The Toll (East Bertha) occurrence is located in the northern headwaters of Embree Creek, approximately 8 kilometres south-southwest of Mount Bertha and 7.1 kilometres northeast of Mount McCusker.
Regionally, the area is underlain by Upper Silurian to Middle Devonian Pine Point Formation limestone, marble and calcareous sedimentary rocks and Upper Devonian Besa River Formation mudstone, siltstone, shale and fine clastic sedimentary rocks, folded into a broad, northwest-trending anticline.
Locally, sphalerite occurs in dolomite as banded layers subparallel to bedding, fine disseminations and discontinuous stringers and blebs; it is associated with minor galena, swarms of calcite and dolomite crystals and massive pyrite bands up to 5 centimetres wide. Barite associated with crystalline calcite has also been identified in the area by diamond drilling.
In 1974, diamond drilling yielded intercepts including 0.85 per cent zinc over 1.5 metres (2.4 to 3.9 metres down hole) in hole EB-74-3, 1.34 per cent zinc over 0.60 metre (54.3 to 54.9 metres down hole) in hole EB-74-10 and 4.6 per cent zinc over 0.75 metre (34.35 to 35.10 metres down hole) hosting a 6.5-centimetre wide massive band of sphalerite associated with a massive calcite zone in hole EB-74-8 (Assessment Report 5469). Also at this time, a composite sample (97460) from a trenched zone yielded 1.28 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 5469).
In 1977, diamond drilling yielded intercepts of up to 0.87 per cent zinc over 7.4 metres (83.5 to 90.9 metres down hole), including 3.30 per cent zinc over 0.9 metre in hole EB-77-14 (Assessment Report 6445). This hole also intercepted a section of limestone breccia hosting barite with crystalline calcite that yielded 18.41 per cent barium over 4 metres (53.0 to 57.0 metres down hole; Assessment Report 6445).
Work History
In 1972, Woldex Ventures completed a program of soil sampling on the area immediately east of the Toll occurrence as the Dopp claim. In 1973, British Newfoundland Exploration Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling on the area as the Brin, JR, Lau and Toll claims. The following year, a program of prospecting, geological mapping, rock sampling, trenching and eight diamond drill holes, totalling 488.0 metres, on the Toll claim. In 1977, British Newfoundland completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and 10 diamond drill holes, totalling 1476.0 metres, on the Brina and Toll claims of the East Bertha property.