242 GEOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 



possibilities. The results of the development so far made are sufficiently 

 favorable to warrant further work in order to determine whether the 

 deposit can be profitably worked. 



SUMMARY STATEMENT ON ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. 



In spite of the numerous concessions granted and the even more numer- 

 ous rumors of "minas" which are common in almost every part of the Re- 

 public, very little actual mining is in progress. The country people call 

 every occurrence of unusual or peculiar rock a "mina," often without them- 

 selves supposing that the "mina" has any actual or potential value. The 

 multiplicity of rumors of mineral wealth is in part due to this practice. 

 Many actual deposits of valuable mineral do exist. Intelligently directed 

 exploration backed by sufficient capital may discover valuable deposits 

 or profitably develop those already known. The mining industry of the 

 Dominican Republic has suffered "rom the operations of many irresponsible 

 promoters. The large scale salting of gold placers, among other things, 

 has done much to weaken the confidence of investors and has caused them 

 to hesitate to put any money into mining enterprises. With the passing 

 of new laws and the enforcing of old ones, the confidence of the investing 

 public should soon be restored. 



GOLD. 



Large quantities of gold are supposed to have been obtained by the 

 Spaniards from the streams of the Dominican Republic. Ancient pits are 

 reported to be still visible in the mountains near La Vega, near Cotuf, 

 along Rio Jaina, and elsewhere. Gold is reported to exist in the gravels of 

 many streams in the Cordillera Central, and the native women wash out 

 small amounts by hand from the gravel and sand in some places. Several 

 attempts have been made to form companies to finance the working of the 

 placer deposits by modern methods, but none have been successful, and 

 none of these companies are now operating. 



Veins carrying gold are reported to exist at several places in the Cor- 

 dillera Central. None of these is now being developed except one in the 

 Platanito district near San Cristobal, at a prospect on which development 

 has just begun. The copper deposits in the San Cristobal district, which 

 have long been known and intermittently worked, contain gold, but not in 

 large amount, and there is no record of successful vein mining anywhere 

 for gold. 



SILVER. 



No silver mines are now in operation in Santo Domingo nor is there any 

 available record that any have ever been successfully worked. The veins 

 in the San Cristobal district and the placer gold doubtless contain some 

 silver. 



PLATINUM. 



Platinum is reported to have been found in the gravel of Rio Mao, on 

 the northern slope of the Cordillera Central, southwest of Santiago. 



