite can be demonstrated in this region. Some particulars bearing oil this problem, by Mr. Amos Bowman, may be found in the Summary Report of the Geological Survoj' for 1888 (p. 8), and notes on the more important localities are given afsome length on a later page of present report (p. 147 R).* The thickness of Tertiary rocks of which more or less complete exposures occur, is estimated at about 3000 feet. As probably indicative of the character of some of the fuels to be found \,ei"* "^ "* in the Lower Eraser region, the following analysis of that of Belling ham Bay may be quoted, f — Hygroscopic water 8.39 Votalite combustible matter 45.50 Fixed carbon 33.26 Ash 12.66 100.00 If fuels of this character, in bods. of workable thickness, should be found to occur in the strata underlying Vancouver or liew Westminster, the time has now arrived when thej' might be utilized on a largo scale for local purposes, even though not so well suited as the coals of Nanaimo and Comox for purposes of export. Tertiary rocks holding lignite are found fringing other parts of the Jo*Ut*** "*' '''" coast in greater or less width. They occur near Sooke,J and at various places on the south-west coast of Vancouver Island, and form a large part of the northern portion of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Partic- ular references to the principal places in which lignite is found, are i^iven on a later page (p. 145 a), but with the exception of the Lower Fraser region, none of these localities can be considered as of present importance, in view of the existence and accessibility of the superior fuels of the Cretaceous. Rocks of Tertiary age are known to cover great tracts of the interior Tertiary omI- of British Columbia, and it can now be shown that in most places theb«»rini roolu horizontal, or slightly-inclined basaltic and other igneous flows of the" ' * See alfo Report of Progress Geol. Surr. Cu. 1876-77, p. 138. t Coal Regions of America, Maofarlane. Third Edition, p. 577. ; lloport of Progress Oeol. Surv. Can. 1876-77, p. 190. I i' *.t 4: Iff ;^r $ m 96 R MINBRAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. interior plateau, arc attached to, and form the latent rocl^Bof the lignite- or coal-bcaring series of the Tertiary. From thiHfaet, and the known relations of the beds in a number of localities, it iu highly probable that sedimentary Tertiary deposits underlie a great part of the aro.i. where only the later igneous rocks are seen at the surface, and in many places where extensive exposures of these Tertiary deposits occur, more or less coal or lignite has been found in association with them. Very roughly, in our prenent comparatively slender knowledge of the region, it may bo estimated that this formation occupies between the 54th and 49th parallel of latitude, an area not less than 12,000 square miles. Nicola River I" ^^'0 Nicola Valley, near the mouth of the Coldwater, the occiii- and Coidwnter. y^j^QQ q( goal has been known for some yoni-s. The average of two determinations, by Dr. Harrington, gave the following result * Volatile combustible matter and moisture 36*065 Fixed carbon 61-290 Aah 2-645 100 000 The seam from which the above specimen was derived, has a thick- ness of nearly five feet, and is the lowest exposed. Other seams occur- ring higher in the soriOM approach lignites in composition. The rocks containing these fuels are chiefly yellowish sandstones, which ^a^» beneath massive volcanic accumulations, and are not well exposed except in the vicinity of the mouth of the Coldwater, though the over- lying volcanic series extends along the Nicola to its confluence with the Thompson, or for about thirty-seven miles. This locality is the most promising one yet found in connexion with the Tertiary of the Interior. Similar rocks to those hero containing the coal are also found to extend far up the Coldwater, and though not satisfactorily exposed, are known to contain more or less coal.f The lower beds of the Tertiary are again found to contain coal ut a place within three miles of Kamloops. The fuel is of a bituminous character and of good quality, but the seams so far found are less than a foot in thickness. Coal also occurs in the same position, about forty- five miles up the North Thompson, but here again the seams yet dis- covered are thin.t * Report of Prugress Oeol. Surv. Can.t 1876-77, p. 405. Another analygii made from i|>eeiiiien< subtcqueotiy collected is given in the table, (p. 98 r.) t See Report of Progrcis, Geol. Surr. Can., 1877-8, p. 123 b. t Summary Report Oeol. Sut. Can., 1888, p. 4. Report of ProgrcM, Oeol. Surv. Can., 1877-71), p. 113 n. Kamloopt And Thompson River. 1 1 'i- . *,. lA • ('■ ■■ ^ikii, ■1 ■;■■■ h ' I m i mki CAWMN.] COAL. 97 a lignit*- known robalilf \Q aro:i, n many occur, h them. of the peen the ) Hquare le occur- ;o of two — * •065 •290 •646 )^000 [18 a thick- ams occuv- The i-ock« irhich pat^s (11 exposed the over- icnco with luty is tlie iavy of the il are also iisfactorily coal at n Ibituminous re less than Lbout forty- [ms yet die- Ifrom »|)ecimens IV. Can.. l«7-78, Lignite:) or brown-coals aro fournl ubiinilantly in olhor parts of the orhor locaiitlsi Tertiary formation. On Hut Crook, near Marblo < 'ifi »n, n boJ of thia "fiigiiitofi. niiitorial 8urpaH? n. ; 1H71-7J p. .Vt ; I h; "fip. 217. 1 1, i\'^ t ;? %; :?j C! Si 98 b ST. a H MINERAL WBALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. eg* a'dS a"l3sl*3jiljjii: iccm ccooa •qfV oDurstcuse^c^tcw "TOO »-ee"»"o;»-i»io •pinqmoa •inmoA S7lB7!is ■av!]|03 litj JO i»0|i XQ I ChKfa&^V.W'y.WOQ 0003 CQ'/jVJ0QOD% Sulphur 06 IMicsplioric add trace Moisture trace At tho principal deposit of ore, situated as above described, a wharf has been built, and excellent arrangements made for mining and ship- ping. The ore is brought to the wharf by an incline nearly a quarter of a mile in length, from the point at which it is quarried out, about 250 feet above the seu-Ievel. Considerable quantities of ore have been shipped from time to time to tho works of the Puget Sound Iron Com- pany, situated at Irondale, W. T. The Texada ore is there mixed with from one-ninth to threo-tenthn bogore, found near Irondale, and pro- duces thus, or when smelted alone, an excellent quality of foundry pig. The shipments in 1885, amounted to H)0 tons; in 1886. 3941 tonsj in 18H7, to 1410 tons; and in 1888 to 7300 tons, valued at 818,400.1 Iron-ore deposits of the same character, and in considerable mass, are again found on tho opposite or north-east shore of Texada Island, and very probably are more or less continuously developed along the contact of the granites and limestones elsewhere in the island. Magnetic iron-ores of somewhat similar character occur in the hills to the east of Sooke Harbour, Vancouver Island. The deposits are on Sections 79 and 83, Sooke district, at a distance of about twenty miles from Victoria, near the coast, and well situated for shipment. The deposit is rather of the nature of a stoke-work than a true vein, but can bo traced for some distance in a N.E.-S.W. direction, and in places shews from ten to twenty feet of nearly pure ore. The country-rock is a coarsely crystalline diorite (?), containing much nornblendc. The following as- says of various specimens of the ore give the percentage of metallic ijon. — Win. Julian, San Francisco 72'40 Thos. Price, " " 51-80 " " '• " 57-30 J. T. Bernige, Cornwall 48-90 " " m-bO J. Kestle & Co., San Francisco 64 60 D. Wallace, Glasgow 61-50 " " 6500 * Journal of tlie Iron and Steel Inititute, ISSO, p. SOL *Tona of I2l0 lbs. 0AWMN.3 COPPER. 101 B >t by lonial wharf 1 ship- [uurter )ut 250 beon n Coin- ed with nd pro- liy pig. U tons; oo.t e mnes, iBland, ong the he hills are on ty miles pment. a true ection, . The much ore give >g •40 •80 •30 •90 ■50 50 •50 •00 Mugnotic iron-ore occurn in considerable masn in the (iiit'en Charlotte (^u,.en Islands, on the oast Hide of the entrance to Harriet Ilarbour, Skin-i,'il|nd"* kuttle Inlot. No attempt has, however, yet been made to utilize this ore. Ocoattional strings of pyrites traverse the oie, i»ut it is, as a rulo, remarkably pure. Specimens of an average character, collocted l)y myself in 1878 and examined in the laboratory of the Survey, proved to contain 680fJ per cent, of metallic iron, while an exception- oily good fragment yielded (»9-88 per cent.* Very pure specimens of magnetite have also beon brought from an other looaiitiM island in the Walker group, in Queen Charlotte Sound, near the north end of A'ancouver Island. These proved to contain 7l"67 per cent, of metallic iron. Another spocimon of a similar ore, comes from a deposit, which is reported to bo extensive, on the nortli side of Kivers Inlet, about twenty-five miles up from its entrance. Numerous other localities of iron-ores will doubtless ho found when sought for. Such additional occurrences on the coast as appear to bo worthy of mention as well as those known in the inland portions of the Province, are enumerated further on. (See p. 151 r.) Copper. Copper-ores are known to occur in many places, over the entire ocourrenoe of area of British Columbia. They were among the tirst to attract notice ""'I'l*'-""'- at several localities on the coast, and during the early years of the Province, various irregular and uncertain attempts were made to open up copper-mines, but none of these resulted advantageously to the promoters, and no copper mining has yet been initiated in British Columbia. Copper-ores in smaller quantity are very frequently ibund in little veins and joints in the altered volcanic rocks of the V"ncouver series, extensively developed on the coast, as well as in the similar rocks of the interior of the Province. Hundreds of such localities have been observed, but only a small proportion of them can be considered at all ])romi8ing. Such occurrences, however, should receive the attention of the prospector where met with, as the copper-staining of rock-exposures is sometimes the mostobvious indication of the presence of ores of the precious metals. It is further impossible to draw a distinct line between deposits which coppcr-ore? of are to be regarded as ores of copper and those which hold sufficient gold 'J;;^^^^''*"^ or silver to entitle them to bo classed as ores of the precious metals. Ill consequence of this fact, a number of metalliferous deposits which might with equal propriety have been included here, have alieady received mention in the pages devoted to the precious metals, t(j which reference should be made. Thus the Toad Mountain •Keport of Progregg, Geol. Surr. Can., 1878-'0, p. f4 ii. I i' ij m I ftp m 102 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITIHII COLUMBIA. i i ■ ■! ■«; ■ V ' 'i , ' ) . t r 1 1 t \ n Uowe Smiii'l. oroH, though owing most of thfir vnluo to uilvor, contain, in HpecimonH UHtiayod, iVom 25 to 47 per cent of copper. Tho ores of Jubilee Mountain, on tho Upper Columbia vnlloy, are ngiiin very rich in copper, and 80mo of them in which tho porccnt^igo of Hilvcr iH low, must bo rogurdod rothor an coppor-orcs. Copper-pyrites also occur in Home quantity in the Stump Lake ores and in thuHc of Novorai other places previously described. A deposit of copper-pyrites which appears to be of impoitanco, is that owned by the B.C. Copper Mining Company, on the U])per part of the South Similkamuen. Another discovery of gicy copper-ore, reported to bo extensive, has lately i)een nimle botwocn Rock and Boundory creckrt. In tho vicinify of the coast, the copper deposit which lias received most notice, is situated near the head of Salmon Arm of .Tarvis Inlel and between that inlet and Ilowe Sound. This is owned by tho Howe Copper Mining Company. The ore is chiefly bornite or purpio copper and the deposit is not far from tho coast, but at an elevation of 3000 feet above t^ea-fevol. It was discovered about 1874, and was worked at intervals between tho yeai-s 1877-S3, though rather with the view of .ilovoioping the property than for tho actual o.\traction of ore for shijv meiit. Three levels have- been driven on veins which are reported to bo from 2 feet inches to 3 feet C> inches in width. Assays have shewn 58 per cent of copper and 50 or^ucos of silver to the ton. An astiay of an Mvcrago specimen, in tho laboratory of the CJeological Survey, showed 40 per cent of copper. Tho veins travorso ^'ranitic i-ocks like those -* ' generally met witl» in tho Coast lianges. Tezado iHiiHnl. Somo exploratory work has also been done on a copper deposit of promising appearance situated on the north-east shore of Texada Island, at tho contact of marbles with an intrusive ma.ss of granite. The oi'O is copper-pyrites, mixed with iron pyrites, and much of it is of very gootl quality. A specimen collected by myself and submitted to assay in tho laboi-atory of the Survey, contained in addition to cop- per 10'20 ounces of silver to tho ton.* Tho mining operations at on» time attempted at Skincuttlo Inlet, Queen Charlotte Islands, in search of copper, do not appear to have boon warranted by the comparatively small quantity of copper-ore apparent there, and led to no good I'osult.f A somewhat pecaliar deposit of copper, upon which a shaft was sunk, was discovered near Sooko, on Vancouver Island in 18(J4. Tho copper hero occurs in the native state, as thin leaves quite apparent to the eyo, traversing green chloritic or diabase rock. A specimen subjected to assay, however, proved to contain but 1'02 per cent, of copper.J Queen Charlotte I(laiid8. Sooke. • Annual Report OeoL Surv- Can., 1880, p. U i\. t ReiK>rt of Progrefg OeoL Surv. Can., 1878-79, p. 63 b. t Annual Report Geo!. Surv. Can. 1886, p. ]9t. tit OAWMN.] MAD. 103 R MttH8o» of nativo copper Imvi' In'on found from time to tiroi' in vnri- Native copper. (iU8 pni'lH of tlio Proviiu'o, ami nui^^ots and HcaloM of tho Knnio matoHal linvo l>eon obtained in »luici-s-l)oxos in tho coiii'oo of gold-mining in a Mmmliof of piacoH, occnMionally in notable list of assays of ores of the precious metals (pp. 7(5 R to "!