Gold mining activity has been interesting in Nova Scotia. The gold bearing series in Nova Scotia closely resembled the Cambrian and Lingula-flag series of North Wales, also auriferous. The lower members of the series were known as a succession of thick, bedded, greenish-grey, felspathic grits and sandstones or quartzites, with intercalated bands of shale; and these were similarly overlaid conformably by black, earthy, pyritic slates and sandy beds. On the south-west shore, measures occurred, as near Yarmouth.
The series of strata were thrown into well defined east and west undulations and again disturbed by transverse waves. The elevated points of intersection of these forces were denuded, the lodes of gold-bearing quartz occurred as sets of irregular ellipses. Some prospectors noted a similar connection of Californian lodes, with eroded anticlinal and a corresponding arrangement. The lodes were white, vitreous, opaque or milky quartz, differing very much in color and structure according to the varying conditions under which they were found. Some lodes were apparently destitute of mineral matter and hold traces of gold. These were usually white and massive, vitreous to granular and occurred 5 m in thickness. The thinnest single lode worked was the Irving at Mooseland, which varied in thickness from 3 mm to 6 mm. a lode 50 cm thick, was considered a large one.
Gold occurred in the lodes in spots and bunches of free metal, of every shape and size, up to 60 ounces nuggets. It is also present in the accompanying metals, as fine scales among their layers and crystals. It is stated that occurred under crystallized form. Among some specimens from Fifteen Mile Stream, it was noted a pseudomorph after a crystal of cubic pyrite. The precious metals were not confined totally to the lode; for in both slate and quartzite walls, crevices were found holding gold. Frequently where there were two or more lodes in slate, it was profitable to crush the slate, which contained laminated gold. The quartzite that was forming the hanging wall of some lodes, present fine gold.
The age of the beds holding the auriferous lodes of Nova Scotia are of the Middle or Lower Silurian; afterwards as Lauterian. Other studies indicated that they are of Cambrian age. Basically, knowledge of the structure of the gold fields was not the best for many years, as well as the depth to which the lodes hold gold. The chief auriferous districts of Nova Scotia were Caribou, situated 9 km south of the Musquodoboit River, at Hamilton Corner; Moose River, located 10.5 km west of Caribou and was accessible by road from Middle Musquodoboit; Fifteen Mile Stream, this district is a tributary of the East River of Sheet Harbot; Gay’s River, here the gold occurred in grain and scales at the base of the conglomerate and in backs in the slates; Lawrencetown, located 18 km east of Halifax Harbor and in the early days of mining considerable quantity of gold was taken from rich boulders and washings; Montague, Waverley, Oldham, among others.