discussion 269 



Discussion. 



Mr. Mann — This is one of the most interesting papers I have 

 ever heard, as I know most of the places referred to. There was 

 one name I expected to have heard mentioned amongst the list 

 of those gentlemen who reported, viz., that of Mr. Keene. 



Mr. C. Moore — It was mentioned. 



Mr. David — As regards Mr. Keene's name, his work is so well 

 known in the department that we would not think of omitting it 

 from any list. I am very much indebted to him for many facts 

 I have given in my paper to night. 



The Hon. L. F. De Salis — The lecture is one of the most interest- 

 ing that could possibly be given to the inhabitants of New South 

 Wales, and especially to this portion of the Colony, which is doubt- 

 less going to become a large manufacturing district. A great deal 

 of the information given by Mr. David is absolutely new to me. 

 There are one or two points that perhaps he will explain. Have 

 we kerosene and natural gas in this country, both of which are so 

 prevalent in A merica 1 I hope that though his verbal explanation 

 of certain points was perfectly clear to us that he will incorporate 

 it in his paper, for the benefit not only of the members of the 

 Society not present this evening, but of those persons in other 

 parts of the world who are interested in the subject. 



Mr. David — As to kerosene, the so-called kerosene shale of 

 course exists. It was formerly supposed that kerosene shale 

 belonged exclusively to the Greta coal measures. That was at the 

 time we supposed these Bulli coal measures to be the Greta, because 

 the kerosene shale used to be worked at American Creek, near 

 Wollongong. It is now known however that the kerosene shale 

 at Hartley Yale and Joadja and at Wollongong belongs to the 

 Newcastle measures, and that the kerosene shale at Greta is on a 

 totally distinct horizon. As regards whether we have kerosene in 

 the same sense as it exists in America in the Ohio shales, as far as 

 I am aware, no true natural bitumen has ever been found in this 

 colony. We have often had substances brought to us that have 

 been supposed to be residues of mineral oil, but it has proved to be 

 some kind of resin or some nitrogenous substance. It resembles 

 bitumen externally only, as far as I know. We have no con- 

 ditions as far as I can see in New South Wales for the existence 

 of this rock oil in any of the formations so far known. Had we 

 conditions such as obtain in Pennsylvania and Ohio, we might 

 expect mineral oil. In these places there are all the conditions 

 incident to the production of rock oil. 



The President — -I am sure we all listened to this paper with- 

 great pleasure. I think what Mr. David calls his "rambling 

 remarks," was really a great feature. The reading of a paper is, 



R-December 3, 1880. 



