Located on the North Side of the Port au Port peninsula, on a small road to the community of Boswarlos, in what was once known as Bellman’s Cove, is a large limestone quarry. The quarry was opened in 1911 by the Dominion Iron and Steel Company (may also be referred to as Nova Scotia Iron and Steel Company) from Sydney, Nova Scotia. When ore mining began on Bell Island by the same company, limestone came in demand as it was used to purify and separate the minerals in the iron rich rocks. The site was chosen because of its massive deposits, its proximity to its final destination in Sydney and its close proximity to saltwater would allow easy shipping by ship. Shortly after it was renamed Aguathuna by the quarry’s manager, Arthur House which he believed to be the Beothuk translation for “white stone” as in the color of the limestone rock. The name however was later determined to mean "Grindstone" not "white stone".
The mine was open on a seasonal basis and originally used a 2,600 lb steel ball instead of dynamite for extracting the limestone. Horses were used for transporting the stone, where it would be put on a ship and sent to Nova Scotia.
When technology advanced in the 1920s, steam shovels on track systems were used for extracting the rock where it was placed on locomotives that moved the rock around the quarry. At peak production, almost 500 people were hired in the quarry. The Aguathuna Quarry closed in 1964 after the company began suffering financial difficulties and other deposits of the resource were being discovered closer to their processing plants in Cape Breton.
We have spent a lot of time exploring the area and found that there are many interesting things to see, besides the fossils and old iron quarry across the road. Driving into the quarry the first thing you see besides the limestone cliffs is a two storey concrete building standing alone off the road. The building is in relatively good shape and is relatively safe to explore. The building is used by local fire departments as a training tool to simulate a burning house. The floors are mainly metal grating that is safe to walk on however some of the stairs are rotten and loose.
Walking down towards the shoreline, the remains of the old wharf can be seen along with several old metal towers and a small concrete building used for sorting and transporting rock.
An old, partly underground conveyor belt system can also be explored. The conveyor belt runs into the cliff perpendicular to the shoreline and then joins a larger, almost entirely sub surface conveyor belt that once transported rock onto the wharf and into ships. The conveyor belt is in fairly good shape and the tunnels still appear strong. However rotting wood and rusted metal creates hazards when exploring so I do not suggest going in here, without some serious safety considerations.
Along the coast line, small caves carved into the soft limestone rock can be explored and seen at low tide. The kids will definitely enjoy exploring this part.
The actual cache is located outside one of these abandoned buildings. It is a small, black, screw top container that should be relatively easy to find. Please remember that there is no need to enter the building since the cache is outside and the building itself may not be safe for children. It contains the standard collection of toys and trinkets, log book, pencil, and, when placed, a simple FTF prize. Happy geocaching, enjoy the sights while you are there and, most importantly, be safe!