44 REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF MINES, 1929.

acquisition of the property by the Britannia Company, combined with the operation by that
company of the Toric, augurs well for a possible appreciable scale continuous operation, pro-
viding the silver market threatens no permanent set-back. The Britannia Company plans to
explore these properties intensively during the 1930 season. As the options on the Dolly Varden
and Wolf were negotiated late in the season, extensive exploration was not possible during 1929.
Other than sampling, no actiye work was done on the Dolly Varden. On the Wolf group 2,320
feet of diamond-drilling was completed by the Britannia Company in order to check results
obtained in the drilling of former years.
This company was formed in November for the purpose of developing the
Torbrit Mining Toric group holdings of the Toric Mines Company, Limited. The controlling
Co., Ltd. interest in this company is held by the Britannia Mining and Smelting Com-
pany, Limited, with an option for the balance of the shares. The optioning of
the Toric property by the Britannia Company early in the 1929 season is the most promising
development in the history of the Alice Arm camp. Shortly after commencing exploratory opera-
tions on the property the Britannia Company strengthened its position in the area by staking
a large number of claims in contiguous territory.

The property is situated on the east side of the Kitsault river, about 1 mile beyond Camp 8
terminus of the Dolly Varden Railway, and about 17 miles from Alice Arm. With the assistance
of the Department of Mines and the Department of Public Works a good road has been provided
from the railway to the camp.

The mineral-deposit is a coarse “graphic” intergrowth, in places showing brecciated
structure, of barite, quartz, jasper, hematite, and ankerite. The metallic mineralization is
fine-grained pyrite, galena, grey copper, with occasionally some ruby and native silver. Rhodonite
and rhodochrosite are sometimes distinguishable in the gangue. A development of high-grade
ore in places seems to favour the hanging-wall of the deposit.

At the time of examination a width of over 60 feet had been developed on the deposit under-
ground, but the walls are irregular and not clearly defined. The vein strikes N. 80° B. and
dips about 70° north. he exposures on the surface above the tunnel are only about 5 to 6 feet
wide. At the edge of the Kitsault river is an exposure 12 feet wide, heavily pyritized. The
wall-rock at this exposure is distinctly tuffaceous.

The definite correlation of the surface exposures with that in the underground workings had
not been determined at the time of examination. Generally the deposit is indicative of an
appreciable tonnage low-grade milling operation, the profit of which is dependent on the silver-
market outlook. The Britannia Company has energetically carried on exploration throughout
the summer and winter months.

The following information regarding the year’s work on the Toric has been kindly furnished
by C. P. Browning, general manager of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company: “Some
lateral extensions were made in the main level of this property. <A total of 816 feet of under-
ground work has been completed from the commencement of development in May to the close
of the year. This entailed drifting, some crosscuts, a raise completed to a vertical distance of
125 feet above the tunnel-level, and a short distance in a winze just being sunk to test the deposit
at depth. Four thousand and twenty-three feet of diamond-drilling was also completed, both
underground and on the surface. The results from this were co-ordinated, giving considerable
information regarding structure, widths, and values.”

This company is developing the J'iger group, situated on the east side of the

Utility Mines Kitsault river and immediately north of the Toric. The property has a well-

No. 1, Ltd. defined vertical vein varying from about 5 to 15 feet in width. It outerops in

a series of five faulted blocks over a distance of about 400 feet. Some good-

grade ore, with visible native and ruby silver in places, occurs in the various cuts and under-

ground workings. No. 1 tunnel, at elevation 2,050 feet, has opened up four of the faulted blocks

exposed in the various open-cuts between elevations 2,100 and 2,225 feet. No. 2 tunnel, at eleva-

tion 1,900 feet, is at present being driven to get under No. 5 cut (elevation 2,175 feet), where

there is a good showing of ore carrying galena, grey copper, and pyrite, with some ruby and

native silver over a width of 8% feet. No. 3 tunnel, at elevation 1,750 feet, is being extended
to reach the various surface showings at this depth.

The property is a very promising prospect. Commendable work is bein

g done in mapping
out and correlating the somewhat complicated fault conditions that

affect the vein. A crew of