• r) sIv) id aUu be referred to. » Leak. As already oxi)laine(l, a large proportion of tho silver-ores lateU' A"»"eiftensivcly worked, tho Province will become a load producer ti) a notable extent. In consequence of the constant association of silver and lead, it has boon thought best to include references to lead- oies, for tho most part, under the head of silver. In theoros of Mount Stephen or Tunnel Mountain, on tho Canadian Pacitic Railway, and those of llendryx Camp, on the cast side of Kootanie Lake, may be mentioned as important occurrences of galena in which tho value of the lead bears a considerable proportion to that of the contained silver. Roth thesedeposits are now beingopened upand shipments have already l)oon made from the tirst-mentioned place to the smelter lately established at Vancouver. Deposits of galena which is not rich in silver, require to bo situated within easy reach of means of tninsport or marlicts, before they can be assumed to possess any inuncdiate value. Zinc. Zinc blonde is frequently found as an accessory mineral in tho veins Zinc blomle. tla>sed as those of tho precious metals, as will bo seen on rofcenco to tlio table of assays on pp. 7(> R to 79 r. No deposits of the ores of this 'Mb, BIINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Stibnitt metnl which posse? ^ economic importance as sources of zinc have, how- ever, yet been found in British Columbia. Antimony. Several occurrences of stibnito or sulphide of antimony are known, in the southern part of the Pi'ovince, which may prove to possess economic value. Antimony also occurs in small quantities, in combi- nation, in a number of argentiferous ores, but can in such cases be regarded only as an impurity. '.V Platinum. Vi o It. 1^ , II,; R: It i ■4 Localities The occurrence of platinum in association with placer gold is frequent piatfimm. i» several parts of the Province, and is alluded to in connexion with the enumeration of localities of gold-mining, in a number of cases. (See pp. 115 R to 144 R.) The metal occurs in notable quantity in the region of the Upper Similkameen and Tulameen, in minute scales where the gold is ' fine ' but increasing in coai-soness to nail pellets and nuggets in places where ' coarse' gold is found. Coarse grains and pellets of platinum have so far been found only on Granite, Cedar and Slate creeks, all entering the Tulameen on the south side. In certain claims on these creeks, the platinum has been found to equal half Jio weight of the gold obtained. It is estimated that from 1400 to 2000 ounces of platinum were obtained in this district in 1887, and about 1500 in 1888. Though above referred to as platinum, the metal so named is alloyed with several other metals of the same class, of which osmiridium is the most abundant. Specimens of the native platinum from Gi-anite Creek have been subjected to careful examination and analysis by Mr. Hotl- mann, who states that the material "having the composition of the ore here in question would, at this present time, be worth from 82"90 to S3"65 per ounce, troj', in the English market." Osmiridium is oiu- ployed, on account of its great hai-dness, for tipping the nibs of gold pens. " For this purpose it is necessary that it should be in the form of natural grains, and these are very carefully selected, the require- ments being that they should bo solid, compact and of the proper size and shape." This was not, however, ftiund to be the case with that present in the platinum from trranite Creek.* Probable .lource Platinum has veiy rarely been discovered in veins or otherwise In its t epatinuiu QJ.|gJ^^^ matri.v, and in the Ural Mountains, whence the greatest quan- * Annual Report Geol. Sunr. Can., 18S6, p. 67 t. Character or the platinum and its value, O^WSON.] MERCIRY. 105 R e, how- known, possess , combi- asos be frequent with the SB. (Sec region of 'hero the llets and rains and )edar and [n certain half the to 2000 ind about tilics arc obtained, it is almost always found, as in the cases above cited, in association with gold-bearin-^ alluviums. In the northern part of the Government of Perm, however, it lias been noted in a few ])laces with little or no accompanying goU, ""d it then appears to bo stated thut are omitted, ly immediate in largo sur- any pi""^ "'' overal plticcs on the C. r, arc susecpti-j noses may m ind g«' aniloi*l| es, previi'usly ,ded here, and] I various i)aii by Mr. Hi^'l' ^air polish-''"' sation ^';' Bvn Townsli'P It vcrd-antiq"' Limes and Cements. Importance attaches also to places in which limestone of good qual- sources of ity and well situated for the manufacture of lime and its shipment *"''p'''' occurs. Victoria is at the present time chiefly supplied with lime tVom San Juan Island, W. T., and from Saanioh ; for though limo- ^tone occurs in several places in the immediate vicinity of the city, it is generally of an impure and siliceous character. Vancouver also derives the greater part of its supply from the San Juan quarries. In this connextion, I think attention cannot be too strongly drawn to Opportunity for the fact that pure and excellent limestone, which often assumes the character of marble, occurs in the northern part of Texada Island in quite unlimited quantity, and that this island is scarcely less accessible \- imo of the i-actcr have ccur in the known they not known -ears since of ^l-fieW, these |i8, however^ Queen Chai- a health resort, accommodations for bathing, etc., being provided. There are in the Selkirks and elsewhere a number of springs locally known as " Soda Springs," which are highly charged with carbonic acid gas, and some of which are reported to be excellent as beverages. In the dry parts of the Interior Plateau region, many more or less sahne pools and lakes occur, but the salts in these are usually those resulting merely from the local evaporation of ordinary surface waters. There are also, in the same region, many small saline springs which issue from the superficial deposits or soft Tertiary rocks. These appear generally to contain sulphates of soda, magnesia, etc., and possess no economic or therapeutic importance. Such notes on individual springs as appear to be of importance are given in connexion with their enumeration on page 162 R. lelyecatteveil [ese are noted Iters contain Irizcd by an Umiralty or Lpious or the leir econonii*; possess tliora- fible extent is of Harrison' jfroquented as 8 f ! t^^:? ,.! 1 •|tf: "il ^ 1 i* 1 , :1 I ^^ ' ;■ ^ "■! '■ ■■ ' ; J i\. luji . u!:;li I . ,'■ ANNOTATED LIST OF LOCALITIES OP MINBS AND OF KNOWN OCCURRENCKS OF MINERALS OF ECONOMIC VALUE IN THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.* Gold (placbbs). Though many of the undermentioned placer-deposits are now abandoned, it has been endeavoured to make the list as complete as possible, for the purpose of indicating the localities of probable occurrence of auriferous veins. Fraser River. It is at this date difficult to correctly onumorato aud place the prin- cipal auriferous * bars ' of the Fraser. The greater part of the work upon those occurred in 1858 and 1859, the first years of the gold excitement. Many bars were then named and worked for a short time only, and of others which were occupied for a longer time and yielded a large quantity of gold, it is not always possible to obtain any statistics or facts of a trustworthy character. The beat authority for the names and positions of the more important bars, as far up as Lytton, is the Admiralty map of Vancouver Island and Adjacent Shores of British Columbia, No \9Vl, corrected to December, 1886. Much information is also contained in Vol. XXXII. of Mr. H. H. Bancroft's works, which that author has been at great pains to collect from innumerable sources of varying authenticity. From statements quoted in Mr. Bancroft's work, the greater part of the details of yield of various bars, given below, has been selected. The names of bars of which the position relatively to the others is not accurately known, are enclosed in parentheses. The various bars are arranged as far as possible in order, following up the river. Bars below Hope. — All these yielded very fine gold only. Maria Bar. — Twenty-five miles below Hope, near mouth of Chilli- wack River. This was the lowest bar on the Fraser which paid for work. (Several bars of which the names are not known.) * Unlees otherwise specified, the references throughout this list of localities are to the Reports of the Geological Survey, of which the dates are given, but not the full titles. I wi ■; 1 116 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITIBIl COLUMBIA. Hudson Bar. — A ditch ii milo long horo in 1B59. EarningH, §8 to |1(> a day. Corniih Bar. — Fii'Ht known rh Murderer Bar, four mllos below IIopo, In 18G0, tIAoen men were employed here, muking from S3 to 84 a day. ThiH and other barn in the vicinity avo:'ugcd i\» minimum earningH, (4 to $10 in 18&8. Bars between Hope and Yale. — Some of these bRrs yielded good roHuItM in 1H5H and 1859. In 1865 Chinamen wore bUII making from 82 to 85 on them. American Bar. — {Union Bar.) — Two miles above Hope. St. Clara Bar.— Posey Bar. — {Cameron's Bar.)— On thin bar nineteen men are reported to have made 875 a day each for three weeks. This was a mid-stroam bar. Emory's Bar. — Average earnings, 86 to 88. Texas Bar. — Yielded us high as 815 to 840 a day to the hand. Hill's Bar. — In 1858, the earnings are stated to have nvei uged 816 R day tu the hand. Another authority places the earnings .-'' from 82-50 to 825. Eight companies wore making from 815 to 84' Four men on one occasion sluiced out gold to the value of 81000 in ^. days. Ten claims, each 26- foot frontage, produced 830,000 in less than four months. (See p. 26 r) Yale. — Bars here produced 815 to 820 r dRy per man. Sluicing yielded 825 to the hand. Mining still in progress in 1888. Bars between Yale and Lvtton. — ^The bars between "Valo and Boston Bar are reported to have given an average yield of 812 a day to the hand, early in 1858. Sailor Bar. — Five and a-half miles above Yale. In 1868 yielded one to four ounces a day to the hand. Wellington Bar. — Washington Bar. — Spuzsum. — (According to Brancroft, there were between Yale and Spuzzum, named, in addition to the above bars — Pike, Madison, Steam- boat, Humbug, Surprise and Kelly bars.) Chapman's Bar. — Dutchman's Bar. — Cross Bar. — Siwash Bar. — Big Canon, — Nicaragua Bar.—Jn 1859, five men are stated to have taken out gold to the vRlue of $118 in one day here. OAWMM>] ANNOTATED LIST mP LOCALITIES. 117 R \% to 110 ,w Hope. $4 a day. nings, t4 ildod good «t Bar $200,000 Ithc adjacent irst to reach e wore aban- and having ments. The ,e illustrated 350 ounces a 300 ounces. ream, are as of the lower took out ail feason. p ground un- rold taken out of this creek in a length of half a mile. Rich ground now probably worked out, Davis Creek. — Good pay in shallow ground. Anderson Creek. — Good pay in shallow ground. Jaw-bone Creek. — No good pay found, Peter's Greek. — Joins Lightning Creek from the south-east, a mile below Beaver Pass. Reported to have aiforded a considerable quantity of gold. Not recently worked. Basford Creek.. — Tributary of the la.st. Work has been carried on here. Campbell's Creek. — Also a tributary of Peter's Creek. Gold found and worked, but no particulars. French Creek and Canadian Creek. — Joining Pleasant Valley from the south, have both yielded some gold and wore found locally rich, though paying ground run was through where the working was carried on. Probably not exhausted. Grouse Creek. — Six miles east of Barkcrvillc, heading with Antler Creek. Discovered 1860. Mined to some extent in 1861 and 1862, but with renewd vigour in 1864. The deep ground was very rich, and extended for about a mile near the upper part of the creek, giving out farther down. Deep ground worked out. Appearances favorable for hydraulic work. Antler Creek. — Discovered 1859, but no work done till 1860. Heads in Bald Mountain, opposite Williams Creek, and was one of the first creeks worked in this part of the country. Shallow ground for two miles, paid well, and has been worked out. The deep ground has not yet been much tested, owing t(» the absence of clay, and consequent large quantity of water met with in .sinking. All the gulches join- ing Antler Creek from the source down, have paid ( W^lf, California, Stephens', and Begifs Gulches.) The creek has never been bottomed where these side valleys fall in. Chinese have been at work, and get pay on benches 100 feet above the stream, a long way down. Antler Crock yielded gold to the amount of 810,000 a day for some time in 18(!1. It is stated til ?vt .le company of three men obtained in three weeks washing, $83,300, and that in some spots the ground yielded SiOOO to the square foot. Nuijget Gulch. — Tributary of Antler Ci-eek. Good pay found at mouth. Upper part not tested. Victoria Creek. — Tributary of Antler Creek. Has been mined near the mouth. Branch of Eight-mile Creek. — (Five miles north of Barkcrville.) A little mining work carried on here in early years. fi' 124 R MtNERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. ; ». Pleasant. Valley. — A transverse depression, four miles in length, uniting the valleys of Williams an(' Antlor creeks, and joining the former about three miles below BarKervillo. Has never been bottomed or much prospected, but might be embraced in a scheme for draining the valley of Williams Creek. (See p. 37 R.) Bear River, and country about Bear Lake. — Gold has not been found here in paying quanit}-. Swamp River — Has attracted some attention, but no good pay hap yet been fbund. Cunningham Cr.eA.— Discovered 18fi0, but not much worked till 1864. In early days, a crevice containing (JUO ounces of gold was found on this creek, about twelve miles from its mouth. Several hydraulic claims have been worked heie. Since 1864, attempts to reach the deep ground have been made, but have not succeeded. It has always been supposed that the deep ground in this creek would turn out rich, and if once proven to be so, a largo amount of work would immediately be undertaken. Harvey Creek. — The first gold in paying quantity in the Cariboo distri t proper was found here in 1860, but comparatively little work was done till 1864. One claim — the Minnehaha — has been exceedingly rich. Another at the junction of Swamp River, has paid well. The Cummings Company bottomed it at one place, and drifted up in a small caiion (unsuccessfully,) but found pay on entering wide ground. The upper part of the creek is deep, and has not yet been thoroughly proven. Creeks flowing into Cariboo Lake. — In Nigger, Pine, and Goose Creeks, small quantities of gold have been found. On the last-named, much money was spent in putting in a flume, but with small result. Keithly Creek. — Discovered in autumn of 1860. The main creek has only moderately deep ground, (twenty to twenty-three feet,) of which some is yet unworked ; it being expensive to open on account of the great quantity of water. Benches 100 feet above the stream have paid for open work, and some of them for drifting also, while a number of Chinese, who worked about the mouth, also got good pay. A little hydraulic work has been attempted here with fair results. Main Snow-shoe Creek. — Tributary of Keithly Creek. Has been mined about t)ne mile up, affording good pa}'. Ground deep. A tunnel about three-quarters of a mile long is being driven to work the bed-rock. Little Snow-shoe Creek.