'THE GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF DHUFAR PROVINCE, MUSCAT AND OMAN' [‎46v] (82/96)

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will be a by-product in preparing Soda Ash can be used for making
Bleaching Powder, Calcium chloride and various other substances in
which slaked lime is required. I have now to consider the Lead ore
of Garat Athetate eastwards of Murbat, but unless the ore is in very
great quantity the production of metal (Lead) by smelting will not
be attractive for a small-scale industry, and it will be better to
consider the manufacture of Lead pigments, such as ‘ Red Lead ’ and
‘ White Lead \ This might be best done near the mine, if the deposits
are close to the coast, or the ore could be brought round to Risut to
a factory An East India Company trading post. near the chemical works. With the subject of the pre
paration of Paints will come the use of some of the pure slaked lime
as well the manufacture of Plaster of Paris from Gypsum. As
matters stand, the supplies of Gypsum appear very restricted, and
this problem of Gypsum is one of considerable importance to the
cement industry. The ‘ Soapstone ’ or Talc would probably find use
in the paint industry, or it might be powdered and sold as a filler
for cloth or paper and for the packing and preservation of rubber
goods. x All these details concern the so-to-say minor minerals along
the coastal side of the Jabal Qara. On these hills it is possible that
other pigments might be found, such as Red and Yellow Ochre, but
I did not see any actual occurrence.
102. The northern side of the watershed, A1 Qutun, in the area
I have been referring to as Qarn Shaiba, has immense resources in
Limestone and in pure Dolomite. There is also evidence of Gypsum
and Salt and Flints (and Chert). The reserves of these three sub
stances are unknown, but do not appear large within a distance of
40 miles from the coast. One specimen from among those brought
to me from within 10 miles north-west of Hanun is identified as
Chalk’. It is of a pure white colour, soft and powdery, and I
thought it might be 'China Clay’ but the chemical analysis shows
it is a powdery Limestone or Dolomite, i.e. chalk of a kind. If
there was any substance that was sufficiently attractive to fetch
by building of a good motorable road over the Jabal Qara to
Hanun or into that region, a more thorough search for ceramic
mineral substances might be carried out. On the basis of the
specimens I have collected and the knowledge I have gained of the
country towards the Nejd, I think that some more expeditious mode
oi travel than by camel will help greatly in opening up the country
and bringing to notice minerals which have so far not been reported,
or large, workable occurrences of some of those—such as Gypsum and
Salt and China Clay-—which have been found so far only in small
quantities. In case it is thought that a good road is not justified to
tap an area fringing Ihe Sands’ (Ar Rimal) where the country is
relieved to be empty , I should like to say that all the evidence I
lave gleaned by studying the ' flood signs ’ in the various north
draining wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. courses, as well as from the information in Mr. Bertram