■ Id«
The Mining Magazine
W. F . W h i t e , M a n a g i n g D ir e c to r . E d w a r d W a l k e r , M .S c ., F .G . S . , E d ito r . P u b l i s h e d o n t h e 15t h o f e a c h m o n th b y M in in g P u b l i c a t i o n s , L i m i t e d ,
a t S a l i s b u r y H o u s e , L o n d o n , E .C . 2 .
Telephone: London Wall 8938. Telegraphic Address : Oligoclase. Codes: McNeill, both Editions, & Bentley.
Branch B.vd^ S u b s c ™ { “ ^ S & stage.
V o l. X L . N o . 6 . L O N D O N , J U N E , 1 9 2 9 . o n e ^ W
C O N T E N T S
PAGE page
Ed it o r ia l V a n c o u v e r ... 3 5 7
N oteS ... 3 2 8 Mineral Production in 1928 ; Portland Canal; Britannia De Re Metallica Out of P rint; Skinner's “ Oil and ®e?ch 1 T1?e Kootenays ; Alice Arm ; Survey of
Petroleum Year Book” ; North-East Coast Railway Mineral Lands.
Exhibition ; Suess Memorial Unveiled ; Birthday T o r n n t n
Honours for Professor Carpenter, Sir John Cadman, 1 u ru illO ... o u v and others ; Abyssinia and the Sudan. Sudbury District ; Porcupine ; Kirkland Lake ; Rouyn ; P o w e r H o u s e C h i m n e y E f f l u e n t s 3 2 8 Pat" cia District Manitoba'
Proposals for rendering smoke from power house L c H T lb o rn e ... 3 6 2 chimneys inoffensive are discussed as the outcome Mount Wcllington F River AUuvial East whea,
of consternation caused by proposed new Battersea LoveU PosIdar^ Polhyigey; Tindene ; Presentation
generating station. to Dr Cu„en
T h e I n s t i t u t i o n ’s A n n u a l M e e t i n g . . . . 3 2 9 p F R c0 n a t 3 6 9 An account is given of the proceedings at the thirty- ...
eighth Annual General Meeting of the Institution of
Mining and Metallurgy. 1 RADE PARAGRAPHS ... 3 6 2 R h o d e s ia n D e v e l o p m e n t s ... 3 3 1 B u c y ru s-E rie 12-vd. S trip p in g S h o v e l 364 The proposed new capital of Northern Rhodesia and the N o rth -E a s t C oast E x h ib itio n ... 366
railway communications existing and proposed are discussed.
R e v ie w o f M i n i n g ... 3 3 2 M e t a l M a r k e t s ... 3 6 7
Ar t ic l e s St a t i s t i c s o f Pr o d u c t i o n... 3 6 9
T ra v e llin g i n A b y s s i n i a Pr i c e s o f Ch e m i c a l s... 37 1 . . f ' R ° b e r ts ° n 3 3 o s h a r e Q u o t a t i o n s ... 3 7 2 The author gives his impressions and tells of the mineral ^
possibilities of a region about which little is known.
A R e v ie w o f C o n t i n e n t a l D r i f t M ™ ' ' . F W T M
t t 11 • / i v K irk la n d L ak e Gold A rea . . . . E . W . Todd 373
H y p o t h e s i s (c o n c l.)
D r . A r t h u r H o lm e s 3 4 0 F illin g S topes w ith M ill T ailin g s
■pv -i ^ , - 1T^ , • , i x George L . Richert 376
E a r l y G e o p h y s i c a l P r o s p e c t i n g (c o n c l.) P ostm a sb u rg M anganese D eposits
D r . W i l l i a m K . J o n e s 3 4 8 jr. t. N el 380
Le t t e r TO THE Ed i t o r A nalysis of C hrom e Ores
S o lu b ility o f C a s s i t e r i t e J • ^ • C unningham and T . R . M cN eill 384 T B S c r i v e n o r 3 5 2 C lim ax M olybdenum M ine, Colorado
B o o k R e v i e w s 11' CouItu 386
Thom ’s " P e tro le u m a n d Coal : T he K ey s SHORT N O T IC E S ... 3 8 7 to th e F u tu re ” ... M u rra y S tu a rt 352
Shand's “ In s tru c tio n s for ' U sing REC EN T PATENTS P U B L IS H E D ... 3 8 8 Q u a n tita tiv e M ineralogical C lassification
of E ru p tiv e R ocks ’’ . . A rth u r H olmes 353 N e w BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, ETC... 3 8 8
"A C o m p a n y R e p o r t s ... 3 8 9
£>ITS D ane ... ... oOT Kramat Pulai; Mining Corporation of Canada ; Mongu Nigeria Mount Isa Mines ; Mount Elliott and Cloncurry Tin Mines; Oriental Consolidated Mining; Patino Mines and Copper; Another New Guinea Venture ; Royal Enterprises; Pengkalen; Poderosa Mining; Sungei Kinta Tin
Commission on Mining. Dredging ; Tekka-Taiping ; Zinc Corporation.
J o h a n n e s b u r g ... 3 5 5 Di v i d e n d s De c l a r e d... 3 9 0 Postmasburg; New Manganese Company; Asbestos
Emerald N e W COMPANIES R E G IS T E R E D ... 3 9 0
■6— 3 3 2 7
I N order to save would-be purchasers trouble, we are asked b y our T echnical Bookshop to sta te th a t President H oover’s
De Re M etallica—which we published in1913— is now out of p rin t.
T H E 1929 edition of Mr. W alter E.
S kinner’s “ Oil and Petroleum Y ear Book ” has ju st m ade its appearance and contains its usual valuable store of inform a
tion concerning th a t industry.
I N various issues of the
M a g a z i n ein 1927 reference was m ade to a new tin extraction process being developed a t th e Geevor Mine in Cornwall, a n d we hope to publish n ex t m o n th th e details of a new p a te n t which has ju st been g ran ted to th e same investigators.
L AST week an extensively signed s ta te m ent was published favouring an arrangem ent betw een th e various tin- producing companies. Several im p o rta n t groups were, however, n o t represented am ong the signatories and in view of th e ir abstention it is n o t easy to see how a n y agreem ent in this m a tte r can be reached.
E L S E W H E R E in this issue a descrip
tion is given of some of th e exhibits a t th e N o rth -E ast Coast E x h ib itio n , w hich th e Prince of W ales opened on May 14 an d which is to ru n th ro u g h th e sum m er season.
