Page:The National Geographic Magazine Vol 16 1905.djvu/180

face appear almost worthless, owing to weathering, may, with depth, develop into a better quality. Gold also is very widely distributed, but thus far the veins and placers are poor and cannot be worked at a profit under present conditions of transportation and labor. Valuable deposits of copper and iron have been discovered, and in years past have been worked to a limited extent. Indications of asphaltum and petroleum have also been discovered, yet the mineral production of the islands was in 1903 practically nothing.

Coal is now being mined on Batan Island by the United States, which has leased a tract of coal land, for the supply of the army transports. Analyses show that it equals the best Japanese coal. Some is also mined by private parties.

It is altogether probable that in the near future the Philippine Islands will produce not only enough coal for their own supply, but may furnish coal for a large part of the commerce of the Pacific—a fact of prime importance in determining the course of that commerce.

Gold has been mined for centuries by the Igorots in Lepanto-Bontoc and Benguet, both from veins and placers. The total output has been small, as both classes of deposit are of low grade, but the Igorot is contented with low wages, especially if he is working for himself. Since American occupation this mountain range has been prospected by Americans and several hundred claims have been located. Little work has been done on them, and it is not believed that any deposits likely to prove profitable under present conditions of labor and transportation have been discovered.

The deposit of iron ore in Angat and neighboring parts of Bulacan province appears to be extensive and rich. The ore is hematite and magnetite, principally the latter, and runs from 50 per cent to 63 per cent of metallic iron. The deposits extend over a belt 40 miles in length, varying greatly in breadth, lying on the west slope of the range which forms the eastern portion of the province. The ore was mined to a small extent during the Spanish domination, but without financial success. Little prospecting of the deposits in place has been made, the ore having been taken mainly from boulders on the surface. It was smelted with charcoal in small, crude blast furnaces.

This property has been examined and reported on by the mining bureau of the Insular government, and it appears probable that it may be made of great value to the archipelago, not only rendering it independent of the rest of the world in matter of pig iron, but it may build up extensive manufactories of iron and steel in these islands.

The most important commercial product of the islands is abaca, or Manila hemp. This is indigenous to all provinces, but the fiber is unlike the hemp of other tropical countries, and is found only in the Philippine Islands. The value of the exportations of this product exceeded nineteen millions of dollars in 1902, or was two-thirds of the value of all exports. Nearly all of this material is shipped in the raw state to Europe and America for manufacture into cordage. Although a large area was devoted to the cultivation of hemp, much of the product that was exported was gathered wild.

The exportation of the dried kernel of the cocoanut, known as copra, is steadily increasing, and promises to become of great commercial importance. The value of the exports of copra and cocoanutsfor 1902 was $2,701,783. The cocoanut palm flourishes luxuriously in