dealing
with one of the world's largest copper mines. He and his party departed
by train for Broken Hill and I followed by road, arriving late that
night. Next morning when I met Sir Ernest in our Broken Hill office he
laughingly said, 'You had better live up to what you told me yesterday
as I arranged to put up a million pounds this morning'.14
In
fact, even before Dr. Bancroft took charge of the geological work, as
consulting geologist to Anglo American Corporation, a beginning had
been made with the more modern methods than the purely empirical ones
theretofore in use.15
But
once installed, Dr. Bancroft and his team of young geologists lost no
time in getting on with the task. On 29 June 1927 Carl Davis, who had
become technical director of Anglo American Corporation, was able to
write, in the course of a lengthy survey of the situation in Northern
Rhodesia, that:
I
was very much impressed with the ability and energy of Dr. Bancroft. He
has already a good grip on the general position and in a very short
time will effect a much better organization and still more effective
operation of the field-work of the concessions during the present dry
season.
He
has eight technically trained men to be distributed between the various
concessions and this type of man will in future, as far as possible,
largely replace the present prospector, the salary paid in each case
being the same.
In
connexion with these young technically trained men, I discussed with
Mr. Unger and Mr. Coaton the possibilities of bringing a certain number
of these young fellows to the Rand during the rainy season and
distributing them among our mines in whatever subordinate capacity
appears to be most useful.
This
would make the work more attractive to this type of man in Northern
Rhodesia, and also enable us to get a line on good men of this stamp,
which would be desirable, as we need more promising young technical men
in our underground organizations here. . . .
As
a first step towards more intelligent work, Dr. Bancroft has completed
a geological map of Northern Rhodesia compiled from all existing sources
14 Bancroft, J. A. Mining in Northern Rhodesia. Edited by T. D. Guernsey. [London], B.S.A. Co., 1961.
15 In his address to the shareholders covering the year 1926, Ernest Oppcnheimer said that:
'An
important feature of this year's programme is the carrying out of an
aerial survey of the concession. This is, I believe, the first occasion
on which aerial photography has been applied to mineral prospecting,
but from the results obtained by the aircraft company in Burma where
they carried out a forest survey, there is every reason to believe that
very valuable information regarding the potentialities of the company's
property will thus be obtained. Electrical prospecting, which was also
employed last year, is being continued. Field prospecting by means of
qualified and properly equipped parties is being conducted on an
important scale.'
