﻿146 SMITH. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Beports to the effect that fairly large deposits of asbestos exist in the 

 northern part of Luzon, have been drifting in from that region for nearly 

 two years. 



About a year ago Mr. F. D. Burdette began systematic prospecting 

 and development work in the vicinity of Basuquin and Nagpartian, and 

 on the receipt of some promising samples from him, the writer was 

 detailed during the month of Sej)tember, 1906, to make a preliminary 

 reconnaissance of the deposits and of their related geology. 



FIELD WORK. 



In the absence of proper base maps, there being none even approxi- 

 mately satisfactory save the charts of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, and 

 of course these do not as yet attempt to take in more than a limited 

 area near the coast, I had to be content merely with an inspection of the 

 properties, making limited notes and such sketches of the general geology 

 as were possible. 



My first aim was to see all the properties on which development work 

 had been done, afterwards to examine the mere prospects ; in the remain- 

 ing time at my disposal and during the progress of the other work I made 

 such geological exploration as seemed necessary to gain a comprehensive 

 knowledge of the mineral deposits and their relationships. 



The schist and serpentine area in the vicinity of the Baruyan and 

 Bamban river valleys occupied the first ten days of the time; my next 

 work lay in the neighborhood of Nagpartian, the hills near by and the 

 coast near Cape Bojeador; I then returned to Basuquin where 1 was 

 joined by Mr. Burdette. Together we worked over the country adjacent 

 to Basuquin and the territory lying between that place and Nagpartian. 

 At no time did we penetrate into the interior for more than 10 miles, for 

 two reasons : First, there has been no prospecting except near the coast ; 

 second, at this season of iaguios or storms, it was found quite impracti- 

 cable to go any distance from the coast and well-beaten trails; while 

 traveling in this country one is often held up for days and even weeks 

 by swollen streams and flooded fields. 



Native horses were used during this work both for riding and packing. 

 When labor was needed, we found the Ilocanos to be very good, although 

 they were not always available nor willing to leave their rice fields. We 

 always found accommodations gladly offered to us by Spanish, English, 

 American, and Filipino residents when near the coast towns, and when 

 in the hills we usually ran into a cazadore's hut. 



