evidence of a very satisfactory condition of affairs as regards the resources at the command of the people and of an increased capacity to save a portion of their earnings. While this may be partly true, I believe that these increased deposits in the banks, drawing little or no interest, are due to some extent to distrust in many of the businesses in which the people formerly invested, and partly to the high price of really sound securities and the consequent small dividends on money invested. A. DONN PIATT,

DUBLIN, May 2, 1899.

Acting Consul.

MERCHANTS IN ATHENS.

Under date of June 3, 1899, Consul McGinley, of Athens, writes to a New York correspondent* as follows:

There are in Athens five dealers in bicycles and bicycle "fittings" and fifteen shops which repair bicycles.

There is no establishment in the city that keeps printing machinery in stock or that makes a specialty of that line; but some fifteen individuals and firms import such machinery and supplies to order, mostly from England and Germany. Athens has over one hundred and thirty-five printing houses, about two-thirds of which do lithographic work; and it has fifty bookbinderies.

The city contains one large furniture factory, which is operated by the inmates of an orphan boys' asylum, besides which there are about one hundred and fifty carpenter and joiner shops that make or repair office and house furniture; but only twenty make good furniture.

Athens has twenty good stationery stores, some of which carry very large stocks; all deal in office supplies and some in school supplies.

The city contains about forty-five hardware stores that deal in stoves, all of which burn either wood, coal, or coke, and nearly all of which are imported from other countries of Europe. The company that has the monopoly of the gas lighting in Athens alone sells. gas stoves for cooking or heating purposes.

As there is no printed directory of any kind in Athens, the information and addresses herein contained were gathered through personal inquiries and search.

The leading firms in each line of business mentioned are:

Bicycle dealers.-Edward Hogg, St. George's street; J. Spanos, Vouli square; J. Papadopoulos, Colocotroni street.

To whom Advance Sheets have been forwarded.

Stationery stores.-Pallis & Cotzias, Hermes street; D. K. Kokinakis, Aiolus street; Racopoulos Bros., Aiolus street.

Printing offices.-Ethniki Typographia (Government concern), Stadium street; J. Nicolaides, 42 Praxiteles street; Lucas Vergenites, 27 Praxiteles street; A. Tremis, 7 Praxiteles street; Dionisios Efstration, 5 Praxiteles street.

Lithographers.-B. Papachrisantou, Nomismaticopion street; K. Groodman, Deca street.

Bookbinders.-Nicolas Carides, 15 Praxiteles street; Christos Woozoonaras, University street; Marigo Nicolaou, 16 Praxiteles street; Erangelos Barberopoulos, Aristides street.

Furniture manufacturers.-Orphan Boys' Asylum, Piræus street; Christos Heliopoulos, Dionias street; Valentious Stankesser, Miltiades street; J. Maigassis, Academy street.

PLATINUM, IRIDIUM, AND OSMIUM IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

In compliance with the request of a mining engineer of Baltimore, a Department instruction was sent, under date of July 14, 1898, to certain consular officers in Canada and South America, inquiring as to the occurrence and output of platinum, iridium, and osmium in those countries. Publication of the series has been delayed on account of the nonarrival of reports from some of the offices. Those that have been received are given below.

CANADA.

QUEBEC.

Consul Henry sends, under date of July 26, 1898, a letter from the inspector of mines at Quebec, as follows:

Platinum and iridosmine have been found in the black sand accompanying gold in the alluvions of the River du Loup, Beauce County, said district being well known as a gold alluvial country. The quantities of platinum and iridosmine are so small that they are of no value, except at a mineralogical view. The only reference to that subject made by the geological survey will be found in the Geology of Canada, pages 520 and 741. Some years ago, a gentleman who was said to be representing Mr. Edison made a personal inquiry through the country, but I understand he did not find the indication of any value for his purpose.

SHERBROOKE.

Consul Lang, under date of August 4, 1898, transmits the following letter from a resident of St. Francis, Beauce County, Quebec:

I have made inquiries regarding deposits of iridium, osmium, and platinum, and find that no person here knows of such deposits.

Members of geological surveys have probably mentioned such metals in their mining reports of this region, but I am pretty certain they have never seen any. The only metal we have here is gold, with very little iron sand.

VANCOUVER.

