er meet, forming a trough-like appearance, or
to change their course in a downward direction, leaving only a few feet
from each other at the narrowest point, and then diverge to an unlimited
depth. In this case their faces will have a slicken appearance, smeared
over with thin layers of imperfect Asbestos, or crysotile, now and then
compact, fibrous hornblende, up to 24 inches in length, of various
colours, and rich deposits of olivine, in rare cases small quantities of
"ground ivory" with many other admixtures.

The condition of the serpentine within these walls is greatly distorted,
containing many small veins of Asbestos varying from mere threads to 2
and 3 inches in thickness, and sometimes deposits of grains of magnetic
iron or magnetite with traces of chromic iron, which in some localities
break the continuity of the fibre, veins of rich white crystalline
matter (perhaps calcareous) with large deposits of "soapstone," or
steatite, associated with "serpentite." Such contorted out-crops are
indications of rich veins of Asbestos, which will be found to both
increase in quantity and quality the deeper they are worked. And in the
case where the walls are parallel and the filling matter in the same
contorted condition, it is inevitable, in order to obtain a good fibre,
considerable depth should be reached.

The serpentine, which constitute these walls, will also be found to
proportionally become more compact, and less associated with impurities,
and contain the finest quality and lustre of fibre.

A very interesting phenomenon may be noticed at some of the mines in
connection with this contorted matter. It is the transposition of the
serpentine into Asbestos fibre, by the action of the atmosphere. This is
to be seen on the dumps where the filling matter and cobbed rock is
exposed. In one or two cases I have seen large quantities of broken rock
changed into fibre after a few years, by atmospherical chemical
agencies.

In so many cases I find people are prejudiced from going deeper than a
few feet from the surface, as not finding a copious supply of Asbestos
there, when _good_ indications are shown they become disheartened.

Therefore, from these practical facts it will be seen that in order to
get the best results it is necessary to work at the lowest possible
level when a favourable out-crop is shown, as, possibly, working at a
high elevation on the out-crop may be a mistake, where a lower point is
available.

Th