Some gold seekers reported the occurrence of Gold in New Brunswick; they indicated several points in the metamorphic rocks of Albert County. Some specimens of supposed gold examined in nearly every case proved to be pyrite. Many of the quartz veins, showed traces of galena, and resembled those of the auriferous area of Nova Scotia; and the occurrence of visible gold in the quartz pebbles of the carboniferous conglomerates of the coast were interference. In Charlotte County, a metallic vein was exposed on the top of a low ridge of chlorite diorite. The veins carried chalcopyrite, quartz and some calcspar and foliate chlorite. Geologists noted the presence of bismuth, native copper, copper carbonate, and pyrite. One sample reported bismuth and gold.

W.S. Shea studied some places and provided important information on the gold-bearing gravels of certain river-valleys in Victoria, Northumberland, Carleton, and York, in Central New Brunswick and his main comments were that the gold in these alluvial deposits was derived from the quartz veins penetrating the rock; the gravels was derived from the disintegration of the rocks; and considering the richness of gold in California, the auriferous gravels should be important. In 1865, gold was discovered in small points in the Nipisiguit in the drift, but in no case did the washings indicate its existence in significant amounts. Quartz veins were numerous throughout the metamorphic rocks in northern New Brunswick, many of them were broken, but no visible gold was noted in any of them. The great majority of these veins were small and irregular and often of the nature of short gash veins. Works at various points frequently disclosed the existence of black sand with no gold.

In 1879, gold was found in quartz in one of the branches of the Nipisiguit. This material was treated in the Millstream, 14 km from Bathurst in rocks of presumed Cambro Silurian age. One of the streams in Northumberland reported good specimens of gold-bearing quartz. On the Little Southwest Miramachi, a fine specimen of gold was found, about 4.8 km above North Brach and not far below a heavy rapid known as Main’s Ledges, while on the Main Southwest, several small pieces were obtained a few kilometers above Boiestown.