536 EDITORIAL. 



we visited. There is said to be better coal farther vip the Paret Eiver 

 in the San Jose Valley, near the barrio of Taytay, but the swollen condi- 

 tion of the river prevented a visit. Coal is also reported from the village 

 of Temblique near Baggao, on the south side of the Paret. 



The following description of coal outcrops in the vicinity of Nasiping 

 is from the report of Mr. E. N. Clark : 



"Tlie village of Nasiping, a barrio of Gattaran, is situated on the northeast bank 

 of the Cagayan Eiver and about 2 kilometers above the junction of the Chico 

 River. The town was formerly a municipality and in a rice-growing district. 

 However, at present the rice fields are deserted and covered with a rank growth 

 of cogon grass and guava bushes, all the inhabitants with the exception of a few 

 families having migrated to the more profitable tobacco-i'aising districts. Those 

 still living in this place are so poor that it is seldom possible to obtain from them 

 provisions of any kind. 



"To the northeast of Nasiping stretches a range of low, grass-covered hills 

 among which the coal beds are located. The first bed visited lies N. 35° E. of 

 Nasiping and 2.5 kilometers distant; the elevation by aneroid being 95 meters 

 above the Cagayan Kiver. This bed was on fire at the time of my visit, probably 

 having caught from grass fires. It was burning at two places and also on the 

 upper or north side, and an area oblong in shape and about 800 square meters in 

 extent had already been consumed. The surface is barren, baked clay, Ij'ing 

 0.5 meter below the level of the surrounding, imburned area. The fumes arising 

 from the burning coal are strong in sulphurous gas and some sulphur and alum 

 occur mixed with the clay overlying the deposit. Old residents of Nasiping say 

 that many years ago a large volcano existed in the nearby hills to the east. 

 The story has been passed down for several generations, so the exact location of 

 the reported volcano is not known. As no evidences of former volcanic activity 

 were found in the region it is probable that this story has its origin in a 

 former fire in the coal. 



"The only other outcrop visited in this vicinity was exposed in the bed of a 

 small estero 560 meters northwest of the burning bed. Several years ago a Mr. 

 Anderson took out several tons of coal from near this outcrop. It was burned 

 on the steamer Chipaya, but it is reported that it was found necessary to mix it 

 with foreign coal to secure satisfactory' results. At the time of my visit, these 

 workings were caved in and overgrown with tall grass, so I was unable to observe 

 the thickness of the seam or examine the adjacent rock formation. The outcrop 

 in the nearby stream had a thickness of nearly a meter. No solid formation 

 was encountered for a distance of 50 meters in the stream above thi? outcrop. 

 There and above, alternating beds of shale and clay were found. 



"Through the courtesy of Mr. H. J. Browni, I was able to secure a guide who 

 took me to an outcrop 2.2 kilometers to the northeast of the steel bridge across 

 the Tupong Creek and about 4 kilometers north of Alcala. This outcrop was 

 found in the bed of Taray Creek, barrio of Maasin, and 45 meters above the Cagayan 

 River. The coal at this place strikes north-northeast and dips 30° to the west- 

 northwest. Directly above is a layer of black clay and below a lighter colored 

 variety. A coarse sandstone occurs 50 meters do'sviistream. The coal seam is but 

 0.5 meter in thickness, and the natives say that an outcrop, only 15 centimeters 

 thick was formerly exposed a kilometer to the south and on the south side of 

 the main ridge." 