An a tte m p t has been m ade to reproduce on a sm aller scale th e W em bley E x h ibition and it is n o t too m uch to say th a t in this its organizers have been entirely successful.
I N our issue of Ju ly , 1928, a tte n tio n was called to a proposed m em orial to E dw ard Suess, to be erected a t his b irth p lace in Islington. On May 28 th e A ustrian A m bassador, in th e presence of a d istin guished com pany of geologists, unveiled a plaque an d Professor J . W . G regory in th e course of a trib u te said th a t Suess ran k ed as th e g reatest original force of th e geological philosophy of his tim e.
A MONG the B irth d a y H onours th e m ining and m etallurgical com m u n ity will have noticed w ith in terest th re e n a m e s :
Dr. H. C. H. C arpenter, Professor of Metal
lurgy in th e R oyal School of Mines, is made a K night, while Sir J o h n C adm an becomes a G.C.M.G. a n d D r. F. Dixey, Director of th e Geological Survey of N yasaland, is given th e O .B .E. In te re st also attach es to the conferm ent of a C.M.G. on Mr. W. J. D.
D eacon, M.R.C.S., L .R .C .P., D irector of the Gold Coast Medical a n d S a n ita ry Services.
A B Y SSIN IA is a co u n try about which v ery little is know n and for this reason Mr. H. P. R o b ertso n ’s account in this issue of his experiences there will be welcomed. A p a rt from this, however, the c o u n try is of in terest in view of the recent Nile w aters agreem ent betw een th e Egyptian and th e hom e G overnm ents, in carrying out some of th e projects resulting from which the co-operation of th e A byssinian Government will be required. A n o th er m atter which brings th is region in to prom inence is the proposal to build a railw ay from Gambella to th e Sudan frontier along th e valley of the B aro R iver, a tr ib u ta r y of th e W hite Nile.
I M PO RTA N T issues resulting from origins of th e science w hich is known as Geo
physical Prospecting are raised by the revelations contained in th e article by Dr.
W. R. Jones w hich concludes in this issue, an d in connection w ith th e prowess of British scientists and designers in this field it gives us pleasure to place on record the fact that th e G rav ity G radiom eter designed by Capt.
H. Shaw an d Mr. E. Lancaster-Jones, and described b y th em in th e
M a g a z i n elast m o n th , has been successfully employed in surveys of th e brow n coal fields of Victoria, A ustralia, an d elsewhere.
P o w e r H o u s e C h im n e y E fflu en ts
The m a tte r of deleterious fumes and dust from power house chim neys, first alluded to in th e
M a g a z i n efor J a n u a ry last in con
nection w ith litig atio n betw een the
M anchester C orporation an d a neighbouring
farm er, has aroused a v eritab le storm of
criticism because of th e London Power
C om pany’s proposed generating station at
B attersea. W hile m ining m en generally
are n o t concerned w ith th e possible ill
effects of pow er sta tio n effluents on London
328
and Londoners, except perhaps for senti
mental reasons, y et th e m a tte r has a definite bearing on th e subject of power generation and it is on this account th a t we ta k e th e opportunity afforded b y th e above-m entioned circumstances to review th e position further.
The present tendency in power generation, as is evidenced by th e recently passed Electricity Act in th is country, is for large- scale high-power generation a t points geo
graphically suitable and for transm ission at high potential to d istrib u tin g transform er stations. A difficulty inherent in this oth er
wise sound principle is th e local intensifica
tion of th e “ smoke nuisance,” a difficulty which is rendered additionally involved by reason of th e sulphur content of th e coals.
The realization of these “ snags ” in th e path of th e power engineer has aroused a feeling th a t these problem s, like m any others that have gone before, are capable of solution.
Broadly speaking th e problem is a th ree
fold one—th e discharge of du st or ash (which m ay be and often is siliceous) resulting from the use of pulverized coal, th e actual content of sulphur com pounds in th e flue gases, and th e smoke itself. Various lines of attack on these serious evils present themselves and as it is n o t our purpose to deliver a thesis on w hat is a fte r all a con
siderable subject it will be necessary only to touch lightly on th e salient points.
The ash and smoke nuisances can be overcome. Here th e tendency is for b e tte r coal washing an d more efficient com bustion of clean fuel. In th e case of pulverized-coal installations developm ent in th e direction of the b e tte r slagging of th e ash m ust proceed apace. W hen, however, we come to the elim ination of sulphur-containing gases the question is not a simple one and it is a plain fact which cannot as yet be controverted th a t no effective m ethod for the prevention of these dangerous effluents of big generating stations has been adopted.
On the other hand, a num ber of interesting proposals have been advanced which will bear some consideration. One suggestion that has been m ade is for th e use of finely- divided lime, which is to be injected in some manner into th e flue gases a t a stage in their progress to th e stack an d should result in the fixing of th e sulphur content of the gases as calcium sulphite, which in tu rn m ight be removed as a solid b y one of th e accepted dust-catching m ethods. A nother proposal which cannot be lightly dismissed is to pass the gases through a scrubber system in which
rain or o th er clean w ater is em ployed as a solvent for th e sulphur contents. Y et another proposal m ay be offered as the outcom e of im p o rtan t experim ents which it is understood are proceeding in G erm any.
These have as th e ir objective th e recovery of sulphur dioxide as such and th e problem appears to have resolved itself into th a t of finding some liquid or liquids in which th e dioxide in dilute gas m ixtures is readily soluble. Likely solvents of th is character have been found b y these w orkers to be th e cyclic ketones—cyclohexanone and m ethyl-cyclohexanone. These substances in th eir norm al com m ercial grade of p u rity have been em ployed on dilute sulphur dioxide w ith decidedly prom ising results on a lab o rato ry scale. The efficiency of th e ketones has, m oreover, been considerably enhanced b y th e presence of small quantities of certain m etals, n o tab ly m ercury. The te m p eratu re a t which th e best extraction is effected has also been taken into considera
tion. The dioxide is, furtherm ore, recoverable from th e ketones in which it is contained b y h eating to a suitable tem perature. So m uch for specific alternatives.
In dealing previously w ith this subject, on th e occasion noted already, we indicated th e possible bearing of coal carbonization thereon. I t m ay be th a t a product of some such process will be b u rn t under th e boilers of th e power houses of th e future, b u t it is as y e t difficult to see how such a procedure is going to affect th e issue, since sulphur is still present in th e residual fuel, unless it be th a t th is fuel is in th e form of gas, in which sta te it is quite am enable to pre
treatm e n t for sulphur extraction, as an gas engineer knows. T hus it would appear th a t th e best solution, if it can be found, probably lies in m eans for th e elim ination of th e sulphur from th e fuel before its use under th e boilers.
