X, A, 3 Smith: Reconnaissance of Mountain Pi'ovince 207 



values. It is doubtful if the proposition would be sufficiently 

 remunerative to warrant an expensive installation of machinery, 

 /row. — The existence of iron deposits along the Balbalasan 

 trail was reported to me in Lubuagan, but I found nothing but 

 bog ore in the course of deposition at the two places to which 

 I had had my attention called. On the east bank of Saltan 

 River, about 1 kilometer north of Balbalasan, I found a small 

 float bowlder of hematite, but saw no deposit in situ. This 

 locality would hardly be worth prospecting for anything but gold 

 on account of transportation difficulties. 



SUMMARY 



1. Mountain Province, as its name implies, is for the most part 

 mountainous. The chief valley and place of settlement is the 

 tectonic valley of the Abra. The province is inhabited by semi- 

 civilized peoples who live in widely scattered communities, and 

 the town is the chief political unit. Many different dialects are 

 spoken. 



2. The geologic formations west of the Polls Range are vol- 

 canic and plutonic ; eastward they are sedimentary. The human 

 response to physiographic and geologic conditions has been 

 marked. 



3. The sedimentary formations are, as far as known, Tertiary. 



4. There are indications of mineral deposits which might be 

 of economic value, but which are not exploited. 



5. Agriculture on a small scale and the limited and not easily 

 accessible forests are practically the only resources of the 

 country, and these cannot of themselves develop it much beyond 

 its present state. The mining industry, apparently, holds out 

 the only hope for the province. 



