The MN 9-10 occurrence is located on Vargas Island, approximately 4 kilometres north west of the community of Yarksis.

The area is underlain by the Pacific Rim Complex, a highly disturbed assemblage of pelitic to arenaceous sedimentary and vol- canic rocks of Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous age. Pelitic rocks of the Complex have been metamorphosed to schistose rocks and mel- ange. The Complex is in fault contact with the West Coast Complex of basic gneiss and amphibolite, derived from pre-Jurassic rocks.

Locally, highly arkosic greywacke and sandstone, and quartzite, argillite, tuff and limestone, are interbedded with felsic to basic flows.

Manganese is reported to occur associated with sheared cherty iron-rich tuffs. Abundant limonite occurs and is derived from extensive weathering of the iron rich tuffs to a depth of about 3.0 metres. Highest assays for manganese are less than 15 per cent manganese (Geological Survey of Canada, 1920A, page 22). The sediments strike northwest and dip steeply east.

In 1968 and 1969, Vargas Mines completed programs of geological mapping and silt and soil sampling on the area as the MN claim.