AUTHOR'S PREFACE 
The Coal Commission was authorized by an act of the Brazilian Gos 
vernment dated July 234, 1904. 
Dr. Francisco de Paula Oliveira, of the Museu Nacional, who had 
long been a successful student of Brazilian Geology, publishing many 
valuable papers thereon, was appointed as First Engineer of the Com- 
mission on the 23" of July of 1904. 
Dr. Oliveira visited Para and made some investigations of the beds 
holding graphite in that region during the year 1903 and later he ex- 
plored the outcrops of coal near Cedro, in the state of Parana, exten- 
ding a drift mine into the hill, and sinking two shafts, fifteen meters 
or more in -depth, demonstrating the fact that the coal does not attain 
commercial thickness at the surface in that portion of the state. 
In 1904, the State Department of the United States, at the so- 
licitation of Dr. Lauro Muller, the Minister of Industry for Brazil, 
through the United States Embassador at Rio de Janeiro, the Hon. 
David R. Thompson, of Nebraska, recommended for appointment as 
Chief of the Commission, Dr. I. C. White, State Geologist of West 
Virginia. This appointment was subsequently made by Dr. Miller, 
dating from July Ist, 1904, and the appointed sailed for Brazil July 
5th, 1904 to enter upon his duties. In the meantime, the Commis- 
sion was reorganized and enlarged by the addittion of other mem- 
bers, so that when Dr. White arrived in Brazil, its personnel was as 
follows : 
Dr. I. C. White, Morgantown, W. Va., Chief ; 
Mr. Carlos Moreira, Secretary. 
Dr. Francisco de Paula Oliveira, First Engineer ; 
Dr. Esdras do Prado Seixas, Second Engineer ; 
Dr. Benedicto dos Santos, Assistant Engineer , 
Dr. Cicero Campos, Assistant Engineer ; 
The membership of the Commission cemained practically the same 
until January, 1906, except that Dr. Seixas retired from the Commis- 
