MINERALS 
3’? 
on these deposits since 1912 although these gold placers are not exhausted. 
Small quantities of gold are also recovered in smelting the copper ores 
of the Eastern townships 
The production of precious metals for the last fifteen years, has 
been derived from the smelting of complex ores, zinc and lead from Port- 
neuf county and copper-bearing pyrites from Eastern township mines. 
A part of the production this year comes from the Rouyn ores smelted at 
Noranda.* As this establishment began pouring only in December, 1927, 
a greatly increased production of gold may be expected for 1928. There 
are straight gold ore deposits in the Abitibi region, more particularly to 
the east of Rouyn township. From present appearances, considerable 
work will be done on these gold quartz deposits in 1928.. From January 
1 to June 30, 1928 gold in blister copper was produced to the value of 
£520,475. 
In 1927 the gold production of the province of Quebec was valued at 
$172.214. an increase of nearly 150 per cent. 
Silver.—No silver mines have yet been discovered in the province 
of Quebec, but there is a steady production of the metal recovered in the 
treatment of sulphide ores, such as lead, zinc, and copper ores. The value 
~f the production in 1926 was $417.777. an increase of nearly 80 per cent. 
Other Minerals.—Among other minerals to be found in the province 
are antimony, phosphate, natural gas, nickel. tungsten, manganese. baryte, 
tale and bismuth. 
Clay Deposits.—While investigation has shown that the high grade 
clays, such as fire-clays and pottery clays, are limited in the province, 
there is, on the other hand, a great abundance of raw material suitable 
for the manufacture of rough clay products throughout the St. Lawrence 
valley. In contrast with the clays of Ontario, those of Quebec are known 
as marine clays, deposited in salt water. 
The greater part of the material used for the manufacture of common 
brick in the province of Quebec is taken from the soft, stoneless clays of 
Pleistocene age, which are found abundantly in all the southern settled 
part of the province. One of the largest of. these areas lies between the 
Richelieu river and the St. Lawrence and extends south to the inter- 
national boundary. Another extensive area is found in the lake St. John 
region at the head of the Saguenay river, and still another large area, 
beyond the height of land, known as the Clay Belt, occurs in northern 
Quebec, where it is traversed by the Canadian National Railway. 
The Pleistocene clays of the St. Lawrence valley are remarkably 
uniform in their composition throughout the entire region and all burn 
7 See “Development of Mineral Deposits in Western Quebec in 1927", by Dufresne and Taschereau in 
Report on Mining Operations, Quebec. 1927, Department of Colonization, Mines and Fisheries, Quebec.