GEOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE OF LEYTE. 345 



May 20 the shocks were so frequent that the people had difficulty in 

 coolcing their meals. In his report for May^ 1907, Director Algue, of 

 the Weather Bureau, writes concerning the character of the distrrrbanee : 



"It is certain that these earthquakes, besides having a very reduced meizoseismic 

 area (about 10 kilometers in diameter) must have proceeded from a center at a 

 small depth, since of more than sixtj' disturbances felt in the epicentrum between 

 the 17th and 25th of May, only eight were perceptible in Maasin, 30 kilometers 

 distant, and four in the extreme northeast of Mindanao, which is 60 kilometers 



distant." 



• 



Solfataras on Biliran Island. — According to Abella the central Cor- 

 dillera continues to the north in the islands of Biliran "and Maripipi. 

 He describes the Cordillera of Biliran as extending from the northwest to 

 southeast and lying near the eastern sides of the island, and then curving 

 to the south where it terminates in abrupt slopes at the narrow strait 

 which separates the island from Leyte. 



The active solfataras of Biliran are described by Abella as follows 

 (translation from the original in Spanish) : 



"The most important of all, the one in the drainage of the Caraycaray River, 

 is situated in the place called Cajtico on the western slope of Mount Guinon on one 

 of the spurs which gives rise to the Cailjifin ravine. One sees at that place an 

 elliptical space about 100 meters long entirely devoid of vegetation in which the 

 rocks are whitened or of variegated colors produced by the deposits and concretions 

 of various natures which are found there, and from some distance there is a 

 noticeable sulphurous odor from the fumaroles at various points" 



The mine San Antonio was located on this deposit. 



"The solfataras of the Caibiran River occur principally in three ■ bare spots 

 analogous to the one at Cajflcao situated parallel to the Mapulii ravine on the 

 eastern side of Mount Guinon opposite those of Cajflcao. * * * These three 

 spots or bare places present phenomena and products similar to the others just 

 described. * * * However, the disintegrating products of the rooks are here 

 more extensive, whicli seems to indicate that these sulphur deposits are somewhat 

 older than that of the other slope and are in their period of decline or extinction." 



The mine Santa Rosalia was located on this deposit. 



"The solfatara situated in the drainage of the Anas River on the western 

 slope of Mount Guianasan is still more energetic and important than the one 

 in the Mapula ravine, but on the other hand possesses a much more ferruginous 

 character than the others." 



The extinct solfataras which Abella saw are situated at Guiso del 

 Monte Panamao near Almeria and at Catmon near Naval. At the first 

 he found clays. Oxide of iron, and pyrite, the soluble substances and 

 sulphur having disappeared. The second, which is near the sea and 

 away from any stream, has a circular crater-like depression 50 meters in 

 diameter and contains some clay deposits, but no sulphur. 



Goodman, who visited the Island of Biliran to examine the sulphur 

 deposits, gives a description of them similar to that of Abella. He also 



