Barkerville Gold Belt, Cariboo District, B.C.

INTRODUCTION

The writer commenced, in 1933, geological mapping and investigation
of the lode gold resources in Willow River map-area, Cariboo district.
In 1934 this work was continued, but special attention was paid to the
lode deposits in the map-area and in adjacent ground with the hope that
information would be obtained that would be of practical value in mine
development and in searching for deposits. It was found that most of
the main known deposits lay in a long, narrow strip of country, and this
strip, here called the Barkerville gold belt, was examined in detail and its
description will form the subject matter of this report.

The existence of a belt of rocks that is characterized by the presence of
gold-bearing quartz veins, and that is a distinct feature in a district of
scattered gold deposits, has been known for many years. The boundaries of
the belt have not been drawn previously nor has any explanation been given
of the presence of the belt. Bowman stated that profitable gold-bearing
veins were confined to the Cariboo series, and noted as well that there
was a striking alinement of deposits from Lowhee creek southeastward to
Grouse creek.1 Uglow divided the veins of Barkerville district into two
classes, A veins which are roughly parallel to the strike of the rocks and
B veins which are transverse to the strata. He also stated that the A veins
occur in a belt 4 mile to 3 miles wide extending from Round Top mountain
northwestward to Sugar creek, a distance of 26 miles.2 Lay directed
attention to the mineral belt near Barkerville, which he calls the Barker-
ville belt, and pointed out that it is both a gold placer and a vein belt.
The deposits of the belt proved to be very closely related to the bedrock
geology and it is desirable to present first a summary of the geology of
the district so that the reader will be able to understand more easily the
mode of occurrence of the mineral deposits.

REGIONAL GEOLOGY

The oldest rocks of Cariboo district are known as the Cariboo series.
The rocks are not fossiliferous, but from their structural position, degree of
metamorphism, and their similarity to Precambrian rocks farther south,
they are believed to be of Precambrian age. They consist of quartzites,
argillites, and limestones slightly to strongly sheared and having a total
thickness of many thousand feet. The series has been folded into a north-
westerly trending anticline. The medial part of the anticline is exposed

1 Geol. Surv., Canada, Rept. Prog. 1870-1877, pp. 26, 28.
2 Geol. Surv., Canada, Mem. 147, pp. 187-191 (1926).
3B.C. Dept. of Mines, Bull. No. 1, 1932, pp. 46-48.