9 1 
the outcrop of the Guildford shales of Mesozoic age, lying at the 
foot of the Darling Ranges and having a very slight dip to the 
west. The escarpment of the range here as elsewhere in the 
district is composed of granite, somewhat gneissic in places. A 
very conspicuous feature is the large white quartz reefs which 
are so numerous to the north-east of the township as to make 
one spur appear distinctly white from a distance of several miles. 
These reefs contain only traces of gold. Further north than the 
party ventured a tunnel has been driven into the side of the hill 
a distance of 180 ft. to test the value of one of these reefs in the 
sulphide zone. The quartz was found to carry a little iron and 
copper pyrites, the gold contents of several samples being either 
nil. or a' trace. ( Vide Report of the Department of Mines for 
1909, page 123). 
WEST GUILDFORD.— October 15, 1910. 
Leader, Mr. Catton Grasby. 
On Saturday, October 15, the members of the Natural 
History and Science Society visited the chemical and super- 
phosphate works recently erected at West Guildford by Messrs. 
Cuming, Smith and Co., Ltd. The visitors were shown over the 
buildings by Messrs. Perry and Garnsworthy, and two hours 
proved too short in which to inspect the very extensive and 
complete and interesting establishment, which includes five dis- 
tinct chemical manufactories, besides one of the most complete 
power plants in the State, laboratory, fitting shop, and so forth. 
Perhaps the greatest interest was shown in the finely-equipped 
building, devoted to the manufacture of pure sulphuric acid from 
sulphur by the contact process, which is one of the most remarkable 
developments of modern technical knowledge. 
Sulphuric acid is described by Professor R. K. Duncan, in 
his “ Chemistry of Commerce," as “ the king of chemical pro- 
ducts,” and the total consumption for the year 1904 exceeded 
eight billion pounds. Wren sulphur is burned the fumes consist 
of one part of sulphur, combined with two parts of oxygen. 
This is sulphur dioxide, do make sulphuric acid it is necessaiy 
to combine one more part of oxygen from the air with the sulphur 
dioxide, and then the addition of water gives sulphuric acid. 
It is the combination of the third atom of sulphur which gives 
trouble, and the marvel of the contact process is in the fact that 
when the sulphur fumes and air after being freed from all im- 
purities are passed through a column containing about £1,000 
worth of prepared platinum, at a temperature of from 400 to 500 
Cent., the catalytic action of the platinum causes the necessary 
oxygen to combine with the sulphur fumes without itself being 
changed in any way. 