T h e I n s titu tio n ’s A n n u a l M e e tin g
The annual general m eeting of th e In s titu tio n of Mining and M etallurgy held on May 16 was a rem arkably interesting occasion owing to th e fact th a t, in addition to th e retiring P resid en t’s ad d re ss,'th e proceedings included th e presentation of th e In stitu tio n ’s Gold Medal to th e Hon. W. L. Baillieu and Mr. W. S. Robinson.
The recipients of this great honour were
selected for it on account of th eir services
in th e developm ent of th e lead and zinc
resources of A ustralia and a m ore fitting choice could hard ly have been m ade. In these circum stances m em bers listened w ith peculiar a tte n tio n to th e tw o speeches delivered in acknow ledgm ent of th e gift of th e medal.
Mr. Baillieu indulged in a review of th e past which m ade a ttra c tiv e history and gave an im pression to his hearers of th e problem which confronted th e Com m onwealth lead in d u stry a t th e tim e of th e o utbreak of th e W ar, when it will be rem em bered producers h ad to find a m arket for concentrates which h ad h ith erto been bought largely in G erm any under contract. A tem porary relief was found when th e Broken Hill P ro p rietary Company, which owned th e P o rt Pirie sm elter, agreed to ta k e th e concentrates, a n d la te r th e arrangem ent w hereby th e ownership of th e sm elter passed to all th e big m ining companies in A ustralia very considerably eased th e position.
This was about 1915, w hen Mr. W. S.
Robinson, tak in g a long view a n d foreseeing the pro tractio n of th e world struggle, advised an increase of production an d a la te r step was th e offer of th e entire o u tp u t of th e P o rt Pirie sm elter to th e B ritish G overnm ent free of cost. The M inistry of M unitions refused th a t offer, b u t m ade a counter suggestion for a fair price, which price- fixing agreem ent h a d a m arked a n d sa lu ta ry effect on ruling world prices, which it has been estim ated saved th e B ritish G overnm ent 50 millions sterling. Following th is cam e th e developm ent of th e zinc in d u stry an d th e com m encem ent of th e R isden works.
Before concluding, th e speaker alluded to th e steps now being ta k en to develop a low- grade b u t extensive ore occurrence on th e w est coast of T asm ania. This w ork is pro ceeding under th e direction of Mr. Colin Fraser, to whom he also p aid a well- deserved trib u te for his services to th e industries during th e period u n d er review in his capacity as jo in t m anaging director of th e A ssociated Sm elters a t P o rt Pirie.
Mr. W. S. R obinson dealt a t first m ore specifically w ith facts and figures, com paring th e production of b o th lead an d zinc w ithin th e B ritish E m pire in th e present day w ith th a t up to 1914. T hus he showed th a t th e lead ou tp u t had risen from 100,000 to 400,000 tons of m etal annually, while th e corresponding figures for spelter were from less th a n 50,000 tons to n early 200,000 tons, the tendency being for still fu rth er im prove
m ent. Again, as to th e tre a tm e n t of mine
p roducts for recovery of m etal, whereas in 1913 less th a n 5% was tre a te d by British m etallurgists, he estim ated th a t in 1931 all A ustralian mine ore w ould be reduced w ithin th e Em pire. This b ro u g h t him to his argum ent th a t, while m ining engineers and m etallurgists h a d done an d were doing their best to increase yields an d improve the position of th e E m pire m ineral and metal productions, th e com m ercial side was lagging behind, an d he u tte re d a strong plea for a reasonable level of prices and the ending of slum ps, m ark et booms, and suchlike obstacles to orderly progress. In this connection he v e n tu re d th e suggestion that if m etallurgical efficiency flu ctu ated as much as do th e prices of some of th e metals them selves boards of directors would be very m uch p ertu rb ed .
A t th is p o in t G eneral Sir Granville Ryrie, th e H igh Commissioner for Australia, on being called upon to ad d his congratulations to th e recipients of th e honour, raised, literally, shouts of lau g h ter during an ah too brief b u t breathless period of anecdotal reminiscence.
A t th e conclusion of th e transaction of oth er form al business Professor Truscott rose to deliver his presidential address.
The subject of th is is “ Scientific M anagem ent ” an d in order th a t there may be no m isapprehension it is im portant to em phasize th a t th e im plication here is the application of scientific principles to all d e p a rtm en ts of th e functions of management an d not, as m ight be supposed in view of recent In stitu tio n topics, th e mere rôle of scientifically-trained m en in th e conduct of in d u strial affairs. F rom his thesis emerges th e fact th a t Professor T ru sco tt is to a con
siderable ex te n t a cham pion of the American a ttitu d e tow ards th is m a tte r. Thus we find th a t n early all his bibliographic refer
ences are to th e periodicals or to the pro
ceedings of learned societies in th a t country.
Space does not perm it a detailed analysis of Professor T ru sc o tt’s thesis, even if such a course were desirable in these columns, an d we will, therefore, conclude these few rem arks b y sincerely com m ending the published address to th e notice of all those who have th e best interests an d th e advance
m ent of th eir great profession a t heart.
The final cerem ony was th e induction of
the new President, Dr. W illiam Cullen, to
the chair. May we offer him our hearty
congratulations on his a tta in m e n t to this
high office.
JU N E , 1929 331
R h o d e s ia n D e v e lo p m e n ts
The greatest in terest a ttach es to the decision lately arrived a t to rem ove the capital of N orthern R hodesia from Living
stone. The capital has for long been th o u g h t to be inconveniently situ ated , inasm uch as it is in the extrem e south of th e te rrito ry it dominates, b u t th e objections have not hitherto been strong enough. Now, however, the mining developm ents in th e n o rth have been so rapid and th e fu tu re im portance of this part of th e country is becoming so
coast of Africa, in the presence of Prince A rth u r of C onnaught, th e form er Governor- General of South Africa, and representatives of th e G overnm ents of N orthern and Southern R hodesia and of th e Belgian Congo. This railw ay was begun as long ago as 1903, m ainly owing to th e initiativ e of Sir R obert W illiam s (as we now know him), and is only now com pleted after in terru p tio n s due to th e W ar and other vicissitudes. This line m ust obviously have a definite bearing on th e economics of th e developm ent of th e copper area since, w hen th e extension to Tshilonga is com pleted in 18 m o n th s’ tim e,
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increasingly evident th a t it is felt th a t the centre of g ravity has shifted and a site is being sought on which to build a new capital.
