asecporwnnloy oe pe reoped oumaeraf omeee

Saag Aclicperptte salle

oc ne a gn oe a tn RN oe ene ete ries

1306

Richardson states that a little below the rapid on Great Bear river “a small
stream from the southward flows into the Bear Lake river, near whose sources
the Indians procure an excellent common salt, which is deposited from the
springs by spontaneous evaporation.”? -He also states that a thermal spring,
much resembling sea-water in its saline contents, issues from the front of the
cliff known as the Rock-by-the-river-side, and the fissure from which it flows is
encrusted with crystallized gypsum. An analysis of the water showed that
the chief salt was sulphate of magnesia. Richardson was informed by Mr.
McPherson that a salt spring, having a basin 15 feet in diameter, which is never
dry, occurs on the top of Nahanni butte.2 This butte stands at the junction of
the Nahanni and Liard rivers. Mr. McConnell, who ascended it in 1887, did
not find the spring, but says “a neighbouring mountain, however, showed a white
patch on its steep side which is plainly due to the deposits of a mineral spring of
some kind, and may be the one referred to’”*

According to Petitot, salt occurs on mount Clark, and in this mountain two
saline rivers, known as Big Salt and Little Salt rivers, take their rise.°

An outerop of rock salt occurs on the northeast end of Bear rock and salt
from this outcrop has been used by the mission at Norman. Rock salt has also
been reported at Norman as occurring in the mountains to the west.

SILVER

The report that silver ore similar to the Cobalt ore had been discovered in
the vicinity of Fond du Lac at the east end of lake Athabaska led to a greai
influx of prospectors into this region in 1915. ‘The district was visited by
Charles Camsell in the summer of 1915, but an examination of the prospects
between Grease river and Camille bay failed to reveal any deposits of silver.®

A specimen weighing half an ounce and consisting of “an association of
erey mica schist with a white subtranslucent quartz more or less thickly coated
with hydrated peroxide of iron, carrying some coarsely crystalline galena” was
assayed for Mr. E. Lyon, who reported having procured it from the south side
of Great Slave lake about 40 miles east of Resolution. It was found to contain:

Golde 2 eee none, :
Silver poor ee eae 16°012 ounces to the ton of 2,000 pounds.

“The galena amounted to 41-2 per cent, by weight, of the whole; hence the
same, freed from all gangue, would contain at the rate of 38-865 ounces of
silver per ton of 2,000 pounds.”*

- 1Narrative of a second expedition to the shores of the polar ‘sea in the years 1825,
1826, and 1827,’ by John Franklin. Appendix No. 1, p. 13.

2 “Arctic searching expedition; a journal of a boait-voyage through Rupert’s Land
and the Arctic sea in search of the discovery ships under command of Sir John Franklin,”
vole I, p: 183. i

‘3 “‘Arctic searching expedition; a journal of a boat-voyage through Rupert’s Land
and the Arctic sea in search of the discovery ships under command of Sir John Franklin,”
vol. II, p. 203.

4Geol. ‘Surv., Can., Ann. Rept:., vol. IV, p..57 D. :

5Bulletin de la Société de Géographie, 6th ser., vol. X, 1875, p. 162.

6 Camsell, C., Geol. Surv., Can., Sum. Rept.. 1915, p. 122.

THoffmann,’‘G: C., Geol: Surv., Can., Ann. Rept., vol. XT, p. 38 R: -