GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOUI;CES. Little is known of the geology of the country. In general it may be stated that overlying the fundamental rocks—gneiss, crystalline and other schists, crys talline limestone, quartzite, etc. — are found strata of Cambrian and Carboniferous age, the repositories of the metallic ores of the country. The prevailing rocks are sandstone, slate, lime stone, hornstone, and conglomerates, and among the intrusive eruptive rocks. granite, porphyries, gabbro, diorite, diabase, etc., best exemplified in the Phyong-an provinces. Mesozoic rocks are found in the Province of Hwang-hai, and the Tertiary formations, which are of little ex tent, hut which contain considerable lignitic coal, in the bill country around Ping-yang and in the Ham-gyeng provinces. Basaltic lavas forming table lands occur in several places, but the best example is in the Province of Kang-wOn.
Gold has long been obtained from the sands of the northern rivers, but it is only in recent years that the exploitation of the auriferous rocks has begun. Concessions have been obtained
by capitalists from the United States, Russia. Germany, and Great Britain, and gold-mining is now carried on in the provinces of Kang-won. Phyong-an. and Ham-gyeng. The property of the United States concessionaires at Won-san covers SOO square miles. Five mines have been opened there, and five mills, with two hundred stamps, are in operation. The placer mining of the Germans was carried on in 1901 by 9 Euro peans, 6 Chinese, 7 Japanese, and 275 Koreans. The value of the gold exported in that year was $2,237,689. Copper is abundant, and has long been worked. Of the output in 1900, copper to the value of $50,000 was exported. Galena is also found, and there are iron ores of many kinds, but little has been done in working them. Good anthracite coal has been found, and coal is mined near Ping-yang.