The area being considered is th e plateau surrounding Lusaka, a th riving farm ing centre on th e railw ay betw een Livingstone and Broken Hill, not far n o rth of th e K afue River, and th e probable choice is a point rather to th e south of L usaka and near Chilanga.
Side by side w ith th e a tte n tio n which change of governm ent head q u arters will attract is th e im portance of th e tra n sp o rt facilities, present and in prospect, a t the disposal of th e copper producers. On Ju n e 10 the Portuguese M inister of Colonies opened the Benguela railw ay, connecting th e K atanga w ith Lobito B ay, on th e west
it will give direct access to a port which is 2,600 miles nearer to th is co u n try th a n is Beira, th e railw ay ro u te itself being m any miles shorter th a n any routes a t present existing.
In te re st m ust also a tta c h to other proposed railw ays and links for th e service of this field, which are clearly indicated in the accom panying m ap. The Sinoia-Kafue pro
ject has a t the m om ent been defeated, b u t th ere is a strong feeling th a t th e p re
vailing persistent dem and for th is short cut
to Beira will result in present objections
being overcome. W ith th e com pletion of th e
bridge over th e Zambezi a t Chindio th e
journey to B lantyre will be m ade easier and
th e extension of this line to L ort Jam eson
will be eagerly anticipated.
In tr o d u c tio n .—A lthough
th e General Election is over, th e feeling of u n c e rta in ty which preceded it has n o t altogether dis
appeared, owing to th e change of G overn
m ent and th e prospect before m an y m onths are passed of an o th er appeal to th e country.
Business has been generally good. M etals are a trifle lower, b u t th e decline has not been serious. The la te st tin sta tistic s showed a decrease of over 600 tons in th e visible supplies, w hilst th e to ta l deliveries for May a t 13,265 tons and th e U nited S tates con
sum ption of 8,480 tons b o th established records.
T r a n sv a a l.—The o u tp u t of gold on th e
R an d for May was 858,991 oz. a n d in th e outside districts 38,607 oz., m aking a to ta l of 897,598 oz. The n ativ es em ployed on th e gold mines a t th e end of th e m o n th to ta lle d 195,733, as com pared w ith 197,412 a t th e end of April.
The rep o rt of th e C entral Mining and In v estm en t C orporation for 1928 shows th a t a fu rth er £150,000 has been add ed to reserve, which now am ounts to £1,900,000, w hich is well ahead of half th e capital of th e com pany.
As sta te d in our May issue, th e profit la st year was approxim ately th e sam e as for 1927 an d th ere was n o change in th e dividend. W hilst th e com pany continues to be largely in terested in S outh A frican gold m ining, it has m a n y other im p o rta n t interests, including T rinidad Leaseholds an d th e N o rth V enezuelan P etroleum C om pany and its subsidiary, th e Tocuym Oilfields. In his report th e consulting engineer, in dealing w ith operations on th e R a n d mines, states th a t it is rem arkable how y ear by year th e increased cost of w orking in old mines a t g reater an d g reate r d ep th s is alm ost entirely offset b y im provem ents in technique.
Owing m ainly to th e reduced price ruling for th e m etal, th e Leeuw poort Tin Mines showed a loss of £2,985 last year. The ore milled was 73,400 tons, a n increase of 3,600 tons, and th e concentrates produced 666 tons, or 56 to n s in excess of 1927. The average price realized was, however, £60 lower, being £223 against £283. T he ore reserves a t 110,494 tons show an increase of 1,828 tons. I t is sta te d th a t im prove
m ents in th e tre a tm e n t p la n t are giving b e tte r extraction results an d th a t experi
m ents carried out w ith a new process indicate an economical m eans of elim inating th e iron, w hereby fu rth e r im provem ent
332
in th e grade of th e concentrates can be expected.
To ad d to its o th e r difficulties, a fire s ta rte d last m o n th in one of th e old drives of th e C ity Deep, b u t has n o t proved serious.
O perations w ere tem p o rarily affected, not only on th e m ine m entioned, b u t also on the M eyer an d C harlton an d W olhuter, resulting in la st m o n th ’s o u tp u t of th e form er being som ew hat lower.
T he falling off in th e m o nthly returns doubtless prepared shareholders of the Sabie (Transvaal) Gold M ining Company for th e new s th a t th e directors have decided to suspend operations. An unexpected and consistent fall in th e value of th e ore has occurred sim ultaneously in all p arts of the m ine a n d th e com pany does n o t possess the necessary funds to u n d ertak e an exhaustive schem e of developm ent.
C a p e C o lo n y .—As foreshadowed by Sir
D avid H arris a t th e De Beers meeting tow ards th e end of la st year, news is now to hand from S outh A frica of th e formation of th e K im berley D iam ond C utting Company, L im ited, w ith a c a p ita l of half a million sterling in £1 shares. The directors comprise Mr. L rederick H irschhom , Mr. R. L. P.
Philipson-Stow , an d Sir D avid Harris, all of w hom are on th e De Beers board.
A lthough th e N am aq u a Copper Company’s o u tp u t for last y ear a t 2,491 to n s was 63 tons less th a n for 1927, owing to th e higher prices obtainable for its p ro d u ct a profit of £10,058 was shown, against a loss for th e previous y ea r of £14,147. T his enabled th e company to re-enter th e dividend list w ith a distribu
tio n of 2s. 6d. per share, absorbing £9,433.
T he estim ated reserves a t th e end of 1928 were 72,072 tons, a decrease of 8,279 tons as com pared w ith 1927.
R h o d e sia .—T he gold o u tp u t of Southern
R hodesia for A pril w as 48,210 oz., as com
p ared w ith 47,388 oz. for March. Other o u tp u ts for A pril were : Silver, 10,626 oz.;
coal, 84,526 to n s ; chrom e ore, 25,236 to n s;
asbestos, 3,582 tons, a n d m ica, 7 tons.
T he value of th e m in eral o u tp u t of Southern R hodesia for 1928 was £4,448,311, as com
pared w ith £4,238,257 for 1927, th e improve
m en t being m ainly due to th e increased o u tp u t of asbestos.
Speaking last m o n th a t a luncheon of the R oyal E m pire Society on “ R ecent Develop
m ents in R hodesia,” Sir E d m u n d Davis
sta te d th a t on four of th e copper propositions
there would w ithin th e n e x t few years be
JU N E , 1929 333 a total outlay for p lan t of some three and
a half millions sterling, and he urged th a t special a tte n tio n should be paid to the question of deliveries, a m ost im portant matter in th e case of properties which had to be equipped during certain seasons of the year.