— Tv'ihniary of Main Snow-shoe Creek. T!iis is considered to be one of the most promising creeks of which the deep ground (though not extensive) has not been worked. Good pay DAWMN.l ANNOTATED LIST OF LOCALITIES. length, ning the bottomed draining )en found I pay hap I till 1864. found on hydraulic ;h the deep [ways been i rich, and lediatoly be i,ho Cariboo ■ little work exceedingly well. The ed up in a nde ground. thoroughly Goose Creeks, lamed, much esult. iin creek has [t,) of which ;ount of the imhavopai'l a number of ty. A Uttlo Has been fcp. A tunnel [the bed-rock. [Jreek. VaU lich the deep Good pay 125 R obtained from shallow workings. Hydraulic work has boon steadily carried on for some years and pay.s well. French Snow-shoe Creek. — Tributary of Snow-shoe Creek. "Worked at one place, near the caiion, whe.-e the ground was shallow. Eleewhero, the deep ground has not been tested. Four-mile Creek. — Tributary of Keithly Creek. Hydraulic mines and drifting near the mouth. Good pay. Duck Creek. — Chinese have worked here. No recent mininir of importance. Spanish Creek. — Falls into North Fork of Quesnel Eiver from the south (draining Spanish Lake) six miles below Cariboo Lake. Mining carried on at different times, but not recently. Prospects still consider- ed favourable. Black Bear Creek. — North Fork of Quesnel. Much prospecting and mining have been done here and coarse gold found, but no rich pay. Xot yet considered faih- tested' the ground being hard to work. Kangaroo Creek. — Joins North Fork of Quesnel about two miles above its junction with the South Fork. Paid well at one time. Cedar Creek. — Discovered in 1862, but scarcely worked till 1866. One pretty rich claim was worked here, — the Aurora — which yielded $20,000 in 1866. There were some other good claims in this year and the next. Pay-dirt six to eight feet thick. The creek is now worked by Chinese, who use the hydraulic method on a pretty large scale. Coquette Creek. — Near the last. Discovered 1866, but soon given over to Chinese and worked by them for some years. Not worked in 1886. Hazeltine's Creek. — Some encouraging ' prospects ' have been obtain- ed here. Moorhead Creek. — Some work done here, but without good result. Prospecting still going on. (1880) Quesnel Eiver. — Discovered 1859. Most of the work done on bars of river, though many workings on benches one hundred to one hundred and tifty feet above the water pay well. The gold is all fine. This region is now altogether in the hands of Chinese who resort chiefly to the Forks and South Branch. Several hundred Chinese work in this district during the summer, and winter at the Forks. The North Branch is said to have afforded profitable diggings as far up as Cariboo Lake. Swift Eiver. — Rather inaccessible, and hard to work, being a rapid stream with many heavy boulders. Considerable quantities of gold have been taken from it from time to time, and Chinese still at work. Fountain Creek. — A tributary of Swift Eiver, nine miles west of Mount Agnes. Chinese mining. L- ii I n4 iM s'fl ! i pi- -.fc Sii 126 R MINERAL WKALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Cafion Creek. — A second stream of the same name, joins the Fraser from the east above Quesnel. Diggings first reported in 1865. A con- siderable quantity of gold obtained here fyrmerly, some of it very coarse und mixed with quartz. Hixon Creek. — Discovered, 1866. A branch of the last. A nugget worth $700 was found here, and considerable placer>mining carried on for a length of two miles and a-half on the creek. Terry Creek. — A tributary of Cafton Creek. Discovered, 186T. Shal- low diggings yielded 06 to $8 a day. Goat Biver. — Discovered, 1836. East of the lower part of Willow River and flowing into Upper Fraser River. A trail cut out to the creek in 188*7, and some mining carried on. Smoky Biver. — Discovered 1887. A tributary of Upper Fraser"'' or from the north, some distance below last. Prospects of S3 to $i obtained with rocker, and considered encouraging. Hoi^se-fly Biver. — South of Quesnel Lake. Discovered and prospected in 1859 and 1860, in which years some paying work done on Horse-fly Creek, the branch connecting Horse-fly Lake with the main river. A party of five here took out at one time 101 ounces of gold in a week. Renewed excitement in 1867. More or less mining has since been cai-riod out on this river and tributaries, particularly by Chinese. But no really important developments have occurred. McLennan Creek. — ^Thirteen miles from Tete Jaune CScLe, running into Cranberry Lake. Gold found in 1876, reported at $4 to $5 a day, but owing to heavy boulders in the stream and expense of supplies, has not been worked. Similkameen, Bock Creek and Okanagan. Main Biver Similkameen. — (Below Vermilion Forks.) Gold found in sharp unwashed particles at mouth in 1853, by Captain McLennan's party. In the canon, near the 49th parallel, a considerable quantity of gold obtained in 1859-60; the lai'gest piece worth $22-50. Few Whites remained on the river after the first few years, but much work was done by Chinese. In 1866, a little excitement occuiTed, and forty or fifty Chinese went in to work. After this the river was almost abandoned for some yeare, but about 1882, mining revived, and a few Chinese have been at work, scattered along the river from Vermilion | Forks to the 49th parallel, ever since. Work confined to river-bars j and low flats bordering the river. Gold all scaly or fine. Creek, six miles above Boundary. — (South side of river.) Chinese have | lately been working here. DI^WWN.] ANNOTATKD LIST OF LOCALITIES. 127 R i! J Fraser . Aeon- it very k nugget arried on m. Shal- of Willow ) the creek i-aser^ er $3 to U prospected n Horse-fly a river. A I in a week. since been tiinese. But slie, running to $5 a day, of BUppUes, Gold fouml McLennan's ble quantity |22-50. Few It much work ]ed, and forty was almost [d, and a i'e^ \m Vermilion to river-bars 1 Chinese have] Aaktinoulou River. — Joining Similkameen from the south. Scale gold found but Indians object to its being worked. Siwash Creek, or Five-mile Creek. — Below Vermilion Forks on north side. Pi*o.spect8 obtained, but nothing to justify extensive work. Wolf Creek. — ^Joins Similkamean about nine miles below Vermilion Forks on south side. This h^ads with the source of a small stream which joins the South Fork of Olmilkameen, about nine miles above Vennilion Forks, a low valley running through. Miners think that this valley represents an old channel of the river, and attempts have been made to bottom it, but without success. South Fork Similkameen. — Gold discovered by government prospect- ing party under Mr. Allison in 1860, and "Whites and Chinese have been working off and on ever since. $10 to $20 a day to the hand ob- tained occasionally in early years on bare. Gold fairly coarse for thirty miles up from mouth and also found above this point, but not worked. Chinese have worked also in a little creek about sixteen miles up on west side. (See Eeport 1877-88, p. 156, b.)* Whip-sato Greek. — Tributary to South Similkameen, fiom the west. Worked in a desultory manner since discovery of gold on the river, the workings extending three or four miles up. Gold rather coarse. The bed-rock here and in the neighboring part of the Similki-xmeen consists of Tertinry sti-ata. It seems not improbable that richer deposits may be found beneath these in the pre-Miocene valley which they fill. Skagit River. — ' Prospects ' found in sevei-al places in early years, but no mining north of 49th parallel. On Ruby Greek, a tributary further south, gold discovered and working began in 1879. Nine-mile Greek. — A tributary of the last, heading near Granite Creek. Worked last summer for a mile or two from mouth. Gold rather coarse. More or less platinum found in this and on the streams previously mentioned. Tulameen or North Fork of Similkameen.^ — Some woi-k done on this river as early »8 1862, and though nearly all the white miners were drawn away to Cariboo about that time, it is nearly certain that Chinese have been working oft' and on ever since. Working resumed by whites as well as Chinese about nine years ago. Eiver proved rich from mouth up for about two miles, and paying work still in progress at various places all the way up to two miles above Eagle Creek — twenty-three miles from mouth. Gold often coarse, and on lower two miles does not appear so much washed as further up. On this part of river, three years ago, one company aver- * See foot-note p. 115 r. t Localities in this vicinity are referred to in greater detail, a< no published description of them lias yet appeared in the Reports of the Surrey. .1 I hi- II \m »>' fi itrliiji 123 R MINIRAL WEALTH OF BHIT(8II COLUMUIA. aged oarningH of $8 to tho hand. Four years ago, tseveral mlneirt made as high as 820. All the work on the h>wei- part of the river has been river-bar mining. Platinum is found everywhere along the river with the gold, and native copper in scales and nuggets weigh- ing as much as an ounce is occasionally found. Above Slate Crook, low benches and flats are mined by sluicing us well as tho bed of the river by wing-damming, and Indians work hero and there with rockers. It is thought that the extensive benches in the angle between tho Tulameen and South Similkameen would pay for hydraulic work, but it is difficult to obtain water for this. Pellets of silver-glance, strun;,' through with gold, have been found in sluice-boxes above Otter Rivei". Granite Creek. — Joins Tulameen from the south, nine miles above its mouth. Gold discovered in 1885 and caused considerable excitement, resulting in a great rush to tho creek in the same year. Benches or terraces 200 to 300 foot high occur at mouth of creek, but these have been cut through as the drainage-level lowered, leaving a flat delta or fan, on which the town is built. Just above this tiio valley becomes nar- row or V-shaped and runs back between bold mountains which rise about 2000 feet above it. At the bottom of the valley is a canon 200 to ;{00 feet deep which continues for nearly four miles. Above this the upj)er part of the creek and its branches are wider and with lower grades and have not been bottomed. Nearly all the gold has been obtained below tho First Fork or in the first three miles and a-half in length of the creek, in which tho bed-rock was found at a depth of a few feet. There is very little bench- or side-ground along this part of the creek, though an old higher channel, with good pay, is occasionally found running across points (as at the Gladstone claim). One or more runs of heavy gold are found in the * fan ' at the mouth of the creek, which has yielded in places two ounces to a set of timbers, 10 x 5 feet. The bed-rock has, however, not been reached below the mouth of the cafion. The greater part of the rich ground on this creek has been worked out, being quite limited. The gold is coarse and rough, and the platinum, which sometimes amounts to half by weight, has the same character, denoting a very local origin. About half a mile above the First Fork, a patch of silicified Tertiary argillite occurs in the bottom of the valley, shewing that the gorge is of pre-Miocene age, and the greater part of the erosion to which tho concentration ol the gold is due probably also dates from this early period. Forty "Whites, and about the same number of Chinese on the creek in 1888. Several nuggets worth from 600 to $100 have been found. The yield of the creek is estimated at $90,000 in 1885 ;«170,000 in 1886, and 090,000 in 188*7. Collin's G^M^cA.— South side of Tulameen opposite Otter River. Heavy gold found and a little work done. A small ravine only. DAWtON.] ANNOTATED LIST OF LOCALITIES. 129 R ,1 mlneirt t of Iho cro along )t8 weigh- ito C'look, cd of the :h rocktMrt. ,ween the ork, but it ice, Btrung ttoi- River. OS above its jxcitemcnt, Benches or these have Hat delta or ccoraes nur- ih rise about n 200 to :500 is the upper 3wer grades on obtained in length of i* a few feet. of the creek, lonally found lor more runs Icreek, vfhich 5 feet. The jof the canon, worked out, ;he platinum, ;e character, |e First Fork, of the valley, ter part of the 1 probably also same number from $90 to |ted at $90,000 liver. B Cedar Creek, — South side of Tulamoen above the lant. Gold rather heavy. A little work done. One eluiin gave 610 a day to the hand the first season. Coarse platinum fbunil with the gold. Slate Creek. — South side of Tulamecn lour miles above Ottei- River, riold discovered 1885. Work in progress since 188G. 15est rowult in 1887, $7 a day to the hand. Small hydi-aulic claim working at mouth. tJold coarse and associated with f^oarso platinum. Bear Creek. — North side of Tulameen one mile above last. Creek runs on bed-rock at mouth, and here a nugget worth 8320 was found. Above the mouth ground deep and has not been bottomed. Much gold on the Tulameen below mouth of this creek, which appears to deserve further work. Mine's Creek. — A small gulch above the lust, on the opposite side of the river. ' Prospect' of coarse gold. Eagle Creek. — .loins Tulameen from north-west two miles and a-half above Bear Creek. Coarse gold found but not much mining done. Champion Creek. — Joins Tulameen from south-east, about six miles above last. A lai-ge stream affording good pi-ospocts, but the ground has never been bottomed. Boulder Greek. — Joins Otter River from the west, near its mouth. Apart from Granite Creek and the main i-iver, most of the work in 1888 done here. Worked for about a mile and a-half up from mouth. Rock Creek. — East of Osoyoos Lake; a tributary of Kettle River. Gold discovered in 1859 or 1860. The narrow valley of the creek paid well for about a mile up, yielding generally one to two ounces a (laj- to the man. Some of the benches also paid, in one case, yielding half an ounce a day to the hand for a season's work. In 1861, 300 miners were at work here, but it was nearly abandoned in the follow- ing year. Working was renewed to a considerable extent in 1866. In 18(!8, $8 to $10 a day to the hand was obtained by ground-sluicing, and a bed-rock flume was constructed. In 1870 the Flume Company took out $6000 at their first ' clean up.' At the mouth of the creek, a large quantity of gravel had been deposited where the valley widened, and this was all thoroughly worked over, chiefly by Chinese, who have never quite abandoned these diggings. Desultory work among large bouldere, which obstruct the chnnnel, was carried on for many miles up the creek in early years, and lately a good deal ofsuccessf'ul placer work has been done about ten miles up the creek. It is near the last-mentioned place that the ' quartz ' discoveries elsewhere mentioned (p. 68 r) have taken place. Boundary Creek. — Joins Kettle River from the north-east. Developed 9 'J W\ Bf' '.I'*.' 