Islands’ Sulphur

Mr. Travers Black’s Inquiry in New Britain

AN investigation of important sul phur deposits on the slopes of Mt.

Bango, 2,375 feet high, which lies in land from Talasea on the northern coast of New Britain. New Guinea, was made recently by Mr. Travers Black, a well known Sydney engineer.

The occurrence of sulphur in the volcanic areas of New Guinea has been known for a very considerable period and lately, owing to the increased

value of sulphur—one of the effects of the Australian and British exchange rates —investors in Australia have been investigating various sulphur deposits in and about the South Seas. We re ported in last issue that a party of engineers had visited the huge sul phur deposits on Vanua Lava, in the Banks Group, which is part of the New Hebrides.

Mr. Black returned to Australia re cently with much data and a number of fine photographs of the barren re gion on and around Mt. Bango. Mr.

Black, in his investigation, went right up to the smoking crater of the vol cano, travelling over wide, dead slopes of volcanic matter that in its utter barrenness and ugliness suggested a scene from Dante’s Inferno.

These enquiries for payable sulphur deposits are being carried on quietly and it is not known whether anything worth-while has yet been discovered.

The ugly, barren slopes of Mt. Bango, visited recently by Mr. Travers Black.