Port Au Port, Newfoundland

The last part of our Newfoundland collecting trip took us to the Port au Port peninsula on the west coast of the island near Stephenville. I was especially looking forward to this part of the trip because of the treasure we were seeking – pyrite!

The first pyrite locality we went to was West Bay.

Pyrite has been reported from several sites in West Bay. Perhaps the most well known site is Tea Cove https://www.mindat.org/loc-179995.html on the west side of the bay, but Mindat also reports pyrite from Piccadilly Beach https://www.mindat.org/loc-146642.html more centrally located on the south shore and at Shoal Point https://www.mindat.org/loc-220875.html on the north east point. Locals we spoke with indicated that pyrite is prevalent throughout West Bay and also in East Bay (the water body on the east side of Shoal Point).

At low tide, we walked a couple of kilometres along the beach. Some of the pyrite was embedded in the beach with only a hint exposed while many pieces were just sitting on the surface. We also found many pieces in the crystal clear, shallow water.

As we walked along the beach we would come across pyrite nodules. Sometimes they would be single pieces but many times there would be several pieces in a small area. We would gather up pieces of interest and because they are heavy we would place them on nearby boulders rather than carry them with us. Then on the way back we highgraded the material we collected and left the rest. We wondered how long they would stay there before being washed away by the water or picked up by another lucky collector.

The source of the pyrite are slate beds. The freeze thaw cycle and wave action combine to separate the pyrite from the slate. Some of the pyrite forms in irregular shaped masses, other pieces show crystal forms and others show combinations of irregular masses with generally crude crystals. As we found slate outcrops along the beach we would pay extra attention searching the area but not every outcrop had pyrite. Also, sometimes there was no slate near the pyrite we found. It really showed us the power of the ocean to move these heavy pieces.

So why Thelma and Scrunchions? Well, let’s meet Thelma

Tracey saw a hint of some pyrite sticking out of the beach but couldn’t get it out. So she waited and then asked Steve for his pry bar. Steve helped her and then I came over to help. So it was a real team effort to get this pice out.

It is 15 x 12 cm and weighs 4.36 kg. It has well formed cubes up to 3 cm across. It is a great piece and I’m happy it is part of my collection now (Thanks Tracey). Not sure why this piece needed a name but in any event Tracey named it Thelma because why not.

And scrunchions? These tiny pieces of wonderfulness are cured salt pork fried until they are crispy and most of the fat is rendered out. They are delicious – try them in a caesar salad in place of bacon. Scrunchions are perhaps the single greatest Newfie culinary achievement. Special thanks to Steve Szilard for introducing us to scrunchions and for leading us on the collecting trip.