130 R MINIRAL WIAI.TH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Ir' a little latof than tho lant. Somo vory coai'Hc gold found hoie, and u good deal of doHultory work done, but pay ' Hpottod.' Like tho last, the valley of this Htroam is narrow and cailon-like. nnd mont of tho raining was done near its mouth, and in places further up, where it widened locally. Kettle ovNehoialpitliwa River. — 'ProHpects ' found and Hinall quantiticw of gold obtained on thin river and several of its tributaries, nearly to the head, but no raining of importance over carried on. Country vory thickly wooded and difBcult of access. Okana off after tho first years. Tho value of gold obtained from 187H to 1HS7 (ton years) is returned at $231, 3S0. Tho greater part of the gold is now obtained by the hydraulic method, five companies being at work in 1888. Yield in IHHS, $24,400, though only a |)ortion of tho flumes and sluices were 'cleaned up' before winter. The gold is. worth $1S2.') an ounce. (Keport 1SH5, p. 152 u.) Jiull River. — Ten miles southward from Wild Korso Creek, coarso gold has boon obtained from time to time in paying quantity near tho cafwrn, but can be worked only at low water. Findlay Creek. — Thirty-two miles northward from Wild Ilorse Creek. Diggings discovered in 1865, and more or loss mining from time lo time. Much trouble from freshets, but prospects considered excollent. In 188G, an English company obtained a giant of about four miles on upper part of tho creek where gravel benches prospect well. A ditch five miles long has been constructed, and liydraulic work begun. A second hj'di'aulic company is at work further down on tho creek. Dutch Creek. — Lower end Upper Columbia Lake. Gold has been worked hero to a limited extent from time to time. Toby Creek. — Lower v . 1 of Lower Columbia Lake, Diggings found in 18G4, and considerable excitement for a time. Renewed interest in in 1885, when twenty men went to work on it, but in 1887, no work was in ])rogros8. Canon Creek. — Five miles south of Golden Station, C. P. Ry. Dis- covered 1883. Some coarse gold obtained and a few minors i-oported to bo making $8 a day in 1884. In 1SS7, no work. Work to be re- sumed by a company in 1889. Quartz Creek. Falling into Columbia Eivei- near Beaver Station, C. P. Ky. Gold discovered in 1884, but not at that time in paying quant- ity. About eighteen miles from Donald. Nineteen locations taken up in 1888, and active work expected. Ground ten to fifteen feet deep. Porcupine Creel:. — A tributary of Quartz Creek. Eighteen miles from Donald Station, C. P. Ey. Five claims worked in 1888, averaged ?10 to the hand a day. 132 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. ; ■'v.'i'.i lain8, close itity. jiddle, from Incitement. je. Known lia, between Lardo River — Entering Kootanie Lake at north end, from the west. Gold found. Slocan River. — Joining Kootanie River from the north below the lake. Gold found. Howser Creek. — On this and another stream tributary to Duncan River, which flows into the north end of upper Kootanio Luke, coarse gold has ijeon found. No work of imj)ortance. Salmon Greek. — Flows into Pond d'Oreillo River, neJir its mouth. Work here in 1865 and later, and some good results. Forty-nine Creek. — Flows into Kootanie River below the lake. Work in 1867 and later. In 1867, reported to yield coarse gold to the value of $6 to 018 to the hand. This creek and the last, head toward the Toad Mountain area, where quartz developments, elsewhere described, are in progress. Bed-rock not worked. Cottonwood Creek. — Joins lower end of west arm of Kootanie Lake. Prospects obtained. Columbia River. — Wherever suitably circumstanced bars occur along this stream, to the north of the 49th parallel, fine gold is found in greater or less quantity. In 1865, several hundred Chinese were at work within a short distance above Fort Shepherd. On bars five nwles above Revelstoke, $1-50 to $2 '50 a day is obtained at low water. Big Bend Country. French Creek. — Tributary of Gold Ci-eek nine miles from its mouth. Fifty miles north of Revelstoke, C. P. Ry. Discovered 1865, and in that year yielded at least $32,000. In 1866 the Big Bend excitement occuiTed, and this creek is reported to have pioduced gold to the value of §100,000. In this year or the next, four, six and oven twelve ounces to the hand a day was obtained on some claims, and otio nugget worth $253 was found. French Ci ook was the richest in the Big Bend rc.'iion. Lower part of valley all deep ground which has never been bottomed. The creek was entirely abandoned for a number of years, but work was resumed in 1886, attention being chiefly turned to the unex- plored deep ground, with promising indications. Creek and hill claims, however, still being worked with some succeso. A^orth Fork Illecilleicaet River. — Gold has been found heie, but little worked. ; *< ■ > . . ' OAWSON.] ANNOTATED LIST OF LOCALITIES. Kamloops Region and Xorth and South Thompson Elvers. 135 R Nicola River, — Scale gold found for about twenty miles up the Nicola, or as far as the mouth of Spioos Creek, also on Spioos Creek and its north-west branch, Prospect Creek. Only a little desultory mining done. Nicola River, above Douglas Lake. — Some gold found in 1887, and worked to a limited extent by Whites and Indians. Guichon Creek. — Prospect of fine gold reported in stream flowing in from the east below Mamit Lake. Deadman River. — Joins Thompson lliver from the north below Kam- loops Lake. A Chinese company worked on the east branch, in the canon a short distance above the forks, for one season. Ground probably poor. Tranquille Rioer. — Enters Kamloops Lake from the north. Gold liscovered 1858, and a])pears to have been worked with little inter- tion ever since, chiefly by Chinese. For many years twenty to thirty Chinese have been continuously employed here, but latterly the number has deci-eased and the earnings are now supposed to be small. The gravels worked are those of the banks and bed of the stream, and flats adjacent to it. (Jold has been found for a distance of eigiit miles, in all, up the stream. It is mostly scaly and some platinum is asso- ciated with it. The loeks cut through by the stream arc Tertiary vol- canic materials, and the origin of the gold is obscure. (See Eeport of 1877-78, p. 155 B.) (.'herrij Bluff Creek, Kamloops Lake. — (rold has been found here, and 11 little work was attempted at one time. Xurth Thoiupson River. — A lew of the river-bais, not far above Kam- loops, at (>)h. time paid to work. Jdwies fi Creek. — Thirteen miles up North Thompson, west side. Some ai.i. '^ i.n^ been carried on here. I.ouu (.'/ ■/, Twenty-nine miles up North Thompson, east side. Some mini.ig -ui'l to have been done here as early as 18G1, when $8 to §10 a day was cportcd to be made. Chinese and others have occasion- ally worked h( re since, chiefly in and just below the canon, near the mouth of the oreek. Higher tributaries to tiio south-eastward con- sideivd pronising. Burriire River. — Thirty-two miles up North Thompson, east side. Mining sa'd to have been carried on here with good results in or about IHCI.^ .1 ' ;,; ■ ^irer and Lake. — Some mining was carried on here in early years, ai;-! ^jld reported latel}' on some small streams flowing into the lake, but nothing of importance developed. SlmsW((p River. — More or less fine gold said to occur on bars along whole course. Some work done in early years. 1' iv # n '■' ■\§ 136 a MINERAL WEALTH OF bRITISH COLUMBIA. Scotch Creek. — Flows into lower part of Great Shu8wap Lake. Some mining done hero at different times previous to 1877 but abandoned for a number of years. Mining renewed in 1885 and in 1886, gold to the value of $22,000 produced. In the following year, the yield fell to $4000, and the creek is now again abandoned except by a few Chinese. Mining was carried on as far lip as the forks, eight miles from mouth of creek. Gold coarse, sells at $17 an ounce. Omenica Beg ion and Peace Biver. ' Vital CrecA;,— Tributary of Omenica Biver. Gold found 1869. First work done one irijn and a-quarter from mouth in ground from two to four feet deep. > •*^. ath of metal found 'silver' (arquerite) of which some nuggets, three ounces in weight. Some work still in progress in 1886. Silver Creek. — Tributary of the last. ' Two-and-a-half-dollar ' dig- gings found in 1870. Omtnica Biver. — More or less gold on the bars. Germansen Creek. — Discovered in 1870 and soon became the principal mining locality. Flows into Omenica Eiver on south side, and heads in lake near head-waters of Vital Creek. In 1870 good shallow dig- gings for three miles, yielding half an ounce to three ounces of gold a day to the man. Total yield in this year $70,000. In 1871 much worlv going on. Three men, near the mouth, took out ten ounces a day to the man, but there were many blanks. Some hydraulic worlv on benches has been successfully carried on. ' Silver ' (arquerite) also found in this creek. Some work still in progress in 1886. Mansen Greek. — Flows into Mansen Lake. Gold discovered 1871. Yielded $20 a day to the man in some places, and nuggets worth 680 and $100 were found. Two companies sank shafts to deep channel, with good results in this year. Only two companies at work in 1875 and making little. Some work still going on in 1886. Slate Creek. — A tributary of the last. Found rich in 1872, but fell off greatly in the following year. Miners stated to be making ex- penses in 1875. Lost Creek. — A tributai-y of Mansen Creek. The " Irwin Company " of five men took out 192 ounces in a week in 1871. Another company sank fifty to seventy feet to the deep channel and got large pay. Most of the deep channel never bottomed. Little work in 1875. Some work going on in 1885. Skeleton Creek. — A tributary of Mansen Creek. Elmore Gulch. — Some gold obtained. Miring profitable in 1874. Black Jack Gulch. — A tributary of Mansen Creek. Five men in 1871 made $200 a duy continuously here. OAWSON. Ma .'ippea Kile Mai Yield© Finl who hi its trib on all t three ai JVatio near he Parstt nerative tributari Iroquo reported Peace To the ( prospectf conrse. A. OtWSON.] ANNOTATED LIST OF LOCALITIES. 137 R Mansen River. — (Below the lako). Digging;* reported in 1871 but appear to have been soon abandoned. Kildare (t'mZcA.— Yielded a little gold in 1881 and 1882. May Creek. — (Osalinka of maps), A tributary of Omenica River. Yielded a little gold in 1882. Finlay River. — This largo ilver is well thought of by all the minors who have seen it, but has not been thoroughly ])rospet'ted, and none of its tributaries above Omenica River have been e.xamincd. Fine gold on all the bars, and in 18(11, on a bar three miles up from its mouth, three and four ounces a day to the hanil obtained. Nation River. — A tributary of the Parsnip from the west. Streams near head-waters known to be aui-iforous but very little prospected. Parsnip River. — The lower portion of this river proved highly remu- nerative for a limited time. Bar mining and fine gold. Its eastern tiibutaries fippear to be well worth prospecting. Iroquois CVee/..— Between Forts St. James and McLeod. Gold reported. (Report, 1875-70, p. 257.) Peace River. — Formed by the conHuenco of the Parsnij) and Finlay. To the oast of the Rocky Mountains, gold was found by a couple of piospectors from Quesnel in 18»tl. Scale and flour gold along the whole course. Many of the bais at first yielded $10 to 815 a day to the hand. II I m Cassia r District. (Facts relating to gold mining in Cassiar district are given in some- what greater detail, and in connexion with its geological features, in Annual Report, 1887, Part B.) Stikine River. — Gold discovered 1801. Very finegold all along river, but little profitable woi'k below Cleai'water. The good ground extended thence to Grand Caiion, above Telegraph Creek. Coarse gold was found in a few places above Telegraph Creek, in the eaiion. Bare on Stikine at first averaged $H to 810 a da}' to the man, and as much as two to three ounces sometimes obtained. Work has now practically ceased, possible earnings being reduced to 81 to 8!^. The circumstan- ces appear to indicate the existence of an old channel above the pre- sent river-bod and beneath the basalts, in the caiion. Below Telegraph Cieok, extensive benches at various levels which should pay forhydrau- Hc work. (See p. 47 R.) Tahl-tan, or First North Fork of Stildne. Heav}- gold found and woiked for a number of miles up this stream. Pellets of ' silver ' (an[uorite) also found. Tooya, or Second North Fork of Stildne. — ' Prospects ' obtained, but no ^eridus work known to have occurred. ^A" i->^ Si' ■ ■I,-.''' i' Pa ^?