The Southern R hodesia Base M etals Corporation have g ran ted th e Rio T into Company an option u n til th e end of th e current year to purchase 75,000 of its unissued shares a t par. The Rio T into Company is, a t its own expense, sending its chief geologist to inspect th e properties.
As it is now more closely identified w ith mining th an railways, its railw ay having been taken over by th e B ritish South Africa Company in Septem ber last, it was decided last m onth to alter th e nam e of th e Rhodesia- Katanga Ju n ctio n R ailw ay and Mineral Co.
to the R hodesia-K atanga Co. The activities of the company are in fu tu re to be directed to the development of th e K ansanshi mine and its other m ineral concessions. In th e new company, which will have a cap ital of
£1,500,000 in £1 shares, shareholders of the present com pany are to receive share for share, no fresh issue of capital being con
templated.
N igeria.—The work connected w ith th e
absorption of th e Keffi group by th e Asso
ciated Tin Mines of Nigeria delayed th e presentation of th e report, which covers th e eighteen m onths to Decem ber 31 last.
The output of tin concentrates for the period m entioned was 3,061 tons, th e average cost of production being £94 5s.
per ton f.o.r. B ukeru and th e average price realized £158 2s. Id . per ton. The net profit for the eighteen m onths was £174,594, from which a dividend of Is. absorbed
£16,000. A fter transferring £10,850 to reserve account, which now stands a t
£260,000, th e carry forw ard was £116,098, the directors considering it advisable, in view of th e necessity of m aking full pro
vision for altering th e existing p la n t from steam to electrical operation an d th e u n certain position of th e tin m arket, to conserve th e com pany’s resources. The ore reserves on th e com pany’s areas a t the end of last y ear were estim ated a t 19,000 tons.
The o u tp u t of th e N orthern Nigeria (Bauchi) Tin Mines for th e q u arter ended March last was 450 tons, th e same as for the preceding three m onths, b u t w ith the advent of the wet season an increase in th e produc
tion is anticipated. D uring the q u a rte r prospecting added 468 tons to th e reserves.
T a sm a n ia .— Mails to hand confirm the
cabled news as to the disaster a t th e Briseis mine, to which reference was m ade in this column in April last. I t would seem th a t all th e m en working in th e mine a t th e tim e of th e cloudburst were rescued, th e loss of life being am ong those engaged on th e surface.
The cost of rebuilding th e Cascade dam and repairing th e dam age done is roughly estim ated a t £60,000, th e provision of which is to be considered b y th e directors. I t m ust have been a severe disappointm ent to Mr. L indesay Clark, who has been in charge of th e Briseis for so m an y years, to see w hat was alm ost a life’s w ork destroyed in a few hours.
The decline in th e price of tin, th e poorer q u a lity of th e lodes, an d increased production costs were responsible for th e M ount Bischoff showing a loss of £2,014 for la st year, although th e to ta l income was £98,191.
The o u tp u t was 348 tons of tin oxide an d th e com pany’s sm elting w orks tre a te d 1,402 tons of tin oxide for 960 tons of m etallic tin. The directors seem to have struggled to keep th e m ine going, b u t legislation increasing th e burden of costs left them no alternative b u t to close down. The large q u a n tity of low-grade ore in th e mine will, therefore, n o t be w orked again u ntil there is a su b stan tial rise in th e price of tin or a considerable decrease in working costs.
N e w G u in e a .— As th e result of th e rep o rt
of Mr. A rth u r Dickinson on th e E llvou Goldfields and in accordance w ith his recom m endations, it has been decided to form w hat is called th e F in al Com pany to continue operations and to liquidate th e present developm ent corporation. The Final Com pany is to be registered in Sydney, N .S.W ., w ith a capital of five millions sterling, of which approxim ately 4% millions will be issued, £1,000,000 being subscribed in cash, th e rem aining £500,000 being held in reserve for fu tu re requirem ents. The proposal is for shareholders of th e develop
m ent corporation to receive shares in th e Sydney com pany to th e nom inal value of th eir present holding an d on th e ca rry g th ro u g h of all co n tractu al obligations a d istribution of bonus shares.
M alaya.-—Mr. G. E. Greig, Senior W arden
of Mines F.M .S., in his rep o rt for 1928,
states th a t th e tendency is for companies after
a successful s ta rt w ith one dredge to increase
th e num ber of dredges on th eir properties,
th u s shortening th eir life and inflating th e o u tp u t of tin ore for a few years instead of spreading it over a large nu m b er of years.
As he points out, th is m a y be profitable for th e companies, b u t it inevitably leads to overproduction now and a prospect of scarcity in th e future.
A t th e annual m eeting of th e F.M.S.
C ham ber of Mines last m onth Mr. W in d eatt foreshadow ed th e keenest com petition betw een oil engines a n d electrical power.
W hilst a t th e present tim e oil engines were largely used for driving gravel pum ps on Chinese mines, th u s effecting a great reduction in m ining costs, electricity was finding its way.
Mr. W in d eatt also referred to th e great advance m ade during th e p a st few years in th e efficiency an d capacity of tin dredges, adding th a t jigs were now alm ost u niversally em ployed, owing to th e large q u a n tity of m aterial th e y were capable of treating.
L ast year th e K in ta Tin Mines o u tp u t was 368J tons, th e ground tre a te d being 823,600 cubic yards. The to ta l revenue was
£50,833 and th e w orking profit £33,244.
The dividends for th e year took £30,000, equal to 25% .
For 1928 th e T anjong Tin D redging, L td ., treated 1,352,900 cubic yards, th e o u tp u t being 437 tons. The to ta l revenue was
£57,962 and th e w orking profit £34,818.
Dividends totalling 25% absorbed £20,000.
In d ia.—The report of th e In d ia n Copper
Corporation for 1928 state s th a t developm ent was confined to th e blocking out of know n ore- bodies down to th e fifth level in p rep ara tio n for stoping. T he proved ore reserves were increased during th e y ear b y 131,091 short tons, totalling a t D ecem ber 31 la st 755,630 short tons, averaging 3'78 per cent, copper, w ith an estim ated copper co n ten t of 28,584 short tons. There were, too, probable ore reserves estim ated a t 190,000 to n s of 3T5 per cent, copper. These reserves are all between th e second and fifth levels an d th e lateral extension of th e know n ore shoots between these has y et to be determ ined.
