As one approaches nearer
to the country of the Cats, one finds heavy and thick water, which ignites
like brandy, and boils up in bubbles of flame when fire is applied to it.
It is, moreover, so oily, that all our Savages use it to anoint and grease
their heads and their bodies."--"Jesuit Relations, 1657," 43:261.
Pierre Boucher (governor of Three Rivers in 1653-8 and 1662-7) thus
mentions the mineral products of Canada, in his "Histoire veritable et
naturelle de la Nouvelle France" (Paris, 1664), chap. 1: "Springs of salt
water have been discovered, from which excellent salt can be obtained; and
there are others, which yield minerals. There is one in the Iroquois
Country, which produces a thick liquid, resembling oil, and which is used
in place of oil for many purposes."--"Jesuit Relations," 8:289.] If we
assume that the fields have all been discovered and that the present rate
of exploitation is to continue, the supply of petroleum will be exhausted
by 1935 (twenty-one years), or, if the present production goes on without
increase, in ninety years (_i.
Pages:
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552