^ 138 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. D ease Creek. — Joins Dease Lake from the west. Discovered ISTS. Formerly yielded from 08 to $50 a day to the tiand, from the mouth for about six miles up. Further up, some Isolated good claims worked. The bed of the creek is nearly worked out, the ground having been shallow. A fow bench claims still yielding fairly. Hydraulic work on u small scale. Gold coarse and generally well rounded ; worth $15 50 to $16 per ounce, Thibert Greek. — Joins Doaso Lake from the west, near lower end. Discovered 1873. Good ground for about six miles up from mouth. Yield at about same rate as last. Creek bed worked out, but benches and side-ground being worked by hydraulic method and drifting. Gold coarse, worth $16 an ounce. Mosquito Greek, — A tributary of the last. Very good ' prospects ' have been obtained here; as much as $40 to a six-foot set of timbers. Defot Greek. — A tributary of Canon Creek, which is on the same (west) side of the Dease, with the last. Gold coarse, rough and often full of quartz. Large nuggets, including one of fourteen ounces. Has been, for a limited area, (about a mile in length) one of the richest pieces of ground in the district. The gold is evidently derived from massive de- posits of quartz, which occur at the head of the creek, at a consider- able elevation. Beady Greek. — Dease Elver, east side. A little bar-mining in 1874 and 1875, but nothing of importance developed. Eagle Hirer. — Dease River, east side. Gool prospects, but no mining carried on. McDame Creek. — Enters Dease Eivcr from the north. Discovered 1874. Highest earnings frofti $6 to $100 a day, when mining at its best. Gold coarse, worth $17"75 to $18 an ounce. Comparatively little work done in the sti-eam-bed, the best ground being an old high-level chan- nel, worked in places for fifteen miles up. Bench claims run for about seven miles up. Valley wide, with numerous tributaries, most of which yield gold. Gold has also been found on heads of streams flow- ing to the north, beyond the McDame water-shed. Snow Creek. — A tributary of the last. Discovered 1875. The richest single claim in Cassiar was neai- the mouth of this creek, and paid fni" a week 300 ounces for six or eight men. Seventy-two ounces washctl from one pan of dirt in 1876. Now nearly worked out. Gold worth $18 an ounce. Decomposed rusty quartz containing gold, found on this creek. Quartz Creek.— A. branch of Trout Creek, tributary of McDame Creek. Discovered 1875. Highest aveiage $5 to $20 a day. Gold coarse and rough, with quartz attached. Nearly worked out. Bosella Crt^eA;.— Tributary of McDame Creek. Discovered 187(). DAWSON. High( A banc Pat 820, A band Dem Croid \i Gold Gold w Slate Gold M'( Sov t Earning Abandoi Third diggings Spring made. Q doned. Fall Cr Rapid . tained, bu French i g(jld obtai Walker ^^'^ miles Pi'obubly ;, iiavc nevoi Rlack, 2 and said to ol^tained or ^^"tor,s, but J^-'Ower X, Tliibui't ar)( l^'ood dc-al ol '^''lo best kr •''t'oiit fifty ^ed-roci; Ba ^^'■''ulloch's ^'Pl'er Lit and more or ^^^^^ testing fan be obtnii i ;ovevecl its bost. le work si chiui- n- aliout most of 18 flow- richest nvul fill- [l worth )und on (loW DAWSON.] ANNOTATED LIST OP LOCALITIES. 139 R Highest average per day 85 to $15. Gold worth $18-25 an ounte. Abandoned. Patterson Creek. — Discovered 1877. Highest average per day $5 to §20, generally paid 'wages' at $Ct. Gold worth $18 an ounce. Abandoned. Dennis Creek. — Discovered 1877. Eeturns about same with last. Gold worth 61825 an ounce. Abandoned. Gold Creek. — Discovered 1877. Best earnings per day $5 to $50. Gold worth $18 an ounce. Bench and creek diggings. Abandoned. State Creek. — Discovered 1877. Highest average earnings $10 a day. Gold worth $18 an ounce. Bar diggings. Abandoned. Son r's Creek, or First North Fork of McDame, Discovered 1876. Earnings of $10 to $100 a day made. Gold worth $18 an ounce. Abandoned. Third North Fork of McDame. — Discovered 1877. Creek and hill diggings. Abandoned. Spring Creek. — Discovered 1877. Earnings of $10 to $20 a day were made. Gold worth $18"25 an ounce. Princijjally hill diggings. Aban- doned. Fall Creek. — Discovered 1877. Some gold obtained. Abandoned. Rapid River. — Dease Rivei', below McDame Creek. Prospects ob- tained, but no mining of importance. French Creek. — Dease River, north side, below McDiime Creek. Some gold obtained. Walker Creek. — Discovered 1876. Said to bo distant about .seventy- tivo miles in an easterly direction from mouth of McDame Creek. Probably a tributary of Black River. Some gold obtained, but results liavc never been satisfactory. Black, Turnagain ov Muddy Rirc.r. — Reached by same trail as last, and said to be about ninet}- miles distant from McDame. Fine gold obtained on bars, and supposed that coarse gold ma}' occur near head- waters, but has not yet been discovered. Lower Liard Rirer. — (Below confluence of Dease). — Here .Messrs. Thibort and McCullough first discoveied gold, and for some j'ears a good deal of work was carried on upon river-bars, the gold being fine. The best known bars, in oider down the river, were — Porcupine Bar, about fifty miles below the mouth of the Dease, north side of liver ; Bed-rock Bar, about five miles below last, on south side of river ; MrCulloch's Bar, near site of Old Fort Halkett. Upper Liard River.— (Ahoxo confluence with Dease). 'Prospects' and more or less river-bar mining in a number of places. In gravel- beds resting on old rocks at the Lower Canon, * wages ' at $4 a day tan be obtained with rocker. " . ' I Vm it -^. 'V 140 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. 1. M ) 'r 1 ^' V i if r rl-f The following crookrt in Cassiar District, which aro reported a» hav- ing yielded some gold, I am unable to \)\iico:— Mitchell's Greek, Brown's Gulch, Poorman's Gulch or Creek, Fred Hart Creek. Yukon District. This district is beyond the northern boundary of the province of British Columbia, which is constituted by the 60th parallel. A summary of the few facts relating to its placer deposits is, however, included here. The two localities tirst referred to below, are naturally attached to the Cassiar district, and have been prospected from that district. Sayyea Creek, — Joins Upper Liard from the west, about fifty-five miles above the Frances. Good prospects were obtained here in 1815, of coarse gold. Little work has been done, but i-eported that the paj'- ing ground gave out. ' ' ' Finlayson River. — Joins Frances Lake fi-om the west. Prospecting done at mouth, ten or twelve years ago, gave earnings at $8 to $10 a day. Many streams in this region have a very favourable aspect, and have never been prospected, (E'^port 1887, p. 113 B.) Lewes River. — Gold discoveicu, 1880. Mining began, 1881. Remu- nei-ative river-bars occur all along this river below the mouth of the Tes-lin-too or Newberry, but the richest so far worked are within a dis- tance of seventy miles below this point. Many bars yield $10 a day to the hand. Cassiar Bar, which has proved the best, is said to have yieldcil $30 a day to the hand in some cases, but is now worked out. Gold :< I fine. The whole length of this and other rivers will, doubtless, eventually be worked when the county becomes more accessible. (Re- port 1887, p. 180 B.) Teslin-too River. — A tributary of the last. Bars similar to those of the Lewes as far up as Tes-lin Lake. (See Eeport 1887, p. 156 b.) JVl-Sutlln-hl-nl. — The main feeder of Tes-lin Lake. Similar river- bars. A little work has been clone on them. (Report, 1887, p. 15(5 b.) Big Saimon River. — A tributary of the Lewes. River-bars, with more or less fine gold, along whole course, but no good paying bars yet worked. (Report, 1887, p. 152 b). Upper Felly River. — Remunerative rivei'-bars discovered in 1882. and some of these, between the mouth of the Lewes and iheMacmillan, have been worked. More or less gold on bars as far up as they have been prospected. (Report, 1887, p. 134 b.) Ross River. — A tributary of the last. This stream is believed to be the one on which several miners made at the rate of §18 a day .•?ome years ago. (Report, 1887, p. 134b.) Stewart ^ ' ^^fe. So„„ «ne ,„Ml.f::-te"r:f ° "'™-' *™ T-'Voco survey jn 1875. ^'® ^•> "^^n connected with C PR «»e,G„M.-Sk„e„,Biver. Prod„ei„g „ „„„ ,„ , . ^ncmver Island. * -^eecA i?eyer.— This ««.•«„»« k *;.of i.. ,e.,.,, „;::r<,„t zTtr^r '» '-^ »■• «« % 142 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. I j If I \ I yielded gold to the value of $100,000 to $200,000, according to various ©atimateH. Gold often coarwe and nuggoty, and earnings as high as $34 a day to the rocker were reported in 18()4. The rich ground found in the present river-bed is supposed to bo exhausted, though desultory mining has been carried on ever since at intervals. A good deal of ' crevicing ' has been done on bed-rock. Benches rather extensive and all contain more or less fine gold. The " Gordon Hydraulic Mining Company (Limited) " have lately acquired an extensive tract about half-way between Sooko Eiver and the North Fork of Leech River, and are putting in hydraulic machinery. For details on Leech Eiver see Report, ISTO-TT, p. 95. Sooke River. — (IJelow its junction with Leech River). — Fine gold only found here and probably derived from Leech River. Goldstream Brook. — Runs on strike of Leech River slates, further east. ' Colours,' but no pay, found here. Jordon River. — Discovered and worked about the same time with Leech River. Coarse gold obtained, largely by 'crevicing.' It has been estimated that $30,000 worth of gold was taken out within a few months after discovery. Ndnaimo River. — Attracted some notice in 1877, but has never proved rich. A few Whites and Chinese work here almost every year, making small wages. They follow the river up to its head, which is not tar from that of China Creek, Alberni Canal. San Juan River. — Entering San Juan Bay at about twenty miles above salt-water. Some coarse gold obtained by ' crevicing ' on a short length of this stream. Formation reported to be slate. Cowichan River. — Mr. Brown, of the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition, (18(i4) reports gold on all the bars of Cowichan River in quantities of one quarter of a cent to three cents to the pan. Foley's Creek. — (Cowichan Lake ?) Mr. Brown reports: " 'Pi-ospects;' to $2 per day and one which ought, to an experienced miner, to pay from $5 to $8 per diem." China or Atlat CreeA. —Situated about seven miles down Alborni Canal from its head, on south side ; not named on chart. Discovered about 1871 and worked steadily for three years, chiefly by Chinese. A little work still going on. Paid for a distance estimated at twenty miles up from mouth and gold found to sources. Earnings of Chinese .sup- posed to have been about $5 a day. Some prospecting for ' quai-tz,' with hopeful results, has been done in mountains about this creek. Awatsish Creek. — At ' First Narrows,' lower down inlet than last, but rising in the same mountains with it. Some coarse gold has been found, but ground very bouldery, and no serious work has been attempted. IJ'S! OAWION ] ANNOTATED LIST OP LOCALITIES. 143 a nous h as rich isted, rvals. nchcs ordon id an North For gold ■urthcr e with It has n a few ■ proved making not far ty miles 1 a short splorini,' iver in I'ospect^' to pay lAlberni ^covered )esc. A ty miles 3S0 sup- Iquartz,' lek. Jan last, las been IS been Bear River. — Head of Clayocjuot Sound. An excitomont about this place got up in 1H»!2 and 1S()3, and again in ISS", when twenty to thirty Whitos and many Chinese vinited it. Fine gold found but not iu paying ijuantity. Mr. Buttle, of Vancouver Island Exploring Expe- dition, reported occurrence of coarse gold on one of the sources of this river. (iold River. — Nootka Sound. Prospected on several occasions. Fine gold found, but not in paying quantit}'. Cape Gommerell. — North end of V^ancouver Island. Beaches with black sand containing gold. Little has yet been done to ascertain whether the gold is in remunerative quantity. Cope Cook. — Two smaller streams on outer end of this cape, and one on south side, give * prospects,' but bars quite limited and never worked. Ou-ou-kinsh Inlet. — A small sti-cam here known to yield a fair ' prospect.' Streams tributary to Puntlodge Lake and a little stream just east of Capo Commerell aie also known to contain gold in small quantity. Vov some of the above notes relating to Vancouver Island, I am indebted to Mr. J. Jacques. Queen Charlotte Islands. No paying gold-placers have ever been found in these islands, though gold is present in fiiw scales in deposits of magnetic iron sand, which are root with about Cape Fife, and possibly elsewhere. (Re])ort 1878- 7!i, p. 33 B.) Gold (Auriferous veins). The principal known occurrences of gold-bearing veins, as distinguished from placer deposits^ are enumerated in the table of assays of the precious metals, pp. 7G R to 79 R. In Mr. Bowman's report on the Mining Disirict of Cariboo about 100 localitie>> of quartz-veins in that district, known or reputed to be auriferous are catalogued and described, and these it is not oonsidered necessar// here to repeat. A feic localities only which arc not included in the table of assays, or in Mr. Bowman's report, are mentioned in the subjoined short supplementary list. Mitchell or Gold Harbour, Queen Charlotte Islands. — Eich gold-bearing vein, referred to on p. 17 R, exact ])Osition marked on Admiralty Cliait No. 2168, and in Geological Map of Queen Charlotte Islands, published in Keport for 1878-79. Mr. Woodcock, who again prospected this place in 1878, informed me that the original vein was probably i 144 R MINERAL WEALTH OP BRITISH COLUMBIA. not ovor tliroo feet thick, and Hppoarod to bo workcil complctoly out in an cxcnvfttion thirty foot long hy Iwolvo foot docp. Tho vein was quito vortical. Green cryHtallino country-rock, probably diabaHO. Mi-. Woodcock found nomo hmall quart/, scams about a luilo and ahalf from the original locality which contained visd)lo gold. Sebastopol Creek. — About sixty niilo« up the Skoona Kivor and above Kit8ala.s. " Sebastopol ledge," situated about two miles up tho stream. Assay by Mr. Tiornan, of Victoria, reported as giving — gold, 04218, silver, 13-47 to the ton, Clinton. — Loose specimens of luematito and quart/, containing visible gold, found here in 18S(!, but not traced t(» their origin. Koported to yield gold to tho value of C?00 to the ton on assay, (lleport of Minister of Mines of B. C, 1886, p. 207.) Near Cottonwood Creek. — (Near Toad Mountain, West Kootanie.) A number of claims located on free-milling gold-ores; reported to bo rich, and high assays aro quoted by Mr. Sproiit. (Report of Minister of Minesof B.C., 1888, p,29S)). Near Lardo Miver. — (West Kootanie.) Free-milling gold-quartz, reported to contain 84 to tho ton, has been found. (Report of Minister of Mines of B. C, 1888, p. 304), Fmllay Creek. — (East Kootanie,) Free-milling gold-quartz reportod. (Report of Minister of Minos of B. C, 1888, p, 307). Big Bend Region. — In addition to the places mentioned in the tal>i of assays, it may bo stated that rich specimens of gold-bearing quai derived from tho " Homestead " and "Big Bend" claims, have been received. Vicinity of Bock Creek. — Free milling gold-ores reported here, in addition to silver-ores. Rich hand specimens received. Referred to p. 68 B. Monashee Mine. — Between Cherry Ci-eek and Kettle River. Free g old reported. RefOi-red to p. 68 R, The following claims covering veins known or reported to contain gold, generally in association with some silver, are in the vicinity of the Lower Fi-aser, "Teague's" Harrison Lake ; "Seymour Creek," " Lottie," "No Surrender" and "Vancouver," at various places on or near Burrard Inlet. I am unable to fui-nish any authentic particulars respecting these, Texada Island. — Gold-ores recently discovered here, and many claimu recordej. lio particulars yet available. See p, 74 a. 0A.VION.J ANNOTATED rrsx or tooALmrs. 