The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-08

by the thousands. Tho country seems
to be especially adapted to them"
The Minerals of the Sudan.
I here asked the sirdar to tell mi
something OF the mineral deposits re.
Gently discovered In this part of tn,
world lie replied:
we have not prospected the countr.
as yet, although we are beginning to
do SO. We expect to make thorough
geological survey and have begun b,
plating some OF the provinces ant
drawing maps which show everything
in connection with them. refer te
maps like these"
The sirdar here showed me careful.
sketches of the several provinces. re-
duced to a small scale. and much likt
those which our Geological Survey i s
making OF the Uniteu States. AS
looked over them he Went on:
sour surveys. at present, are chief:
devoted to the topography of TIL,
country and to data as to their re.
sources and people. We have not done
much In the way Of mineral lnvestiga,
ton. We know, however, that some
OF the provinces contain iron and cop-
per. This Is so OF the Bahr-el-Ghazal.
where the people use iron and steel
implements made from the native ore.
They have been mining copper there
for long time. It is generally be-
lived that there is gold in the different
parts of the Sudan. and we have issued
u number OF conc ssions to mining
fsyndicates. They have their men out
prospecting, but SO fur no valuable de-
posits have been discovered"
Have we much to hope for in the
future trade of the Sudan ?''' 1 asked.
''Why not?" replied the sirdar. '.We
are using many things that the United
States makes. and are glad to welcome
American goods and American traders.
American cottons are popular with,
the Abyssinians, and I do not see why
they might not compete with those Of
Manchester In the Sudan. In our de.
velopment we shall need railroad
materials, and, If irrigation works are
undertaken, as they will be, we shall
require drills for nrtesian wells ems
gines. pumps and other machinery of
that nature. BY our new road to the
Red Sea. ships from your country can
land their goods at Port Sudan within
n short railway haul to Khnrtum, and
from here they can be sent almost to
the heart OF central Africa by river"
The conversation here took per-
sonal turn by my asking his excellcncy3
II he would not some day write new
book on the Sudan, He is, you know, one
OF the leading authorities on all mat
tiers connected with this part, OF the
world He wrote "Mahdism and the
Egyptian Sudan" eighteen years ago:
and a few years later published a work
entitled "Ten Years Captivity in the
Mahdi's Camp tIe also translated
and edited Slatin Pasha's Fire and
sword In the Sudan" In 1895, and. since
then, his life has been part OF the
history OF the country and his ex.
iperiences such that no man living
knows all about 1t better than he
The sirdar replied:
II may write another book some day,
I have kept note OF things which I
have observed and which have occurred
from time to time, and the putting
them together may give me occupation
when Iaretire. At present my chief
interest Is in the development Of the
country, and I am too much occupted
with that and with my duties here to
| find any time for literary work"
FRANK q. CARPENTtiE-
II E ~ q i D. 4