Under date of August 27, 1898, Consul Dudley writes:

Upon receipt of the Department's instruction, I addressed a letter to the honorable commissioner of mines for this Province, and he sent me a statement of the output of platinum since 1888, given below. I have made diligent inquiry from other sources and learn that it is generally believed that there are considerable deposits of platinum at several points in this Province, especially in the Similkameen division of the Yale district. I am told that large quantities of platinum have been found in the eastern portion of British Columbia, between Calgary, on the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and Edmonton, in the Northwest Territory.

I do not learn that platinum has been discovered to any extent in the valley of the Fraser River.

One of the best mining engineers here said to me that platinum, osmium, and associated minerals were found wherever there were placer deposits of gold. This gentleman also stated as his opinion. that there was a considerable quantity of platinum and associated minerals in the placer-mining districts in Alaska and the British Northwest Territory. He believes that much platinum is thrown away by the miners in the placer districts, for the reason that the miners working for gold do not recognize the other mineral of almost equal value.

Considerable search is now being made for platinum by men of experience.

The deposits on the Fraser River near Lillooet and on the Tranquillo River have not yet yielded largely; but the belief is general here that good amounts may be obtained if proper efforts for its production are made.

The minister of mines refers me to a book published by Dr. Dawson, entitled Mineral Wealth of British Columbia, as containing all available information.

Consul Furniss, of Bahia, under date of September 3, 1898, says that he has thoroughly investigated the matter, and can not find that any of the metals named are found in his district.

COLOMBIA.

Consul-General McNally, of Bogotá, on August 23, 1898, writes that the fund of information touching the matter referred to is of necessity very meager in that country, by reason of the lack of statistics, making it compulsory to seek information from private sources, which are more or less unreliable.

The Choco district, he adds, in which the minerals may be found, is remote from Bogotá and difficult of access, on account of poor transportation facilities.

HISTORY OF THE NAPHTHA INDUSTRY IN

RUSSIA.

Two very serious crises in this branch of the mining industry were averted by the influx of foreign capital. In 1873 and 1874, the existing system of monopolies was altered by leasing the naphtha lands. Russian promoters spent considerable amounts for the leases, but in the long run there was such a deficiency of working capital that even the largest undertakings were in danger of liquidation.

The Swedish capitalist Mr. Robert Nobel, who arrived in Russia about that time, recognized the large profits to be obtained from the

*Most of this comes from the Similkameen division of Yale district.

naphtha business and started an immense undertaking. The crisis in 1877 did not have any serious results, thanks to the capital of Nobel, who, by loans, saved the naphtha-industry promoters connected with him in business from bankruptcy.

In 1883, a large naphtha undertaking, "Bnito," was organized, excellently managed both technically and commercially, but this also experienced a deficiency of capital. The principal founders of the concern became bankrupt. The Paris firm of Messrs. Rothschild went into the matter, bought up a considerable part of the shares, and opened a credit to the Baku manufacturers of 2,000,000 rubles ($1,000,000) at 6 per cent annually, on condition that all the material intended for export should be made over to them for sale in the foreign markets. In this way, the expected crisis was averted.

The foreign promoters further cooperated in the progress of the naphtha industry by the construction of a pipe line, the adoption of cistern wagons, distillery boilers, and other technical improvements. Good results are expected from the influx of English capital at the present time. In 1896 and 1898, about 18,000,000 rubles ($9,000,ooo) were invested, and thus 4.6 per cent of the naphtha-producing area of Baku belongs to the English. Their profits amount to 17 per cent of the whole proceeds. Of the 6,000 dessiatines (14,200 acres) of naphtha-producing ground, only 500, or about 8 per cent, are actually worked.

Moscow, June 13, 1899.

THOMAS SMITH,

Consul.

NAVIGATION OF THE RIVER VOLGA.

The Ministry of Railways and Communications is at present contemplating the improvement of navigation on the River Volga and its tributaries. Engineer Poletaeff, who made researches on the River Kiatka during 1878 and who is now constructing a dam on the River Petroffsk, expresses the opinion that no matter how much the Volga is dredged, it will be impossible to free it from the sand which accumulates in its broad shallows. The banks will always drift during the spring, when the ice breaks up and the current is strong, and dredging and sifting work would only be a useless and never-ending expense.

Engineer Poletaeff proposes to pass the bars on the right and left side by making canals of ordinary width about 6 fathoms deep. on both sides of the river. Presuming the total length of these bars to be 400 versts, or 266 miles, the cost of these canals will not exceed 20,000,000 rubles ($10,000,000). To prevent the formation of