932 The Philippine Journal of Science 1922 
to be. There are scattered brief accounts of the natural history 
of the island. Jagor, a German scientist, spent some time on 
Samar, and his two chapters relating to the island represent the 
nearest approach to anything accurate that has been produced. 
No geologic survey was ever made of this country until our party 
made its general reconnaissance during November and December, 
1920. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of that 
exploration. 
SUMMARY 
These observations and conclusions are offered as contribu- 
tions to science rather than as direct aids to the economic geolo- 
gist, since it was found that Samar is far from being a rich 
mineralogic province. Gradation, aided by diastrophism, has 
so well dismembered the strata that there now exists no defi- 
nite cordillera; instead, there are short mountain ranges, many 
streams, and no great elevations and, consequently, no sharp 
differentiation between the wet and the dry seasons. Physiog- 
raphy has strongly influenced the economic development of the 
island and has had a marked effect on the social development of 
its inhabitants. The rocks are principally sedimentary ones de- 
posited in the shallow waters bordering an island which, in its 
early history, had an igneous core. As time went on, many 
changes of level took place until in fairly recent times compara- 
tively flat beds of marl, shale, and sandstone were deposited and 
the present land forms carved out. It is unlikely that Samar 
will become a center of mineral production, for industrially 
important minerals are apparently entirely lacking or of inferior 
quality. 
GENERAL STATEMENTS 
LOCATION 
Samar Island is that member of the Visayan group of islands 
of the Philippine Archipelago which is immediately southeast 
of Luzon Island, and north and east of Leyte Island. It lies 
between 11° 01’ and 12° 36’ north latitude, and 124° 15’ and 
125° 46’ east longitude. Between Samar and Luzon is San 
Bernardino Strait, while the narrow, tortuous San Juanico Strait 
separates Leyte from Samar. Catbalogan, the capital, is, 0 
a direct line, 525 kilometers southeast of Manila. 
SHAPE AND AREA 
Samar may be considered as a large trapezium, the longer 
sides running northwest and southeast and the shorter sides 
bearing approximately east and west. Considering this ge0- 
