Photo and Copyright by International Press Photo Co. 
BAMBOO LADDERWAY IN GRAPHITE PIT : A CONTINUOUS STREAM OE MINERS 
CARRYING BASKETS OF PLUMBAGO: CEYEON 
Graphite, which is one of the softest minerals, is found in veins several feet in thickness, 
sometimes possessing a columnar structure, perpendicular to the enclosing walls. Chemically 
graphite is identical with the diamond, but between the two there are wide differences in 
physical characters. Graphite is black and opaque, and the diamond, the hardest mineral 
known, is colorless and transparent. 