B u rm a.—The o u tp u t of th e C onsolidated
Tin Mines of B urm a for th e six m o n th s to April 30 last was 544 to n s of m ixed con
centrates, b u t a stead y increase in production is anticipated afte r n ex t m onth. W hilst th e com pany’s profits have been adversely affected by th e fall in th e price of tin , this has been to an ex te n t offset b y th e rise in th e m arket value of wolfram.
C an ad a.—The copper production of th e
Dominion for 1928 a t 100,970 to n s show s an
increase of more th a n a th ird over th e tonnage for 1927. Tow ards la st y e a r’s output B ritish Colum bia co n trib u ted m ore than a half and O ntario a little m ore th a n a third.
L a st y e a r’s o u tp u t m akes C anada fourth in th e list of th e w orld’s copper producers.
L ast y ear th e m inerals produced in B ritish Colum bia were valued a t $65,000,000, as com pared w ith $60,750,000 for 1927.
A lthough th e value of th e 1928 ou tp u t was
$1,800,000 below th e record y ear of 1926, th e to ta l p roduction of m inerals was the largest in th e h isto ry of th e Province, being nearly 6,250,000 tons, against 5,500,000 tons for 1927.
C o r n w a ll.— F or th e y ear to March 31
last th e Geevor Tin Mines milled 49,920 tons, th e to ta l o u tp u t being 739^ tons of black tin , w hich realized £98,375, an average of £133 0s. 7d. per ton. The reserves a t M arch 31 last were estim ated a t 148,591 tons. The profit for th e y ear was £19,654 a n d dividends absorbed £16,425.
M e x ic o .—The rep o rt of th e Buena Tierra
Mining Com pany for 1928 shows a total o u tp u t of 10,205 sh o rt tons of ore averaging 11'89% lead a n d 8 631 oz. of silver. Owing to th e failure to open up any high-grade ore- b ody of im portance an d th e low price of
lead, a loss of £4,634 was shown.
S p a in ..—The
E speranza Copper and S ulphur C om pany reports a reduction in th e o u tp u t of py rites for la st year, as the orebodies now being w orked are approaching exhaustion. W hilst working costs were higher, owing to th e decreased "output, the exchange was m ore favourable. The profit for 1928 was £16,875, an d th e dividend of 7% recom m ended will absorb £17,500.
R u s s o -A s ia tic C o n so lid a te d .—At the
m eeting on Ju n e 4 th e scheme for the
segregation of th e assets of th e company was
approved. The proposal is to transfer the
co m pany’s non-R ussian interests to a new
com pany, to be called th e Mining Trust,
L im ited, in which shareholders are to receive
one fully paid £1 share for each eight shares
of 2s. 6d. each a t present held. They will
also receive share for share in the new
Russo-A siatic com pany, whose interests will
consists of th e R ussian properties and
claim, in addition to £50,000 in cash. It is
considered th a t th e scheme w hen carried
through will place th e com pany in a better
position to prosecute its claim for th e return
of its properties and also ren d er possible the
paym ent of dividends w hen profits are made
on its Mount Isa an d o th er interests.
K Cana '
TRAVELLING IN ABYSSINIA
et%
; years J By H. P. R O B E R T SO N , M.lnst.M.M.
1(1 n, . ■'
T h e a u t h o r gives h is im p re s sio n s a n d te lls o f th e m in e ra l p o s sib ilitie s o f a re g io n a b o u t w h ic h little is k n o w n .
Djibouti in F rench Som aliland is th e only 4,000 feet above sea level and Addis A baba port in direct com m unication w ith th e interior 7,500 feet,
rals pt(^ of Abyssinia. I t is a well-laid tow n w ith F or th e first 100 miles from D jibouti th e led it jg; a several good hotels. F rom D jibouti the cou n try is dry, barren, rocky and rough w ith
'50,0(10 i|f French have a concession for a railw ay into a few shrubs an d peaks of ex tin ct volcanoes.
ie 1928oft Abyssinia. I t is now co n stru cted to Addis Fresh w ater can always be o btained in the Midyear^ Ababa the capital, and has tak e n over 20 valleys from wells. A fter th e first 100 miles
years to build. The to ta l distance is 500 miles th e cou n try is fairly well grassed an d there
y® to
11*5* millth
t being E alized•don. Tieis
stimatedatu e year B id[16,425. '
sliojii:
ons of ore ava b. of silver. |
aayligli-pi d tie low p 5 shown.
m [one:
its a rednni or last year, a
rte d a re a pabsorb ¿11,1
isol
¡1 is to ttaisi interests to a
m v
¡lare in ^
ie ffben05
pjjyiaak n for the re:
jerpossW"
Sk e t c h Ma p o f Ab y s s i n i a s h o w i n g r a i l w a y a n d s u r r o u n d i n g t e r r i t o r y.
and at present it tak es three days to do the journey as th e tra in s only travel in th e day
time. A special train, however, chartered by an American m illionaire while I was at Djibouti, took only 18 hours over the journey.
Ordinary passengers sta y th e first night at Dere Daoua, ab o u t 200 miles, and th e second night at Aouache, ab o u t 345 miles from Djibouti, and Addis A baba is reached on th e afternoon of th e th ird day. W hen travelling on the railw ay fairly good meals can be obtained a t th e wayside stations and a t both Dere D aoua and Aouache there are com
fortable clean hotels. The line is climbing all the way to Addis A baba, Dere D aoua being
335
are large herds of sheep, cattle and camels b u t hardly a tree and n o t m uch population u ntil Dere D aoua is approached. Travelling through th is cou n try in N ovem ber was very pleasant, delightful w eather w ith balm y breeze and brig h t sunshine being experienced.
At Dere D aoua there are really tw o tow ns ;
one, where the b e tte r class Abyssinians and
the E uropeans live, is a nice clean tow n w ith
a good hotel, a bank, an d m odern houses of
th e bungalow type. The o th er tow n, on
the other side of th e river, is a n ativ e town,
w ith a very cosm opolitan population. Dere
D aoua is th e h ead q u arters of th e railw ay
com pany w ith workshops etc. A fter leaving
Br i t i s h Le g a t i o n, Ad d i s Ab a b a.
Dere D aoua th e landscape becomes m ore interesting—rough broken cou n try w ith perm anent running rivers an d occasional fertile plains. A t th e railw ay statio n s th e natives sell fru it—grapes, peaches, oranges, pawpaws, bananas etc. T he cattle in th is p a rt of th e country look exceedingly well as th e result of th e good pastures. Before arriving a t Aouache a very high railw ay bridge is crossed which spans th e deep narrow ravine where th e Aouache riv er runs.
