The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-09

Camel carriage OF any material wiz COS
about two cents per mile per load oi ~
10. 400 pounds. and camels are readily op,
tainabie. The mines on the coast w0uI9
have a great advantage In being suppheo
by sea from Suez. .
"Skilled miners would ave TO be brought
from Europe, and for these ! should strongly
recommend Italians, who are much more
suitable 70 the country In every respec.
than British workmen.. Native piaen.
smiths and carpenters OF fair aonlty Gan
be got In the country at wages varying
from 10 to is piasters $50 to 10 centsl per
day. In the initiatory prospecting VOTE
these wages have generally to be supPie-
mented by rations of -four and lentils.
After stating that many sites OF the ancieht
districts formed by the crystalline rocks'
and adding to the statement a brief discrip-
ton Of the sites, Mr.. Afford gets down 10
the results thus far achieved. He says.
S far tho results obtained have peeh
highly satisfactory, particularly al en-
about 240 miles south of Suez. The eaPio.
ration OF one of the ancient gold mines
here was begun in December, 1900.
The mine is about four miles from me
Red Sea. where there rs a good natural
harbor named Imbarak, in which any
moderate-sized vessel can anchor and lie
In perfect safety. At this point. over an
area OF about three miles, occur a large
number of quartz veins outcropping IN a
country of gray granite much intersecte9
by bikes of greensboro, porphyry ana
felsite.
NEARLY all of these veins have been
more or less worked In ancient times. and
some of them TO very considerable depths.
In the Wady Imbarak, south of the mine, are
the ruins of a large ancient mining settle,
ment, and remains of huts are scattered
all over the n~eighborhood.
s1ha n,VpNrt Ia t-ATy rntfnh an6 mOun-
famous, and intersected by numerous
wadies. which, when the heavy transforms
break In the mountains, bring down large
volumes of water. Across one OF the
smaller wadies a lam is now being con-
structed TO conserve a supply OF water
for the mine.
"A shaft is now down on the vein at this
point for 1870 feet, and has not yet bot
toned the old workings. Several cross
cuts are also being driven with a view
Of getting under other ancient workings
from which also rich specimens OF gold-
bearing quartz nave been obtained:
.The veins outcrop along the face OF
the cliff above the wady, and dip at an
angle Of as degrees TO the northwest. Their
thickness varies generally. from o
one foot TO three feet, but in places they
are much larger, and there is a constant,
always free-milling. The quartz is hard,
and white to gray in color, In places carry
ing a little pyrites, but neither at I'm Rus
or any other place in the district has any
thing else been found in il. .
In conclusion Mr.. Afford states that
experience has shown that the natives
take very readily To mining work and
when treated judiciously and with no
violence, are tractahle and willing. He
saws there has never been any lack Of water,
even in the land of deserts, and often,
indeed. there has been too much Of II.
He GnIz chat tha most QnrtaN1a nftnatlnn
connected with mining in Egypt at present
is the cost Of fuel. He suggests, as a pos
sible solution for coal, petroleum.; but he
thinks that Indian coal might be brought
the Red Sea and sold at such a price
as to make its Use possible.
while there are many din yulties, "
says Mr.. Afford finally, sin the way Of
Egyptian mining. there are many advant-
ages, and the greatest Of these Is the un-
variable healthfulness of its climate"