145 K The principal knoivn localities , f .// See '^^^0 some references un.lerke/^^^^^^^^ ■'^^«^*. PP- 7<; R ^o 71 r P'-posetoenciearour to name tk^ZJ^'^';-, ^t u-ould serre no useL -V ^-^^l^beenreco.le.aonsil rZZo^^^^^^^^^^ """■''"''' ^^-«« -S lh>.mpplementary list contains Hmn '^ '' ''''' ^^*^'*''' '<> do so often in nuggots, fou„d horo nT,^ "7'^'"''^^''' •'""""tio.s of arquorite .l«^o^l to analysis contained 83 30 '.^r"""'"'^- ^ ^Peoimon u^' ;-'ve «ilv.. o. -quentl «: 7r;Xa 7''^-^ '^'""" ^'-"^^^ of '"K ;vo 10 three pennyweights rft! T ,'0 '"^''' ^^'^'""ionally wei.,h *o"nd occasionally with the gold (t f, ""''"« «''^«'- or arquerite Smilkameen River near fkli> ^^^^P^''^ ^^77-7s. p. I62 b ^ «"- 0- arquerite o:;ar:j ; f r/T ^ ''""" ^^^^^^^^^ native ^^icoamen, TKompsc^ ItiverZ^^t " -^"'^'-^^"^hings. ^^•"■^h.ngH. Small pieces of" tht mLo Tr"''"""''"^ '«»''d in gold poveto bo silver and not arque Uef' ''lo ""' ^'^^^ «»>tained 'and «.Jora e .^ ,,.^ ^.^^^^.^^ tot e Len d I ""'. '''' ^'^^^^ «^ -- Tahltan River, Cassiar District T '^'"'°^«'-«^- (i^'poi-t 1887, p. 80 B.; ''''^''^^-^'•I^onto found in gold-washings. Coal and Lignite ^^rm. uorkin^s upon these, S ZelT '". T'^"" 'ndividuall, Z 'formation upon which the fortLZn'' ^^^^ """'"''^''^ ^"'^ -^^ f^^Survey, must be con Jed 'in HZ "' "''' '' ''^ ^'^^'^"^ ^^P^^ ^'^^-^^-n-Uthescattereddisco^Z:^^^^^^^ itiich have come under my notice. Q'^een Charlotte Islands. ^''^"Oif^, Skidegate Inlet —Kr^iu -. ' |»«;c.»p. (Bep„,;,|,^!4'^';'--^^"''™«eoo.l,„,„ehdia.„,b«,,,„„ 10 P ^t* K. (See also Beport 1887, p. 17 3..) * r •1^ tm' isa 146 b SIINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Chin-00-kun-dl Brock. — Lignite. Impure and thin seams. (Report 1878-79, p. 85 B.) Ya-kan Point. — Lignite. Irregular deposits on the beach. (Report 1878-79, p. 8G b.) Skon-un Point. — Lignite. Beds of some thickness on the beach. (Report 1878-79, p. 86 b.) Ma-min Jtiver, Masset Inlet. — Lignite in thin seams six miles up this river. (Report 1878-79, p. 88 b.) Naden Harbour. — Stream on east side. Drift lignite in the brook. (Report 1878-79, p. 89 b.) Vancouver Island. iTHi m ;> ••if;; h ■ 1' ^ ■ Nanaimo District. — Bituminous coal which has been worked for many years. Described on p. 90 k. (See also Reports 187(5-77, p. 170, 1871-72, p. 81, 1873-74 p. 90, 1874-75 p. 82.) Gomox District. — Bituminous coal, now being opened up on an ex- tensive scale. Described on p. 89 r. (See also Reports 187b'-77 p. i(!l, 1871-72 p. 7G, 1872-73 p. 32, 1873-74 p. 95.) Campbell River. — This stream flows into Discovery Passage. Bit- uminous coal reported on it about twelve miles inland. (Report 1S86 p. 19 b.) Kuhushan Point.— Coal reported in stream which reaches the coast, half a mile south of this point. (Report 1886, p. 18 b.) This localit\- and the last are included in the northern continuation of the Comox coal-field. , Forward Inlet area, Quatsino Sound. — Bitr.minous coal. Thin seams Oiiiy found as yet, noted on p. 8ii ii. (Set also Repoi-t 1886, p. 83 b.) Koprino area, Quatsino Sound, — Requires exploration by boring. No coal outcrops known. Referred to on p. 87 R. (See also Report 1886, p. 86 B.) Koskeemo area, Quatsino Sound. — Bituminous coals, noted on p. 86 u, (See aiso Report 1886, p. 89 b.) Suquash. — Coal. Noted on previous pages (p. 80 r, 88 R.) (See aiso Report 1886, p. 62 b., et seq.) Kliks'iwi River. — Coal seam near here of sixteen inches in thickiieds. (Report 1886, p. 62 b, et seq.) Kiuk River and vicinity. — Bituminous coal in thin seams. (Eepoit 1886, p. 62 B. et seq.) This locality, and that preceding it are in- cluded in the Suquash coal-field. Saanich Inlet. — Thin coal-seams found in several places in this vicin- ity, but none, so far, of value. Included by Mr. Richardson in«8". p « B ' "'"°" """'-- »»'y .-^ expo, ^- .g"H0.c„a:, „„„e to the^fi" 'e,t °T, '''™ '^™» »' Hsnlte., „.. lh» Brewery. Ji,.e„e,y Creek hilfr , '° "PP"'' »«''i»-- i» seen „,.° w -0 both a.d «st 'f tb ; : ^ -•* Of ra,»e Croek Z IZ 0. rander, P„i„t, s,„„| p^,., ", P?'"'' . ™6 lower series i, s„e„ „elt » «^ witbin half a miiet; lr,t:;H''\'-" "^''-^^-'oX Warnock Creek ivr«a -nr or %„ite. ■»* »^»ve „„„„, of river, a ,„■;",":•,„„ „,,„„, ««m es south „f ,,,,,, ,^^^;-J^^^^^^^^^^^^^ „,, ,,,.^,^_ ^^,^^^^ »»A village (Contreville) noarT,/ j ; '^"°"*-"'>-«' of Chilli . "'"■' >""'«». -■.'' »bout hi.f"r.r„r e 7„/ir: ."'t - *^'^'- ! «8c ot the road.ci-088ing Of t 'i W 148 R MINERAL WEALTH OP BRITISH COLUMBIA. 5 J the river. Many other occurrences of similar coal are known in the Cultus Lake rani^o of hills, which skirts the Suraass valley. (See analysis No. 19, p. 98 r). (The above notes on places near the Lowei Fraser are suppled by Mr. A. Bowman, and are given at greater length as they are not elsewhere available in published form.) Junction of Nicola and Coldtcater Rivers. — Coal, noted on page 9G r. (Eeport 1877-78, p. 125 b.) Coldwater River. — Coal, of same foi-mation with last, in several places. (Report 1877-78, p. 126 b.) Qiiilchena. — On McDonald's River, which enters Nicola Lake at this place, at about three miles and a-half from the lake. Lignite of poor quality. Thickest seam exposed about two feet. Guichon Greek. — Joining Nicola River from the north. Lignite of good quality found three to four miles up this stream, but bed not fully exposed. South Fork of Similkameen River. — (Above the mouth of the Pasay- ten) Lignite reported in micaceous sandstone. (Report 1877-78, 133 b.) South Fork of Similkameen River. — (Four miles above Vermilion Fork) Lignite. (Report 1877-78, p. 130 b.) South Fork of Similkameen River. — (Quarter of a mile above Ver- milion Fork, south l»ank.) Lignite or lignite-coal of good quality, which has been Avorked lately to a small extent for local use. Where opened, shews an upper seam nine feet thick, with a few small shaly partings, below this, some feet of mixed lignite and shale, and then a seam of clean lignite-coal four feet or more in thickness, the bottom being below water-level. Tulameen River. — (Three miles above Vermilion Fork) Lignite seven feet thick with one »ha\y parting of three inches. (Report 1877-78, p. 132 B.) Rock Creek. — (Half a mile from mouth on Kettle River.) Lignite, thickness not known. Kamloops. — (Three miles south-west of town.) Good coal in bane of Tertiary rocks, but so f:ir thin seams only found. Seep. 06 b. (Summary Report, 1888, p. 5.) Crow Nest Pass, — Rocky Mountains. Bituminous coal, near Marten Creek. See pp. 93 R, 97 R. (Report 1886, p. 69 b., 1887, p. 12 T.) North Kootanie Pass. — Rocky Mountains. Coal in thin seams on western slope of " West Summit." The coal actually observed here is not of workable thickness, but the measures are the same with those j of Marten Creek, and it is highly probable that important coal-setims j may be found here. This is the nearest part of the " Elk River Cre- taceous Trough " to the Kootanie valley, from which it is only twelve %'/'*, oi ^'•''J. '»■ to 10 ^ ^'^ar Man ^""' ''oporte 0AW8ON.J *•""""" "^- or .„„,,„„, •1 . °^ ^^ LOCALITIES »■' °f these Wis, ^b^r;;:" J; ^"^'^^ Mo„,u»i„, n,„,. ,. seam several feof /„ .u , ™^'®^ south of th^, u . . "^® ^^^- (■emg to the east of ,1, Cretaceous areas i„ th. B , '""■* "o British C„lu„b a rl ?""■■»'■«' »™ no, inlj'*? .''^^ Mountain, 'T'""- ^^^^'••-I^ignue. Seams so far found H- . jy^?/ r'r.,^7 iouna thin and «-:sfrf.;:;-«---%nite.„,.e,..,.,, ,,^^^^^^^ »'■ ^'^ito "ea 's 'Zl'T '"■"'' "'"' *'"■■' «-- -d .,t o • 8w.7«,p..5?;' ■" •^"--' -^ poo.. *« in.e..veni„^ „„,,,„ 'ft |-- »' l^Ppo.and Lo.e,. Ca«o„s and ■H'' I ft'; ■ p 150 R MINERAL WEALTH OP BRITISH COLUMBIA. Parsnip River. — Lignite in place, and abundant in loose pieces. (Report 1875-76, p. 71.) Kitseguecla, Skeena River. — Impure coal observed in Cretaceous rocks. (Eepoi t 1879-80, p. 103 b.) Babine Portage, near Babine Lake. — Impure coal, observed. (Report 1879-80, p. 104 B.) Upper Skeena. — Two localities, 9 and 20 miles respectively above Skeena Forks. Impuie coals, like the two preceding. (Report 1879-80, p. 105 B.) Watsonkwa River. — (Eighteen miles above Skeena Forks.) Bitumin- ous coal, reported to occur in quantit}-. Noted on p. 93 R. (Report 1879-80, p. 105 B.) Pine River Canon. — (Five miles above Lower Forks). Peace River district. Bituminous coal in four thin seams, the thickest being 2 feet, (Report 1875-76, p. 53.) Coal Brook. — East Branch of Pine River. Peace River disti-ict. Coal in several thin seams. (Report 1879-80, p. 117 b.) Canon of the Mountain of Rocks. — Peace River. Bituminous coal in thin seams, of which the thickest observed is 2 feet. (Report 1879-80, p. 119 b.) Tahl-tan River. — Cassiar district. Lignite reported to occur in Tertiary rocks. Rapid River, Cassiar. — Lignite-coal about two feet thick reported near mouth. Dease River. — (Eight miles above mouth.) Cassiar district. Lignite in thin beds. (Report 188*:, page 95 b.) Liard and Frances Rivers. — (Below and above their confluence.) Yukon district. Lignite. Thickest observed bed 3 feet. (Report 1887, p. Ill b.) Chilkat Pass. — (Near the head of Chilkat River, 40 or 50 miles north-west of head of Oh"i:at Inlet.) Bituminous coal, which, in specimens examined, seems to be of good quality. Reported to occur in quantity in an area of sandstones, shales, etc., which runs in a north- westerly direction. Lewes River.— (Lat. 02° 15', long. 130° 25'.) Yukon district. Lig- nite coal. Several seams, but none observed of great thickness. (Report 1887, p. 148 b.) Peliy, or Yukon River. — At Coal Creek, five miles below Forty-mile Creek, on east side of river. Two seams of coal or lignite-coal, reported by W. Ogilvie, of 6 and 7 feet in thickness respectively. Bi'li; !ceB. )cks. jport ibove 79-80, ;u rain- deport ) Kiver ; 2 feet. iistrict. coal in l87'.)-80, occur in reported Lignite ifluencc.) (Report 50 miies Ivvhicli. in to occur In a nortlv l-ict. T^ig- [thicknes!^. ?orty-inile |l, reported DAWSON.] ANNOTATED LIST OP LOCALITIES. 151 R Iron. Described on p. 99 b. Irregular masses in Thickest mass seen. South-ioest Shore, Texada Island. — Magnetite. (Report 1886, p. 30 b.) Mrth-east Shore, Texada Island. — Magnetite, limestone, with a more or less stratiform aspect. 4 feet. (Report 1886, p. W^ b.) Island in the Walker Group. — Magnetite of exceptionally rich quality. This occurs on a small rocky inlet near the north end of the "Walker Group, in Queen Charlotte Sound. The deposit has not been examined. (Report 1872-73, p. 82.) Elvers Inlet. — About 25 miles up the inlet on the north side. Mag- netite, resembling the Texada ore. Deposit said to be extensive/ Entrance of Rivers Inlet. — West side of Fitzhugh Sound. Magnetic iron ore reported. (Report 1873-74, p. 101.) Harriet Harbour, Queen Charlotte Islands. — Magnetite. Noted on p. 101 R. (Report 1878-79, p. 54 B.) North side Skincuttle Inlet, Queen Charlotte Islands. — Magnetite. (Report 1878-79, p. 53 b.) Cape Commerell. — North end of Vancouver Island. Magnetic iron sands along the shores, but scarcely in sufficient quantity to be of economic importance. (Report 1886, p. 77 b.) Knight Inlet. — One. mile up river, at head of inlet, on left bank, 1200 feet up mountain. Magnetite reported. (Report 1873-74, p. 100.) Opposite Seymour Narrows. — About six miles inland from Menzie's Buy. Iron ore. Reported to bo a considerable deposit. (Report 1ST3-74, p. 101.) SIddegatd Inlet, Queen Charlotte Islands. — Chiy ironstone in numerous and largo nodules in several places in the coal-bearing rocks. Bai/nes Sound Mine, Comox. — Clay ironstones in considerable quantity in association with the coal seams. Two specimens, examined* by Mr. Hiirt'mann, gave 30'83 and 29'T8 per cent, respectively of metallic iron. Alberni Canal. — Magnetite. About a mile below China or Atlat Creek. Consitierable veins traversing the rocU on the shore. Sooke. — (East side of harbour). Magnetite. Noticed on page 100 R. (Report, 1886, p. 17 T.) Soohe. — (near the last). Hivmatite. Seen in exposure on the beach, but deposit apparently not extensive. Near Hope. — A good specimen of magnetite. Reported as occurring about ten miles from Hope. Near Nicoamen. — Ravine at the mill, about half a mile below Nicoa- mori. Vein or ii-regular deposit of magnetite with iron pyrites. The latior in such large quantity as to render the ore valueless. A "I 152 R MINERAL WKALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Loadstone Mountain. — Near old " Brigade Trail," from Tulameen Eiver to Hope, nine miles south-west of mouth of Otter- River. Mag- netite in numerous veins, ti'aversing an intrusive mass of diorite. Veins actually observed, near the summit of the mountain, about six inches in thickness. Iron Mountain. — On Nicola, near mouth of Coldwater River. Specu- lar iron-ore in numerous small veins. Veins seveial feet in width re- ported but not actually observed. (Report, 1877-78, p. 122 b.) Similkameen Valley. — (Three miles above Keremeoos, north side.) Schistose hasmatite found. (Report, 1877-78 p. 86 b.) Bull River Canon. — Kootanie Valley. Massive htematite, occasionally coloured with copper carbonate. Found loose in considerable quantity. (Report, 1885, p. 151 B.) Cherry Bluff, Kamhops Lake. — Magnetite, in numerous, irregular veins traversing a greenstone mass. Some veins observed as much as three feet in thickness. The ore is of excellent quality. Specimens were found to contain 66'83 per cent, of metallic iron, with very little sulphur or phosphorus. (Report, 1877-78 p. 118 b.) Watkinson's, Fraser River. — (about 23 miles above Lytton.) Magne- tite. Vein said to be twenty feet in thickness, Quesnel. — Clay ironstone in Tertiary rocks, often converted into haematite by the natural combustion of adjacent lignite-bed. Similar clay ironstones occur in many places in the Tertiary rocks of the Pro- vince in greater or less quantity. Copper. ' (See also Table of Assays of ores of the Precious Metals, pp. 7C u to 70 r.) Near head of Salmon Ann, Jarvis Inlet. — Doposit of bornite and copi)or- pyrites. (See p. 102 n.) Knight's Inlet. — Ore similar to the last, very rich in hand specimens, locality not examined. Entrance to Howe Sound. — (Three miles north of Atkinson Point Lighthouse) Copper pyrites found in 1865, and a considerable amount of prospecting work done at one time, but now abandoned. Texada Island. — (Malaspina Mine.) Copper- and iron-pyrites in gangue of calcite and quartz. Accessory minerals, andradite, tremolite, chlorite and molybdenite. See p. 102 R. (Report 1886, p. 34 b.) Sansome Narrows. — Copper-pyrites. Some prospecting work done a number of years ago, but now abandoned. The ore appears to follow cleavage-planes in the rock. South-west side Dean Canal. — Specimens of vein-stone with ye'low and purple copper ores, collected by Mr. Horotzky. :■■* OAWSON.] ANNOTATED LIST OP LOCALITIES. 