Aouache is only a wayside village b u t there is a good com fortable hotel for th e accom m o
dation of th e passengers, and it is in tele
phonic com m unication w ith Addis A baba.
About 20 miles from Aouache M etakarra
is reached and here th ere is a large volcano now dorm ant. I was inform ed th a t it was last in eruption ab o u t 80 years ago. Streams of lav a flowed down from this m ountain and spread over th e fertile plain for a width of over a mile. The railw ay passes through this recent lav a flow. On th e fertile plain at M etakarra th e re is a sm all lake and the scenery is v ery fine. I m et a German here who has a sm all coffee p lan tatio n . After leaving M etakarra th e railw ay passes through older la v a flows, all how ever m ore or less recent, an d on these lav a flows th e vegetation is m uch m ore lu x u rian t th a n on th e surround
ing country. F o r th e la st 60 miles before reaching Addis A baba splendid agricultural an d p asto ral co u n try is traversed. Rolling downs w ith crops of w heat and maize, and ranges of hills w ith occasional old volcanic peaks.
Addis A baba itself is beautifully situated on th e side of a range of hills overlooking a large fertile valley. The houses in the town are hid to a g rea t e x te n t by plantations of eucalyptus trees and th e whole town is well wooded. I u n d e rstan d th a t King Menelek w hen choosing Addis A baba as his capital some 40 or 50 years ago m ade th e inhabitants p la n t eucalyptus trees an d to -d ay his wisdom is shown in th a t th ere is a tow n surrounded w ith trees. The clim ate is delightful.
E u ropean flowers bloom in profusion—roses, carnations, an d violets all th e year round.
The B ritish Legation an d also th e Bank of A byssinia are situ a te d in beautiful grounds and there are num erous o th er very fine houses and gardens.
W hile here I h a d an interview with King Teferi M aconen who is very pro
gressive and lives in E uropean style. He is under 40 years of age, and, I believe, favours th e developm ent of his country.
Ma n a g e r’s Ho u s e, Ba n k o f Ab y s s i n i a, Ad d i s Ab a b a.
JU N E , 1929 337 The high class A byssinian although black in
colour is Semitic, n o t negroid, in origin, is well educated an d behaves like a gentlem an.
French is the second language of the country and all th e high class A byssinians speak this language as well as th eir own Am haric. The French have a good school in Addis A baba, and it is on account of th is th a t th e French language is so w idespread. These high class Abyssinians live like th e old feudal barons in Europe of 1,000 years ago, tra v e l w ith a large crowd of retainers, while th e lower classes and conquered races are for th e most p art slaves or serfs. A lthough th e
few th erm al springs in th e interior and rare eruptions on th e coast of th e R ed Sea.
I h a d a tre k for four weeks from Dere D aoua in th e H a rra r province through a very interesting m ountainous and rich agricultural country, leaving Dere D aoua en route for H a rra r and ascending a b ru p tly 2,000 feet on to th e H a rra r plateau. H a rra r is an old w alled tow n very different to th e m odem Addis A baba. The streets are m ostly narrow and d irty an d while th ere are some good well constructed buildings, especially the churches, th e houses are for th e m ost p a rt sm all a n d like those generally seen in th e
isihlp;
jo. s tom this mont e plain for a r
passes t k i to the fertile a small late r
I met a Gan rafavpœ:
K :
le last 60 É is t wheat and r r
Au t h o r’sg u a r d o f Ab y s s i n i a n s o l d i e r s.
ana
¿ a t o m * ' ïmate à i f f if
all the f ' n t is other te?
j ¡nfervie*
ào is jpean s ( r .
a n d i k of his <*
country is so backw ard there are signs that it is awakening, th e high class Abyssinians are sending th eir children to Europe to be educated. B elatin Gebba Heraui, th e m inister for foreign affairs, who speaks English, told me th a t he h a d one son at Cambridge, another son a t school in Alexandria who is going on to Oxford, and a daughter a t school in Southsea. King Maconen has also a daughter a t school in Southsea.
Abyssinia has been called the Switzerland of Africa, th e whole country being very m ountainous an d rough w ith great deep ravines. The Sam en m ountains rise to a height of 15,000 feet above sea level. In late te rtia ry tim es th e country m ust have been th e th e a tre of immense volcanic activity, which has now dim inished to a
E ast. Before leaving Addis A baba to go on tre k it was necessary to o b tain permission from K ing Maconen to tra v e l in th e country.
I obtained a le tte r from him to G eneral Im a ru th e Governor of th e province of H arrar. Im aru is a pleasant well educated m an, a cousin of K ing Maconen and one of his greatest supporters. On arriving a t H a rra r I delivered m y missive and received in exchange letters to various governm ent officials in th e districts I was visiting. I was also provided w ith a guard of six soldiers.
I travelled through the country on m ule back and all m y loads were carried on pack mules, which small anim als m ade extraordinarily light w ork of th e rough country traversed.
Mining and other companies th a t have
been working in th is country in th e p ast have
not been very successful. This has been in
p a rt due to th e m en in charge b u t chiefly due to th e adverse conditions. Some of th e highly placed A byssinians are very reactionary and there is a good deal of opposition to th e progressive policy of K ing Maconen. B ribery was ra m p a n t an d outside Addis A baba th ere are no roads or railw ays, m aking tra n sp o rt v ery difficult.
Abyssinia is v irtu a lly a new an d rich country for exploration from a m ining point of view. Gold, platinum , silver, lead, copper, sulphur, n itra te of potash, asbestos and m ica deposits are known to exist and have only to be opened up and proved. I
believe th a t in th e fu tu re some of these deposits will be profitably worked. The mica deposits in th e H a rra r d istrict w hich I exam ined are ab o u t 50 miles to th e south of Dere Daoua. These deposits h ad been worked by an American com pany to a sm all e x te n t and about 6 tons of m ark etab le m ica shipped to London, New Y ork an d Prague. T hrough m anagem ent difficulties and those others of the country already alluded to th e American com pany abandoned th e con
cession. The m arketable m ica so far obtained has not paid for the cost of its extraction.
