IRON 215 



therefore becomes very important for us to consider from what 

 parts of our own empire we can supply our needs. 



Newfoundland and Canada (Ontario, British Columbia, and 

 Nova Scotia) both send us supplies, by far the largest amount 

 coming from Newfoundland. There is a wonderful iron mine 

 in Bell Island off the coast of Newfoundland. The iron-bearing 

 district in which it stands extends along the shore and under 

 the sea ; the amount of ore which it is estimated to contain 

 is no less than three or four billion tons. There is iron, too, 

 in other parts of Newfoundland. 



South Australia. Iron Knob, in the north of Eyre's Peninsula, 

 and Iron Monarch are described as ' mountains of solid iron 

 ore ', and the iron is of excellent quality. 



In Tasmania valuable deposits occur, especially near the 

 north coast, in the Blythe River Valley, but they are not yet 

 worked. 



In New South Wales iron is found in various parts of the 

 state ; it is mined chiefly in the Blue Mountains, at Carcoar, 

 and at Cadia, where the beds are estimated to contain millions 

 of tons of ore. 



In Queensland, too, there is an abundance of ironstone : 

 mining is carried on chiefly at Rockhampton, Cloncurry, and 

 Chillagoe. 



In New Zealand, at Parapara, on the west coast of the North 

 Island, there is a large deposit of iron ore, and on the west 

 coast there are wonderful iron sands, from which inexhaustible 

 supplies of iron could be obtained. 



South Africa. In the Cape Province and in the Transvaal 

 and in other parts of the Union large quantities of iron ore 

 are known to exist, but they are not yet worked. 



At present, then, we produce in Britain about one-half of 

 the iron we need, and the bulk of the imported ore comes 

 from foreign countries (chiefly from Spain, and Norway, and 

 Sweden). 



Yet the deposits within the empire are enormous and 

 sufficient to supply all our needs. 