153 R een lag- oins cbes pecu- b re- side.) anally intity. •egular luch a8 cimens •y little Magne- ted into Similav the Pro- foTOK.) coppor- lecimens, >n Point amount writes in [vemoUte, B.) )vk done I to follow Ith yell ow Head of Kit'mat Inlet. — Small deposit of copper-pyrites and galena observed by Mr. Richardson. Homalhco River. — Entering head of Bute Inlet. Many specimens of veinstones containing copper-pyrites and some purple ore, have been brought from tbis river, not examined. Gnarled Islands, — North of Dundas Island, Dixon Entrance. Copper pyrites, small veins only seen. EllersUe Channel. — Near Milbank Sound. On the west shore of Ni- kiis Arm some woi-k was done .sevei-al years ago on a vein containing pyirhotite or magnetic ii'on-p3''rites and copper-pyrites. This deposit is known as tbe " Hebrew mine," and appears to deserve further exami- nation as a copper-ore. Port Simpson. — "Chimseyan Ledge". On the hill behind the village. Pyrrhotite with copper-pyrites in quartz gangue. A little prospecting work done. Discovery Passage. — (Two miles and two-third south of Otter Point) (Quartz vein with copper pyi-ites, not large. (Report 188(3, p. 44 b.) Xorth side of Skinkuttle Inlet, Queen Charlotte Islands. — " Old copper mine," copper pyrites in small quantity with magnetite. See p. 102 R. (Report 1878-79, p. 53 B.) Copper Islands, Skinkuttle Inlet. — Small irregular strings and bunches of copper pyrites in many places. (Report 1878-79, p. 52 b.) Copper Pay. — (Between Cumshawa and Skidegato, Queen Charlotte Islands.) Copper-ores occur here and some prospecting work done at - one time. (Report 1878-79, p. 29 b.) Small Island of Port Frederick, Queen Charlotte } unds. — Copper-ore reported by Captain Stuart, H. B. Co. Coasi two miles east of entrance to Sooke Harbour. — Copper-ore dis- covered 1864. Shaft sunk 120 feet, now abandoned. Native copper and cojiper-pyrites. See p. 102 R. (Report 1886, p. 19 t.) South Similkameen River. — (ICast bank, six miles above mouth of Whip-san' Creek.) "British Columbia Copper Co's. Claim." Deposit consisting chiefly of copper-pyrites, said to assay $20 to the ton in silver, appears to be rather irregular. Prospecting work done in 1882-83. The same belt of rock with that containing the copper is said to have been traced iu a north-westerly ',11 .-ctioii to Whip-saw Creek, and to shew more or less copper throuf^ ytit. Near head of Wolf Creek. — (About twelve miles above Vermilion Forks, Similkimeen.) Lai'gc body of copj)er oie reported to have been discovered by Mr. Jamieson, in 1888. Said also to ooritain silver. (Re- port of Minister of Mines of B.C., 1888, p 318.) Tidameen and Similkameen Rivers. — Nati^'^e copper in small grains, and occasionally in pellets weighing several pennyweights, found 'm j'old washings. 154 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. j«t -^ a .^ h.' Between Rock and Boundary Creeks. — Deposit of grey copper ore found in 1888. Reported to bo extensive and several claims taken up on it. Toad Mountain Region. — The silver-ores of this locality contain a large percentage of copper. See p. 102 r. Jubilee Mountain, Columbia River. — Though referred to on a pro\«ous page as deposits of the precious metah composed largely of copper sulphurets. See p. 102 R. Stump Lake Region. — Many of the ores found here, though chiefly valuable for the precious metals, contain a high percentage of coppei-. Brisco Range, Rocky Mountains. — (Opposite lower end of Upper Columbia Lake.) Rich copper-ore consisting of chalcocite, bornite and copper-pyrites. Holds no gold or silver. (Report 1885, p. 27 M.) Copper Island, Shuswap Lake. — Beds of talcose or nacreous schists, about six feet thick, impregnated with a considerable quantity of copper- pyrites. (Report 1877-78, p. 98 b.) Copper Creek, Kamloops Lake. — Irregular veins or impregnations of copper-ore in trap i-ocks. Native copper is also reported to have been obtained here by the Indians in former years. (Report 1877-78, p. 116 B.) Cherry Bluff, Kamloops Lake. — Copper-ores with magnetite near the west end of the bluff. (Report 1877-78, p. 117 b.) Watkinson's, Fraser River. — (About 25 miles above Lytton). Grey copper (tetrahedrite) in considerable mass. Thompson River. — (Rock-^[ide about six miles above Spence's Bridge, east bank). Copper-ores i ' rregular deposits, associated with breccia, etc. Apparently unimportant. Thompson River. — (Six niiles below Spence's Bridge). Rich purple ore found loose. Thompson River. — (Nine miles below Spence's Bridge). A rough fragment of native copper found here, weighing several ounces. Fraser River, mar Hope. — (" Murphy's Mine.") Vein containing copper, rather wide and well defined. Said also to contain $15 to S45 in silver. A long tunnel run in 1859, and work resumed for a time in 1879. Fraser River. — (About 30 miles above Fort George). Nugget of native copper weighing several pounds, found loose. Fraser River. — (Ten miles below Lillooet). Soiall lumps of native copper found in gold-placers. Bate's, or 150-mile house, Cariboo Waggon Road. — IJ'ugget of native copper, weighing about 15 pounds, found near here. Vital Creek, Omenica. — Pellets of native coppei found in gold wash- ings. DAWtONt] ANNOTATED LIST OP LOCALITIES. 155 R the Grey purple vougb itaiviing to8^» time in Lgget of If native niUive wabh- Quesnel River, near The Forks. — More than half a ton of native copper, in nuggets, obtained here during gold placer-mining. The precise locality appears to be " Twenty-mile Creek," which enters the river a little below Morehead Creek. Boulder Gulch, Thibert Creek, Cassiar. — Mass of native copper weigh- ing about 15 pounds, found hero. Also found in small nuggets in gold workings on other streams in Cassiar district. (Report 1887, p. 82 b.) Note. — As elsewhere stated, traces of copper ores and small irregular deposits in veins and jointagc-planes, or disseminated through rock- masses, have been observed in a great number of places, which it is not considered necessary to enumerate here. Lead. Most of the localities in which ores of lead are huown to occur have already hem noted in connexion idth silver-ores. See pp. 56 R to 75 r. Districts 6r localities likely to yield a considerable proportion of lead in connexion ivith silver-mining are, therefore, here merely mentioned. Refer- ence should be made in this connexion to the Table of Assays of Ores of the Precious Metals, pp. 76 r to 70 r. Mount Stephen, or Tunnel Mountain. — Extensive deposits of galena, holding a largo percentage of silver. (See p. 66 R.) lllecillewaet Region. — Large deposits of galena, often rich in silver. (See p. 63 R.) Hot Springs Camp, Kootanie Lake — Large deposits of gah.'na and 'carbonate ores,' often rich in silver. (See p. 61 r.) Hendryx Camp, Kootanie Lake. — Extensive deposits of galena, con- taining a moderate amount of silver. (Sec p. 62 r.) Rock Creek and Vicinity. — Galena ores, often containing a high per- centage of silver. (See p. 68 R.) Omenica Region. — Veins of galena abundant ; generally rich in silvei-. (See p. 73 r.) Nasi, River. — Specimens of galena ore given to the late Mr. J. Rich- ardson by Mr. W. Lyons. Precise locality was not stated, and the spec i mens have not been tested for silver. Lower Canon, Upper Liard ^trer.— Galena in irregular veins. Per ceiitage of contained silver not known. CMlcotin -B/rer.— Specimens of galena collected by Mr. Tiedemann. Percentage of contained silve:- not known. Xear Indian Village, Cumshewa, Queen Charlotte Islands.— ^nmQvow^ small veins in agglomerate, holding a little galena and iron pyrites. (Report 1878-79, p. 77 b.) r '■m l f" p,^ f •': " ."* '■ "'^.wB ■ % m ' M V 'i iff ■ i^ ■ 166 R MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. Galena is also present i.ri greater or less quantity in a number of the Cariboo mines, but does not appear to be so rich in silver as in the Selkirk region. Of veins in Cariboo in which galena occurs in notable quantity, the "Home Mule Ledge " near Barkerville, and the *' Holmes Ledge " on Break-neck Ridge, Snow-shoe Plateau may be mentioned. Antimonv. Near Watkinsan's, Fraser River. — About two miles below the iron ore locality already mentioned, and say 23 miles above Lytton. Vein about 14 inches wide, containing much stibnite, with quartz and calcite. Contains also traces of gold, and 2'18T ounces of silver to the ton. (Report 1887, p. 58 t.) Cumshewa, Queen Charlotte Islands. — Specimens containing antimony and arsenic, probably from this place, obtained by Captain Stuait, H. B. Co. Platinum. Zipper Similkameen and Tulameen Region. — Platinum, often in nuggets, observed in a number of localities where gold-mining is carried on. (For the names of these places sec p. 104 R.> Tranquille River, Kamloops Lake. — Found in tine scales with gold. (Report 187T-T8, p. 155 b.) Fraser River. — Mentioned as occurring in very fine scales, with goUi, particularly at a place ten miles below Lillooet. Yukon River. — Found in small quantities, in fine scales, with river- bar gold on all, or nearly all, the tributaries of the Yukon which have been worked. Mercury. Wa^/ta (Kicking Horse) Valley, Rocky Mountains. — ("Ebenezar Mine," three miles from Golden.) Bright red cinnabar disseminated in gangiie of calcite. Deposit prospected to some extent, but not proved to be of economic importance. (Rej)ort 1886, pp. 41 D., 9 t.) Homathco River. — Cinnabar found here during railway survey. Lode reported well defined and traceable for three-quarters of a mil(?. Country rock slate. The precise locality is, north side of Homathco River, nearly opposite station 3300, Cambio's Location Survey of 1875. Fraser River. — Grains of cinnabar obtained in gold-washing iioar Boston Bar. OAWtON.] ANNOTATED LIST OP LOCALITIES. 157 R Fraser River, 12 miles above Kelly's Lake Creek. — Some way up a stream which flows in from the west, at this place, rich spcciinenn of cinnabar containing native mercury, found. Vicinity of Xew Westminster. — A rich .spooimon of cinnabar, reported liy Mr. A. J. Hill, to have been found loose here. Silver Peak, near Hope. — Globules of native mercui-y seen in some ])art» of the silver-cu'c found at this place. MoLYBUKNUM. Near head-waters f-f South Fork Spu:zum Creek, Fraser Bicer. — Mol,ybdenite in quartz veins. Fine specimens received. Point east of Carrinyton Bay, Cortez Island, Strait of Georgia. — Molybdenite in small quantities in quartz veins. Tctada Island. — Molybdenite at Malaspina copper mine, in the vein. Near head of Salmon Arm, Jarcis Inlet. — Molybdenite in association ^vith copper-ore at the locality previously noted. (See p. 152 R.) ' Knight Inlet. — Molybdenite reported. Upper part of Cowichen River. — Specimens of molybdenite brought from here. Lillooet River. — Specimen of molybdenite received from this vicini- ty per Mr. A. J. Hill. \. Structural Materials. Building Stones, etc. {Mention is here made merely of several localities in which stone has been quarried, and of some others which are so circumstanced as to appear to be of importance.) Nelson Island, Jarvis Inlet. — Pinkish-grey granite. Takes a good polish, and has been used in the construction of the dry-dock at Es(iaimault. Well situated lor quarrying. North Arm of Burrard Inlet. — Grey granite, easily quarried in blocks of any size, at the water's edge, and used in construction at Vancouver. Admiralty or Salt Spring Island. — Greenish-grey sandstone of excel- lent quality. Easily quarried and shipped. Used in construction of dry-dock at Esquimault. Ptuder Jsland. — Sandstone of good quality quarried to a limited extent. Known as " Browning Island stone." Newcastle Island, Nanaimo. — Sandstones quarried here has been used in the construction of the mint in San Francisco, etc. (See p. 107 R.) ■■.;•' ■ ■ ■ it 'A w T- ■- ■ 158 b MINERAL WEALTH OF BRITISH OOLVMBIA. iVi nu'^' I 'I I " -fC r> ' Near Nanaimo. — Sandstones from an extension of tho measures at Nowoaatlo Island. Quarry opened in 1875. Chase Biver Quarry, near Nanaimo. — Sandstones similar to those above noted. Texada Island. — Grey, white and blotched marbles in unlimited quantity. These have been quarried to a small extent at Marble Cove on the north-east shore, throe miles and a-half from tho north point of the island. Useful for ordinary purpo.sos of consti-uction, and talcing a good polish. (Report 1886, p. 34 b.) Beaver Cove, nortlirecist coast of Vancouver Island. — Haifa mile up the stream, which enters at head of cove. G-rey marbles, often liandsomely variegated, have boon quarried to a limited extent. White Cliff Island. — (Between Chatham Sound and Gronville Channel.) Marble, white, grey and pinkish. Attempt made to open a quarry iu 1878. Marbles occur in many other places at which no work has occurred, on or near tho coast of British Columbia. Among these may be men- tioned : — Nimpkish Lake. — Grey and mottled marbles in groat abundance. Near Home Lake, between Qualicum and Alberni. — According to 3[r. .1. Eichardson, a great variety of ornamental marbles suitable for almost all purposes. (Report 1873-74, p. 101.) The following eight localities are those noted in tho course of a somewhat minute examination of tho shores of tho Strait of Georgia and Queen Chai'lotto Sound in 1885, as well adapted for the opening of quarries of building stone of good quality. None of them have j'et been utilized : — Near entrance to Squirrel Cove, Corte? Island.