The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-20

In the province OF Abra. at the
northern end of Luzon, there are
placers, and the gravel of the river
Abra is auriferous. In Lepanto there
are gold quartz veins as well as graV-
els Gold is obtained in this province
close to the copper mines. In Benguet
the gravels of the river Agno carry
gold. There is also gold in the province
OF Bontoc and in Nueva Ecija The
most important of the auriferous prov
inces is Camarines Norte. Here the
townships of Mambulao, Paracale and
Labo are especially well known as
gold-producing localities. Mr.. Drasche.
well known German geologist. saws
that there were 700 natives at work on
the rich quartz veins at this place at
the time of his visit about twenty-five
years ago. At Paracale there are
parallel quartz veins in granite. one of
which is twenty feet in width and con-
tains chute in which the ore is said
TO assay thirty-eight ounces of gold
TO the ton. One may suspect that this
| assay hardly represented an average
sample. Besides the localities mention
ed, many others in this province have
been worked by the natives
The islands of Mindoro. Catandu-
and Bohol are reported to contain sod
but no exact data are accessible
AT the south end of the small island
of Panaon. which is just to the south
or Leyte, there are gold-quartz veins.
one of which has been worked to some
extent IL is six feet in thickness and
has yielded from Sc to 81 per ton.
In the island of Mindanao there are
two known gold-bearing districts. one
OF these is in the provincesof Surigao
where Placer and other townships
show gravels and veins. The second
district is In the province of Misamis.
Near the settlement Of Imponan. on the
Gulf of MacaJalar, there are said 10 be
many square kilometers of graveIs
carrying large quantities OF gold with
which is associated platinum. The
product Of this district was estimated
some years since at $50 ounces per
month, all extracted by natives with
bateas or cocoanut-shell dishes.
COPPER.
Copper ores are reported from =
great number of localities in the Phil
! ippines. They are said to occur in the
! following islands: Luzon provinces. of
| Lepante. Benguet and Camarinss)
| Nindoro. Capul, Masbate, Panay (prov-
/ ince Of Antique) and Mindanao (proy-
4 ince Of Surigao). Many of these a.
CuiEeiSeS are prODabiy unimpOrIaHt
/ The great island of Mindanao. oefnc
/ practically unexplored, is full OF pos.
/ slbillues, but as yet no important COP
/ per deposit is known TO exist there An
! attempt was made to work the deposit
/ IN Masbate, but no success seems 20
have been attained. On the other han0
/ Northern Luzon contains a copper re-
/ gion which is unquestionab bly, valuable
/ The best known portion Of this region
/ lies about Mount Data a peak given
as $500 meters?" in height. living In
| latitude 10 degrees 90 minutes longl-
| tude l20 degrees IS minutes east OF
/ Greenwich, or 124 degrees 50 minutes
east of Madrid. The range Of which
| Data forms one peak trends due north
! to Cape Lacay-Lacay, and forms a
boundary for all the provinces infriug-
! ing upon it,
Data itself lies in the province Of t.
panto. In this range copper ore has
/ been smelted by the natives from t:me
immemorial and before Magellan diz-
! covered the Philippines The process
Is complicated one, based on the
same principles as the method of smell
| ing sulpho-salts of this metaT in F,u-
! rope and America. It consists in al
ternate partial roasting and reduction
/ TO matte" and eventually To black
copper. 1t is generally believed that
! this process must have been Introduced
| from China or japan. 1t is plNcticed
| only by one peculiar tribe of ma, ives.