It is found in pegm atite dykes trav ersin g crystalline schists in p ro x im ity to granites, which have in tru d ed th ro u g h these old sedim entary rocks. T he p eg m atite dykes are exceedingly num erous a n d occur over an area of about 3,000 square miles. T hey vary
in size from a few inches to 30 or 40 feet in w idth, an d in a g reat n u m b er of cases the m ica occurs in large books. T his muscovite m ica varies from ru b y clear to heavily stained brown. In some cases it is of very good qu ality b u t in m an y others it is crossed grained an d cracked. One of th e features of these dykes is th e occurrence of very large garnets. D uring m y ex am ination of this district I cam e across several promising dykes for th e production of m arketable mica an d I feel sure if suitable term s of purchase could have been arranged th a t these dykes would w a rra n t th e ex p en d itu re of capital
in proving them . M arketable mica also occurs in th e W olaga province about 250 miles to th e w est of Addis A baba. A t present, on account of th e cost of tra n sp o rt, it would only p ay to export th e large sizes of mica from th is area. M arketable m ica is also said to exist in the Guinir district 200 miles south
w est of Dere D aoua a n d in th e Aossa district 150 miles to n o rth of D ere D oua. Speaking generally the m ica deposits are promising an d some of th em will be w orked profitably in th e future.
There are Germ an, French, Italian , and American syndicates in th e co u n try looking out for mining properties. An Italian com pany is working some large n itra te of potash deposits profitably. A French com pany, th e Societe Miniere des Concessions Prasso en Abyssine, w ith a cap ital of
Op e n c u t a t m i c a m i n e s.
JU N E , 1929 339
9
,
000,000francs, is w orking alluvial platinum
deposits a t Ju b d o on th e B irbir river near the head w aters of th e Blue Nile about 16 days trek on mule back west of Addis Ababa.
I understand th a t some of these so-called alluvial deposits are in re a lity tailings from very ancient gold workings, gold having been obtained from A byssinia in th e tim e of the Queen of Sheba. T he alluvial deposits are from 6 to 12 m etres in dep th , and average about £ gram m e of p latin u m to th e cubic yard. In th is dep th th ere is a streak of ground about 2 inches thick, n ear th e bottom , which carries up to 15 gram m es of platinum
th a t he was buying a very considerable am ount of this m etal. A G erm an syndicate has sent an expedition to Bini Sangue near th e W estern bo u n d ary of A byssinia to prospect for gold. This expedition came into Abyssinia from K hartoum .
N ear th e b oundary of A byssinia and Ita lia n E ritre a and ab o u t 100 kilom etres from th e Red Sea, in eastern A byssinia, is a large deposit of sulphur estim ated to contain over 1,000,000 tons of 90 per cent, sulphur. I t is in a very hot, dry an d desert country, and there is no w ater w ithin 15 miles of th e deposit.
A m otor road could be m ade to th e area from
An o t h e r v i e w o f m i c a m i n e s s h o w i n g p e g m a t i t e d y k e s.
per cubic yard. The bed of th e river is also rich, but the alluvium in th e river bed is not deep. A t th e present tim e these deposits are being worked in a very prim itive m anner by tributors and all th e platin u m is obtained by panning, no sluicing being carried on, and the n ative trib u to rs only w ork the rich streak. The concentrates obtained contain from 70 to 75 per cent, platin u m or metals of the platin u m group and 3 per cent, gold. I u nderstand th a t th e Prasso com pany is obtaining from 6 to 10 kilogrammes of platinum per m onth. I was told also th a t a London syndicate, th e A byssinian Develop
ment Syndicate, h ad this pro p erty a t one time and were w orking it for gold. O ther companies and syndicates are also working platinum deposits an d producing platinum . The m anager of th e B ank of Abyssinia told me
th e coast b u t th e difficulty of obtaining native labour an d E uropeans for supervision would be very g reat as th e district has one of th e m ost try in g clim ates in th e world.
A t th e present tim e in Abyssinia there are no m ining laws or regulations, any disputes w ith regard to concessions coming before th e Special Court w hich in th e case of a B ritish com pany consists of a representative of the Abyssinian G overnm ent and th e B ritish Consul. K ing Maconen has, however, now appointed a G erm an m ining engineer, Dr.
R obert Hesse, as Conseiller du Gouveme-
m ent Im perial E thiopien D epartem ent des
Mines. Dr. Hesse is now preparing mining
regulations and try in g to form ulate mining
laws. I t is, however, difficult to say w hether
these laws and regulations when d rafted will
be adopted by th e Governm ent.
HYPOTHESIS
By A R T H U R H O L M E S , D.Sc., A.R.C.S., F.G.S.
Professor of Geology, The University, Durham.
T h e a u th o r d is c u s s e s th e W e g e n e r h y p o th e s e s a n d so m e p o s s ib le c a u s e s o f c o n t in e n t a l d rift.
(■Concluded fro m M a y issue, page 288) L a t e C a r b o n i f e r o u s G l a c i a t i o n s . —
Clearly it is a t least as difficult to sink continents as it is to te a r them forcibly a p a rt, a n d in th e absence of a clear geo
physical lead one m ust choose betw een th e altern ativ es of vertical or late ra l displace
m ent on th eir individual m erits in relatio n to other problem s. H ere co n tin en tal d rift has un d o u b ted ly m ore th a n one decided advantage. The opponents of d rift have no w ay of explaining th e d istrib u tio n of th e la te Carboniferous glaciations of Gondw ana- land, which accordingly continues to be th e basis of W egener’s m ost pow erful argum ent. T he presence of extensive tillites of th e sam e geological age in regions such as South A m erica, S outh A frica, In d ia, T asm ania a n d W estern A ustralia (including m an y widely d ista n t p a rts of th e presen t tropics) constitutes a hopeless rid d le unless we assum e w ith W egener th a t th e glaciated lands were th e n grouped ab o u t S outh Africa, which in tu rn is assum ed to h av e been v ery n ear th e S outh Pole. W ith th is arran g em en t th e ice-sheets all fall w ith in an area of about th e sam e size as th a t g laciated in th e N orthern hem isphere during th e Q u atern ary ice-ages. As to th e actu al d a te of th e la te Palaeozoic glaciation th ere is still some doubt.
Most B ritish geologists reg a rd it as la te Carboniferous, b u t Schuchert
(26
)has recently forcibly m ain tain ed his view th a t it was Middle Perm ian. In b o th readings of th e stratig rap h ical evidence it is recognized th a t there were som ew hat earlier an d la te r glaciations in New South W ales th a n can be recognized elsewhere.
In a recent book of fascinating in te re st Dr. C. E. P. Brooks has m ade a v a lia n t a tte m p t to dem onstrate th a t these astonishing clim atic events “ were th e logical resu lt of the d istribution of land, especially high land, and sea during th a t period, th e poles being supposed to have k e p t th eir present positions ”
(
