276 The National Geographic Magazine 



Lake Tsana, as reported, as mj^ jour- 

 neys have always been in the eastern 

 half of Abyssinia, and I am certain that 

 no outcrop exists in this part, unless on 

 the slopes toward the Danakil country, 

 which I think highly improbable, owing 

 to the volcanic formation. 



There is here a large and verj^ inter- 

 esting field for scientific research, and 

 many years must lapse before Ab3^ssinia 

 is thoroughly known; it is not likely, 

 however, that it willbe opened up while 

 the power is all in the hands of one per- 

 son. Italy will no doubt take her share 

 in the development that is bound to come 

 sooner or later, and her territories will be 

 explored long before the rest of the coun- 



try. Unforeseen circumstances may 

 arise which will allow an opening up 

 of Abyssinia more speedily than the 

 present prognosticates, but I hardly 

 think that they are likely unless some 

 radical change takes place within the 

 next few years ; in the meantime, how- 

 ever, the artist, archaeologist, botanist, 

 and others can do good work in learn- 

 ing more about the country and bring- 

 ing its details before the public. From 

 the lower classes they will receive a 

 hearty welcome, as from a great many 

 of the well-to-do people who wish to see 

 their country opened up and an end put 

 to the constant disputes that arise among 

 the upper classes. 



OIL FIELDS OF TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA 



DR. DAVID T. DAY, chief of 

 the Division of Mineral Re- 

 sources of the United States 

 Geological Survey, contributes to the 

 Review of Reviezvs for June an authori- 

 tative and interesting statement regard- 

 ing the recent discovery of oil in the 

 great States of Texas and California. 

 The following paragraphs are taken 

 from his article: 



For some reason (for which a com- 

 mon cause would be difficult to find), 

 the last year has been marked by petro- 

 leum crazes, unusually serious and in 

 widely separated areas. Only a year ago 

 the attention of those interested in ex- 

 tending our crude-petroleum resources 

 was centered on the new fields in Rou- 

 mania, which are destined to yield large 

 supplies of oil. But even before this 

 the development of West Virginia had 

 been actually adding to our supplies far 

 more oil and promises of more than 

 Roumania or the more sensational de- 

 velopments abroad or at home. Then 

 came the excitements of the Indian 

 Territory. The importance of Califor- 



nia's oil fields in Ventura County, in 

 Los Angeles, and in Santa Barbara, was 

 increased tenfold by the discoveries in 

 Kern County. Then all oildom went 

 crazed again bj^ the discovery of a great 

 field in the region of Beaumont, Texas. 

 One might condense the sensational re- 

 ports of all these new oil fields by imag- 

 ining that a tidal subterranean wave of 

 oil had moved up toward the surface of 

 the earth and found vent, first in Cali- 

 fornia, then in Wyoming, and finally in 

 Texas ! 



The California discovery is likely, of 

 all those which have been mentioned, 

 to be of greatest value; not for quantity 

 of oil, but for the development of the 

 country. California has been poorly 

 supplied with fuel in comparison with 

 Pennsylvania or Ohio or any of the 

 States where cheap coal has developed 

 enormous industrial enterprises. Cali- 

 fornia cannot continue as a great com- 

 monwealth, past the agricultural or even 

 more temporary treasure-mining stage, 

 without a great supply of fuel. It is at 

 least partially afforded by the Bakers- 



