, 1896-06-03
COAL FOUND AT BARBADOS.

ing Station in the West Indies of the British
Navy a circumstance has occurred which
might well cause some hesitation in the
final completion Of the scheme. This cir
cumstance is the discovery in Barbados of an
unlimited amount Of what is commonly
known as Maniak.
Manjak has been known to exist in the
Scotland district of this island for years past,
and a we'll known gentleman, Mr.. John
Greaves. was wont, it is said, to celebrate
his social festivities by gathering quantities
Of this Manjak and making a huge bonfire
of it in front of his house. But although
everybody knew that Maniak existed in
Barbados it was left TO the inepressible
Yankee to discover that MAJ iak was q min
eral coal containing 40 per cent more steam
generating power thGn the same quantity of
ordinary Welsh coal, and capable of being
used in various ways, not the least useful
being ordinary fuel. We believe that Man
jak is found in various forms. one form
being especially suited for fuel which burns
brightly by virtue Of the petroleum oil with
which til saturated. Not long ago : gentle
man brought several pieces Of this ManJak
from Scotland lin Barbados) and set fire to
some of these pieces in a coal pot. They burnt
exactly ~ coal would do and gave forth a good
deal of heat. They are few people who are
aware of the extent Of the mining operations
which are now being carriea on, for Manjak
in the Scotland district, and the number
of tons which is being shipped to New York.
We hear of company after company eagerly
making enquiries about this valuable min
eral substance, and anxious to secure ship
ments of it. Mingled with peat Manjak IS
a more valuable fuel than dry coal, as 1T
burns longer and generates q greater heat,
and we are told that in a short time cargoes
of peat will arrive ut Barbados, to convert
Manjak into burning coal and that IN the re-
turn trip the vessels will take ManJak to
be mixed with peat in New York and sold
for fuel. There is little doubt that in Man
iak we have a mineral coal in unlimited
quantity ana that q very considerable trade
will spring up between Barbados and New
York at no very distant date. Giving Bar
badians credit for the business propensities
with which we have always head them
credited, we shall have store-yards III town
stocked with thousands of tons of fuel cou-
sisting of peat and Manjak, which will be
eagerly sought after by steamers and of
which there will be a l~initless supply in the
island.
Under this state of circumstances it occurs
to us that it wOuld be IA very unwiSe step
on the part Of the British Government to
remove the troops to St. Lucia to protect a
few thousand tons of coal, while Barbados,
from which an unlimited supply Of mineral
coal can be obtained, and in whose port
there will soon be large quantities Of this
species of fuel stored, is left unprotected by
troops. That this coal exists in large quaint
ties in the island Of Barbados, under the
name of Maniak is a well-known fact, and
that it is actually cropping out on the sur
face any one may be convinced by visiting
the Scotland districts and seeing it with his
own eyes. 1t has been stated that in one
locality a shaft has been sunk to the depth
of % teet without reaching the bottom of
the seam, while in England a seam of IL feet
in depth is looked upon as a wonder.
If here we have the only deposit of coal in
the West Indies, and we believe we may ven
ture 30 assert that it is the only known
workable deposit in the West Indies, it would
hardly be desirable for the British Govern
msnt to abandon the natural deposit and
create an artificial coal supply which has to
be carried four thousand miles by sea to an
island which is known to be the haunt Of
yellow fever and the home of malarial or
colony fever which in it's lasting effects upon
the constitution of man is hardly less to be
feared. After a residence of a couple of
years at St. Lucia those of the troops who
have escaped the yellow fever scourge are
sure to carry the effects of malarial fever to
tbeir 0raves. and NOT even a fen vaars' resi.