reef, so there is proof undeniable of what I state, and, moreover, the whole is permeated with auriferous veins of quartz. Who knows but that some day or other this hill may be opened and worked as a quarry? Believe me, we know little of the wealth of Africa.' Mr. Harvey reports the main reef to be 10 feet thick at the point where driving will be commenced, and the average samples taken right through confirm his previous estimate of about 2 ozs. per ton. Mr. Harvey is right; we know little of the wealth of Africa, but it will not be much longer concealed. "PSEUDONYM. "January 31st, 1887." I quote this prematurely, because it finishes the subject: "AN EXPLANATION. "Mr. W. J. Johns has called our attention to a very important letter respecting the Guinea Coast Company, Limited, which has been received from Sir Richard F. Burton. This letter would have been read by Mr. Johns to the shareholders of that company who assembled at last week's meeting, but no opportunity presented itself for him to do so. Many misstatements were made at that gathering respecting Mr. Johns and other gentlemen connected with the company, which in a really deliberative assembly, anxious only for the facts, might have been set aside. The letter of Sir Richard Burton (an old correspondent of the _Mining World_) tells its own tale. It is as follows:-- "'Hôtel Windsor, Cannes, January 25th, 1887. "'I am greatly scandalized at seeing the papers crammed with the falsest statements about the property of the Guinea Coast Company. "'Two great points require emphatic contradiction. The first is, that the place is a swamp; the second, that it contains no gold. "'As regards both these statements I have only to bring in as evidence my own book, "To the Gold Coast for Gold," and I am ready to maintain every word therein printed. "'The place, so far from being a swamp, struck me as peculiarly healthy, and the condition of the natives proved that such was the case. "'As regards the gold, I noted in my book that Captain Cameron and I were unable to descend into the native shafts on account of their being full of water. But the number and extent of these diggings told their own tale, and I need hardly repeat that auriferous quartz reefs are only nibbed by the country people. "'It would be impossible for me to be in England as early as the 24th of next month, but I have written to my friend and fellow-traveller, Commander Cameron, whose opinion of the mines and mine were identical, to print in some leading papers our distinct and emphatic denial of the two falsehoods above noticed, which have been unblushingly foisted upon the public. "'(Signed) RICHARD F. BURTON.'" [1] Richard wrote "The Castellieri; or, Prehistoric Ruins of the Istrian Peninsula," and "More Castellieri--the Seaboard of Istria." [2] This was deemed chivalrous and foolish by his own lawyer.--I. B.