مجموعة ٦ / ٨ (١) "سلسلة مطبوعة: ١٩٢٩ إلى ١٩٣٨". [ظ‎‎٢‎٥‎٥] (١٠٦٢/٥١٥)

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4 For testing the alluvial deposits he advocates the use of a (blank)
machine costing three hundred to four hundred
£ 3 oc—*oo. pounds f. o. b. JNew York, which could also be used
for finding water. It would be easy he says, for capable labour properly
lunervised and with an interpreter to learn how to work the drill and make
thl necessary calculations with a year’s practice. He adds: I repeatedly
«uH strongly advise you to enforce this, that your subjects may be able to
carrv out°tne work in future instead of employing persons from abroad”.
Once found the gold may be won by dredging, a suitable machine costing
’ ahrmt thirt.v thousand Dounds.
5. Mr. Twitched then turns to minerals in lodes. The greatest
mineral wealth in the world, he states, is that obtained from lodes. As a
result of his brief investigations hei thinks that of the more valuable
minerals, gold, silver iron, lead, mica and petroleum exist in the Hejaz.
and there may be others, he adds. He advocates the training of personnel
to distinguish samples. He had made a collection himself and commends
its extension. “All industry depends on minerals” he says, “in a direct
or indirect way. The progress and success of the United States of
America are based on their minerals. I must strongly and repeatedly draw
your attention to the great importance which should be given to the matter
of your minerals”.
6. Mica .—Getting down to detail, Mr. Twitchell states that at Yanbu’
he was shown samples of mica, one a particularly large (37 cm. x 10 cm.)
and a good piece of “mica muscovite”. Its source was not known and it was
most important to discover it. India at present produced sixty-five per
cent, of the world’s output of mica, a mineral which required but little and
inexpensive machinery to produce. Every endeavour should be made to
find and produce it. (I learn independently that promising samples are
found in the hills immediately behind Jadda).
7. Iron .—At Salwan, thirty-two kilometers West (1) of Yanbu’ he
found a sample of iron which he calls “spacpolarite”. The sits was a small
volcanic area three by twenty meters and four hundred feet up by aneroid
but he does not think that the geological formation warrants exploitation or
further search.
8. Talc .—Two kilometers North of Yanbu’ an-Nakhal he found a small
deposit of talc, but of no importance or value.
9. Coal .—Eight kilometers North of Wejh, at Himeyra and Qibla,
hs suspected the existence of coal. Although he found none, he thinks that
it may be worth following the layer southwards.
10. Emery .—At the same place and twelve kilometers from the old pil
grimage for there was a presumption that emery existed, but he thinks it is
of no value. '. 11 12 * 14
11. Gold I Silver. —Thirty-five kilometers North of Wejh on the
Dhaba road he found large angular pieces of quartz and advises that the
mountains to the Eastwards be examined to discover its source. Samples
should be taken and examined for gold or silver.
12. Gypsum. North of Yanbu’ he found many sites of gypsum, useful
for making lime and for improving the condition of salty soil. There was
also gypsum at Jabal al Kabrit, thirty-two kilometers North of Dhaba.
Sulphur. On the same mountain he thinks that there might be
light veins of sulphur (kabrit means sulphur) but he himself found none, the
area which he examined having no value.
14. Gold and Silver .—The most important part of Mr. Twitchell’s
report concerns the old workings for gold and silver at Al Qarayat and Ras
ash-Shuweyta I attach as Appendix “A” a verbatim translation of the
bad Arabic in case it may be of interest to one with sufficient technical
knowledge to decypher it. I have added to appendix “A” a translation of
a further report of gold being found near Taif.