66 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



would have to be doubled and heavy expenditure would be en- 

 tailed in establishing suitable headquarters, laboratories, etc. 

 Usually about one-third of the staff would be on leave. The 

 difficulties involved in the creation of a unified headquarters are 

 likely to be increased by delay, since each territory is developing 

 its own reference collections and laboratory equipment. In 

 Nigeria there are already two reference collections of minerals, 

 those of the Geological Department at Kaduna and the Mines 

 Department at Jos. Until amalgamation is practicable, facilities 

 might be given to geologists to visit other British colonies and group 

 conferences could be organized on the lines of the conferences of 

 other departments, arranged in East Africa from time to time. At 

 present stratigraphical correlation and progress in regional geo- 

 logical mapping are rendered difficult through the absence of 

 collaboration between local departments. Exchange visits between 

 geologists of our colonies and those of neighbouring foreign terri- 

 tories might also be encouraged. 



Amalgamation in East Africa would involve a measure of 

 financial co-operation and stability which is far from realization 

 at present, since geological surveys are at present extensively 

 financed only during periods of mining activity. Once again, 

 facilities for interchange visits between the officers of different 

 territories would be of value, and could be accomplished with 

 little loss of time by the new air travel. The position of Northern 

 Rhodesia in any co-ordinated system would be complicated by 

 the fact that in this territory geological studies are carried out 

 entirely by the mining companies. Since this grouping was pro- 

 posed by Sir Thomas Holland, the view has come to be accepted 

 that in any co-ordination of services between neighbouring terri- 

 tories Nyasaland would be more suitably grouped with the Rho- 

 desias. 



The geological departments are not as a rule required to raise 

 any proportion of their own revenue. There are exceptions in the 

 case of Tanganyika and Nigeria, where boring for water is under- 

 taken on contract for settlers or for native authorities. Apart from 

 such minor revenue, however, the departments as a rule do much 

 more than pay their way by opening up opportunities for mineral 

 exploitation. Thus in the Gold Coast the discoveries of the small 



