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sediments near the contact, mineral claims have been located and con-
siderable work done on them in the shape of trenches, drifts, and short
shafts. None of these properties are shipping and only a slight amount of
work is being attempted on any of them.

The ore occurs in quartz veins in shear zones which are several feet in
width, with strikes varying from north 10 degrees east to north 45 degrees
east, and steep dips to the southeast. The sulphides are galena, sphalerite,
jamesonite, grey copper, and pyrite. These carry high values in silver,
as seen from the following analyses of ore from the Era (probably the Erie
group) taken across 18 inches to 2 feet of solid sulphides.

(1) Gold, 0-08 ounce; silver, 358-17 ounces; lead, 7-81 per cent;
copper, 0-75 per cent.

(2) Gold, 0:02 ounce; silver, 46-16 ounces; lead, 6-90 per cent;
copper, 0-26 per cent.

The high grade ore is apparently bunched or occurs in small shoots
accompanied by second grade ore and there was not enough of the former
to warrant continued development when the latter could not be utilized.

Though none of the showings examined were of importance, some of
them gave promise of value and in view of the present high price of silver,
together with the possibility of using the Silver Standard concentrating
mill, it seems that the best of these deposits warrant considerable attention.
The possibilities in this district should be as good as those at the American
Boy or at the Silver Standard, except that jamesonite is relatively more
important in these deposits and it does not contain as much lead as the
galena of the other properties.

NON-METALLIC DEPOSITS.

CLAYS.

The clays in the district under consideration are chiefly ‘‘ gumbo” or
boulder clay and have no economic importance; where the gumbo has been
re-sorted by river action, some good clays have been deposited. A sample
of clay was collected by J. D. MacKenzie of the Geological Survey, from
the east bank of the Bulkley river, 300 yards south of the bridge at Smithers,
and a similar sample from the same general locality was submitted for testing
by Mr. Duke Harris; these samples were investigated by J. Keele of the
Ceramic division of the Department of Mines, Ottawa, who reports as
follows:

“Stratified, grey, silty, non-caleareous clay on the east bank of Bulkley
river, 300 yards south of bridge at Smithers, B.C.

‘““ This clay requires 40 per cent of water to bring it to the best working
consistency. It is rather sticky when wet but works up into a smooth body
which flows fairly well through a tile die.

“The shrinkage on drying is 10 per cent which is excessive. It burns
to a good, hard, red body at 1,800 degrees F. If burned to a higher
temperature than this the shrinkage becomes too great.

“The clay is easily fusible and cannot be used in the manufacture of
vitrified wares.

tLeach, W. W., Geol. Surv., Can., Sum. Rept., 1909.