~^(Wost side of entrance.) Pale greyish hornblondic granite. (Report 1886, p. 23 B.) Walsh Cove, Medonda Island. — Pinkish-grey granite. (Report 188(], p. 24 B.) Bay on south side of Hardy Island, near Jarvis Inlet. — (West end of island) Granite. (Report 1886, p. 31 b.) Otter Cove, Discovery Passage. — Pinkish granite. (Keport 1886, p, 45 b.) Small Island opposite Chatham Point, to the nor^A.— Granite like the last. (Report 1886, p. 47 b.) West shore of Port Harvey, Johnston Strait. — Grey granite, also in several other places in this vicinity. (Report 1 886, p. 50 b.) Haddington Island, Broughton Strait. — Grey calcareous sandstone. An extensive quarry might be opened here with facility. (Report 1886, p. 57 b.) Ledge Point, Port McNeill. — Near the last locality. Sandstone, but OAWtON.] ANNOTATED LIST OF LOCALITIES. 159 R .res* at 3 above Umiteil lo Covo point of ,aking a B up the dsomely channel.) Luan-y in occurred, ■( bo men- ance. r to Ml-..l. for almost lurse of a f Georgia poning of liave yet [entrance.) pport 188(^, ;8t end of ■t 188(3, p. lo Ul£0 the |;e, also in istone. An ft 1880, p. istone, but liiirdor and loss favourably cirtuinstancod for working than the lubt. {Report 188G, p. (51 B.) Of localities of building-stono in the interior of the Province it ih ))nsHible only to mention a few in tho immodiato vicinity of the lino of Railway : — Sear Cantilever Bridge, Eraser River. — Kxcellcnt grey granite quar- ried here, for use in construction of piers. North Bend, Fraser Jtirer. — Similar granite quarried hco, to a limited extent. This and the foregoing i)lacc may bo taken as repre- ^^•nting a largo number of localities which might be utilized along this part of tho Fraser. South Siife of Kamloops Lake. — Nearly opposite Trancjuille, ditfs of tufacoons sandstone and brown dolerite occur which might att'ord liuilding-stono of fair quality. South Thompson River. — (Seven miles bolow outlet of Little Shuswap Lake.) Granite of fair quality comos out on the lino of railway. (Report 1877-78, p. 165 b.) On tho Shuswap Lakes abundance of moderately good building stones, (granites and other cyrstalline rocks) occur, and stones which may be u; od for construction are also found at intervals along tho line of rail- way eastward. Lime and Cement. Of limestones suitable for making lime, it is possible merely to mention a few localities in ivhieh lime has been burnt, or ivhich appear to be so situ- ated as to be of immediate importance. Victoria. — Several beds of limestone occur here in rnolttmorphic rocks, and a little lirod has been made from them from time to time, but the stone is to impure to afford a good lime. Saanich. — Limestones affording <>xcellont lime found in several places and burnt for use in Victoria. Texada Island. — The northern part of the island, ulreatly mentioned as a locality of marble, affords abundance of excellent material for the manufacture of lime, and is readily accessible, (see p. 109 R.) Xear Agassiz Station, C.P.Ry. — Limestone occurs here. Of specimens of three varieties examined in tho laboratory of the Survey, two proved 8u%iontly pure to make good lime. (Report 1888, p. 5G x.) Near Popcum, Lower Fraser River. — Limestone, apparently of good quality, in a stream on north side of Cheam Mountain, situated about half a mile from the Fraser. Reported by Mr. A. Bowman, Near Hope Station, C.P.Ry. — Limestone has been burnt here to a limited extent, at a place near Murphy's mine, about one mile above !'P N*vJ Vi* 160 b MINERAL WEALTH OP BRITISH COLUMBIA. 'A- r;^ ^f Hopo Station, and the same distance back from the railway. Lime has also been mp.de aboat four miles above Hope, on the east side of the river, but v/as said to be impure. About six ndles above Yale. — Limestone or marble which has been burnt, but. most of which is too siliceous to afford a good lime. Near Forty-mile Post, Waggon Road, Eraser River. — Grey laminated limestone, about lOU feet thick and apnarently of good quality. (Ee- port 1877-78, p. 163 B.) About severe miles above Spence's Bridge. — Limestone of good quality appears on the line of railway and also on the opposite side of the river, where it continues for several miles. (Repoi-t 1877-78, p. 163 b.) North Thompson, six miles and a- half above Kamloops. — (East side of river.) Good limestone. North Thompson, seventeen miles above Kamloops. — (West side of rivci-, near Venn's.) Here and at several places a few mile.: further up, abun- dance of good limestone for burning. South 'Ihompson, ten miles above Kamloops. — (North bank.) Extensive exposures of good limestone. (Report, 1877-78, p. 80 b.) This and the two preceding localities are in communication by water with Kamloops, etc. Shuswap Lakes. — Limestone suitable for burning in numerous places along the shores. (For details, see Report, 1877-78, p. 163 b.) Qailchena, Nicola Lake. — (near mouth of McDonald River.) Good limestone, which has occasionally been used for the manufacture of small quantities of lime. Near Stump Lake. — (a mile and a-half south from 'Palmer's,' on the hill.) Good limestone outcrops here, and may possess importance from its proximity to the Stump Lake mines. For other occurrences of limestone in the southern interior of the Province, See Repoi-t, 1877-78. Limestones occur in great abundance and of good quality in that part of the Rocky Mountain range which is ti'aversed by the railway. (Consult Reports, 1885. Part b., 1880, Part D.) Near Skidgate, Queen Charlotte Islands. — Volcanic tuflF resembling ' trass,' which may probably afford the bails of a hydraulic cement. (Seep. 100 R.) Ornamental and Precious Stones. The marbles included in the above enumeration, might be mentioned under the head of Ornamental Stones. For remarks on other materials see p. 108 R. Such localities as might be noticed under Precious Stones are mentioned or* pp. 110 r, 111 r, and need not here be repeated. ■ -W. J I W * nwi» DAW80N.] Lime side of B been ainated (Re- quality , of the . 163 B.) , Bide of of river, ip, abuu- ixtensive i and the 'amloops, 3U8 places 1-.) Good facture of f's,' on the inco from lior of the Abundance .ge which B., 1880, Uembling cement. annotated list of localities. Miscellaneous Minerals. 161 R Arsenic. — Native arsenic in considerable mass in veins seven miles a\) Watson Creek, west side of Fraser River, 25 miles above Lytton. (Eoport, 1886, p. 86 t.) Bismuth. — In long prismatic crystals of the sulphide, in quartz. Little Shuswap Lake, north side, a mile and three-quarters from bead of lake. (Report 1877-78, p. 162 b.) Iron-pyrites. — Specimen of massive pyrites, said to occur in hu'go (ixiantity, brought from Copper Island, Barclay Sound. Plumbago. — Large deposit of disseminated plumbago at Alkow Har- bour, Dean Canal. Plumbago. — Specimens obtained by the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition in the country north-east of Port San Juan. Nickel. — Nickeliferous sand obtained in gold-washings on the Frasei* liiver, corisists of magnetite, and pyritous grains attracted by the magnet, which consist of oxides of iron and nickel. (J. Blake, M.D., Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., V. p. 200.) Asbestus. — Thibert Creek, Cassiar. Specimens of a rather coarse and brittle variety of serpentine-asbestus. Asbestus. — Stewart River, Yukon district. Small specimen of good serpentine-asbestus obtained. (Report, 1887. p. 27 b.) Mica. — At a place about 120 miles north-east of Clinton, a large de- posit of mica is said to occur. Specimens of good size have been brought out, but having been obtained from the surface, are somewhat weathered. Mica. — In large crystals in veins traversing granites near tho ex- tremity of the north-oast ai-m of Shuswap Lake, and may prove to occur of useful dimensions hero or clsowhoro in the same mountain region. (Report, 1877-78, p. 162 b.) Nitre. — Filling cavities in a cavernous calcareous tula on tho Nazco River. (Report, 1875-76, p. 265.) Nitre. — Specimens received from Big Bar, Fraser River, where it liiobably occurs under circumstances similar to tho last. Bitumen. — Oozing out on the beach. Tar Islands, (iucon Charlotte !,'roap. (Report, 1878-79, p. 60 b.) Amber. — A rounded fragment found in possession of the Indians, and Slid to be derived from the west coast of the (iueen Charlotte Islands. (Report, 1878-79, p. 85 b.) xed under lis SfiC P- Uones are 11 162 R MINERAL WEALTH OK BRIKSII COLUMBIA. mJ i >^* !'■ Mineral and Thermal Springs. Nanaimo. — Salt spring. Ishucs fiom tho Cretaceous coul-bcaririfif Htrata near the Douglas seam, and according to Mr. Richardson, has a flow of two to three gallons a minute. The Hudson Bay Company at one time attempted the manufacture of salt here, but it was soon abandoned. The brine has been analyzed by Mi-, Hoffmann, who found it to contain 5215-4 parts of saline matter in 1000. Of this thirvy-ninc parts were common salt and the remainder largely calcium chloride. According to an analysis quoted by Pembeiton, it contained 49 parts of salt in 1000 in 1854. (Report 1872-'J 3, p. 82. Facts and Figures relating to Vancouver Island, etc., p. 159.) Admiralty Island.— 8a\t spring. According to analysis quoted by Pomberton in the place above cited, the spring contains ()5 parts of saline matter to 1000, but with more im|)uritios than the last. Harrison Lake. — Hot springs, known as " St. Alice's Well." Accord- ing to Dr. Selwyn there are two principal springs, with temperatures of 120° to 150° F. respectively, and both copious. The water has been analysed in the laboratory of tho Survey and the results will appear In the annual report for lfa38. ' Near Lillooet liiver — About five miles from head of Hari'ison Lake. Hot Spring, known as " St. Agnes' Well," no particulars. Near Upper Columbia Lake. — Hot spring. At about two miles beluw the lower end of the lake, on a hill on the east side of the valley. Estimated to yield about twenty gallons a minute, at a temperature of 112° F. The outflow produces a calcareous deposit. A qualitative analy- sis has been made by Mr. E. B. Kenrick. (Repoils 1885, p. 154 u, 188(), p. 15 T.) SineUiir Pass. — Rocky Mountains. Hot springs, cm south side nt Berland's Hrook, near the ])oint at which it issues from tbomounlain^ into theU|)per Columbia valley. Three springs repcM'ted, and said lo bo copious. Mr. John McKay, who discovered these springs, states llii temi»oiaturo ol" one as 108"^ F., of another as 118° F. Elk Mioer Valley. — Rocky Mountains, about Lat. 50° 7', warm sulphur-s[»ring reported on east side of river by Mr. H. M. HatfoiM. Kootanie Lake. — Hot si)i'ings, giving its name to the " Hot S|>iiiij,'> Mining Camj)." Situated on west side of lake, directly oj)poHi(e tlic "Blue Bell Claim." Several springs occur near the edge of tho lake and some l)olow tho water-level. Tompei-ature estimated at about 100° F. Upper Arroiv Lake. — Hot spi-ing. On the east nido of the lake, tv.'olve miles from its head, and one hundred and flfty yards from the j lake. Said to bo about as hot as can comfortably bo borne in balliini; DAWSON.] ANNOTATED LIST OF LOCALITIES. 163 U caring 1, bus' a ivs soon ,0 found i-vy-n'uK^ shloridc. l^^igurcs jotcd by ptirts of ' Ae.cortl- iperatun^s V has been appear in i-ison Luke. miles below tho valley. meraluro of ative aniily- u.. 5, p. 154 Uh sitle "I ^ inountiiiii^ (I saitl f*' '"■' iitc^, ll»-' si! tllliy |o 7', wiiiiii HalfoiM. Hot Bi )\)pos of the la>' I at ilc tlu' lee :il)t )iU of the Ids from lUkc. the in balhini?' Albert Canon Station C. P. %.— Hot spring. About a milo to tho north of the Station. Temperature about the same as tho last. . Xear Upper Arrow Lake. — Hot spring rejiorted by Indians at some distance back fj-om tho hike, on the flat hind at tho west side of the lake, three or four miles from its southern end. Near Albert Canon Station.— ^ Soda spring.' One mile and a half west of tho station on south side of the track. This and the following spi'ings are known as ' soda springs ' in conseiiuenco of the presence of I'irge quantities of carbonic acid gas. i\car Came's Creek. — On west side of Columbia liivci- and opposite the mouth of Game's Creek. Group of springs with copious escape of carbonic acid gas. Xear Downie Creek. — ' Soda spring.' Is situated about three-fourths of a mile north-west of the trail from Downie to Gold Creek and about foui- miles from the latter. Four miles ahooe Smith's Creek. — West side of Columbia Rivei-. Springs with considerable escape of carbonic acid gas, and deposition of iron-oxide, reported. Skeena River. — Left baid<, about fourteen miles above " Inverness Cannery." Hot spring No particulars. Stikine Uicer. — Hot spring. Situated a short distance above Buck's Bar and directly opposite the Groat Glacier. No particulars. Kcnnicot Lake. — At head of south branch of Taku Eiver. Hot spring. Said to feed the l>>ke. (Alaska and its Eesoui-ccs. Ball. p. 628.) Hot Sprimj Jslund. — Queen Charlotte Islands. Hot springs with a .slight smell of sul])hurcted hydrogen ainl a barely perceptible saline tasto. Temperature over 100° F. (Report ISTS-Tl* p. 22 u.) Vermilion Eivtr. — Vermilion Pass, Rocky Mountains, About six miles west of the summit, on the north side of the valley, copious clialybeate springs, depositing ochre, from which the namo of the pass indoiived. (I{cj)ort 1SH5, )». 120 u.) Maiden Creek. — " Dougherty's spring." South of Clinton, and about three miles up tho stream from the waggon-road crossing. Mineral spring, highly charged with carbonic acid, which escajxisin such large iinantity as to prove fatal to small birds ajjpioaching the spring. A (lualilative analysis by Mr. Keni'ick. (Report 1S8(!, p. 13 t.) McDonald's ' Oil (S/)rmr/.'— Head -waters of Omcnica Rivei-, lat. 56''. This spring is marked as above on Trutch's map of British Columbia. it is not, however, an oil spring, but is described as a small mound in the centre of which a hollow o.xists charged with carbonic acid to sutih an extent as to pi'ove fatal to birds and small mammals, Spallumsheen ylrwi.— Shuswap Lake. A spring known to the Indians iiN Pilpilpoopil, issues near shore of lake. Gas or air escapes with the water in considerable quantity. (Report IStt-TB, p. 25 u.) ifk t-m mn W: