The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-23
NEW COPPER AND IRON FIELDS
Discoveries ina Are Making Africa More
Important TO the World.

impoFtaut 10 tut WoTtu.
The Office Of the Chartered South Africs
Company in London received. the othel
day. from its agents In north Rhodesis
the report Of the discovery Of a new copper
field estimated to cover forty square miles
The field Is about 100 miles north of Victoria
Falls near the border Of the Congo Free
State and run over into that territory.
Mining engineers In the service Of the
company are now taking out ore which
assays ~ per cent. copper, besides a large
percentage of silver. II IL said that the
company attaches 50 much importance to
this discovery that the route Of the Cape TO
Cairo Railroad will be diverted a consider
able distance to the west In order to pass
through the copper field. 1t is expected
that this section of the railroad will be
com ,leted early next year.
Signs continue TO multiply that Africa
will be Of great value TO the world on ac-
count OF it's vast resources in copper and
iron as well as for is gold and diamond
deposits. The Roman Catholic Society
known as the White Fathers, whose mis-
sionaries have long been at work on the
shores Of Lake T~anganyika, have been
making very careful exploration Of the
large Marungu and Utembue districts to
the west Of the lake and havo marked many
locations where copper and iron resources
are found in abundance.
A short report Of their work, with the
fine MAJ they have made Of their surveys
showing topographic features and min
eral deposits. has just been published In
Petormdnns Mitniun0en. 1t is especially
interesting for the light II throws upon
the metal resources in this region about
which very little has been heard until
this time.
Tanganyika Ia one Of the regions that
before very long will have easy and rapid
communications with the sea. Ii Is there
fore certain that this region OF important
mineral wealth will before a great while
he brought within the reach OF Caucasian
enterprise.
The White Fathers regard Marungu
as more important in It's copper resources
than any other part Of Africa Of which
they have heard. They say that as they
travelled through the country they learned
to recognize, at a distance, the localities
where copper was likely TO be found.
The earth containing copper ore, on
account Of its greater hardness, has with
stood the processes Of d%enudation moro
ruN''rrAhiN Niitl VIC IIONiilulilk COulNTN,
with the result that the copper areas stand
comparatively high above the general
level 40 that they arc easily recognizable.
A great deal of the copper is almost
pure. On account of the difficulty Of re-
ducing the ore the natives have worked
very little Of 1t. Naturally their processes
Of obtaining the metal are very print
tive.
Nothing could induce these barbarous
tribes, who HAD no training in European
of mining, to work underground,
in which respect they differ from their
brethren in South Africa, who have been
trained TO toll IN the gold mines thousands
of feet beneath the surface.
But the Tanganyika natives have merely
scratched the surface for the copper they
nave obtained. Sometimes they attack
n vein Of copper ore, which outcrops, but
they follow it no deeper than they can
the earth and ore out on the surface
viii their hands
Their only mining implement is the ma
tive mattock or hoe which they use in till
ing their fields. 1t is very effective in
away the earth around the ore
and in breaking of pieces of the ore which
are taken to their villages 10 be smelted
in their rude ovens.
The White Fathers also report great
quantities of iron ore along the banks of
the rivers flowing into ~Tanganyika, par
along the Lufuko and Mlobosi.
Among the iron ores is a great deal Of
magnetic iron. with which the natives can
do nothing because their ovens are too
primitive for its reduction.