Reviews—The Geology of India. 320 
Australia, we have every reason to be thankful that the stable and 
conservative tendencies of peninsular India have preserved to us 
fragmentary portions of an old continental area, if only as a counter- 
poise to the revolutionary forces which built up the extra-peninsular 
areas from marine deposits, whose fossils are a testimony to their 
origin and provide us with an index of geological time. W. H. H. 
2. ‘‘Inpran Emprre,” Vol. III, pp. 128-167.—Mrnzus anp Mrvzrats. 
This chapter is also written by Mr. Holland (see preface to vol. iii). 
‘The feature which stands out most prominently in a survey of the 
mineral industries of India is the fact that practically nothing has 
been done to develop those minerals which are essential to modern 
metallurgical and chemical industries, while most striking progress 
has been made during recent years in opening out deposits from which 
products are obtained suitable for export, or for consumption in the 
country by what may be conveniently called direct processes.”’ 
Under the head of ‘‘ Minerals” are tabulated almost everything 
which the crust of the earth produces, from mineral oils to quicksilver. 
If the reader is under the impression that India is a great producer in 
this respect he will be surprised to learn that the value of imported 
articles of this class in 1903 (£10,500,000) is rather more than double 
the value of ‘ minerals’ produced (five millions). And yet it seems 
to have been worse still in days gone by, since there is an increase in 
production of 46 per cent. in the five years from 1898 to 1903; hence 
we may hope that the tables are being turned. The imports of iron, 
steel, and copper figure very largely, whilst the production of iron-ore 
is ridiculously small. For many years past gold has headed the lst 
in production, and even in 1903 very nearly half the total of the 
five millions comes from this source.! The most satisfactory feature is 
the steady increase in the output of coal, which in 1903 was valued at 
rather more than £1,250,000. Salt, saltpetre, and petroleum are next 
in importance, though still far behind; whilst mica, manganese ore, 
and jadestone show respectable figures. One could hardly believe 
that the country which provided the Mogul emperors with their 
diamonds imported nearly a million pounds worth of ‘‘ precious stones 
and pearls, unset’’ in 1903, while the Burma rubies scarcely reach the 
figure of £100,000 by way of balancing the account. 
The following is the system of classification of the minerals adopted :— 
I. Carbon and its compounds, including coal, petroleum, amber, and 
graphite. 
Il. Metalliferous minerals, including ores of gold, silver, tin, copper, 
zinc, lead, antimony, iron, manganese, chromium, nickel, cobalt, 
tungsten, titanium, and aluminium. 
III. Materials for construction, including building and ornamental 
stone, etc. 
IV. Minerals used in various industries. 
V. Gem-stones. 
1 The total value of gold for 1903 is put down at £2,303,493. In the same year 
the value of gold produced in West Australia alone is stated to be £8,770,719. 
