THE LANGUAGE of the petroleum industry as a subject of investigation 1 for linguists is gradually becoining a rival to that queen of cant, the argot of criminals Two recent articles in linguistic publications attest to the continuing interest in it,1 and a sizable bibliography can be compiled.2 The industry on a large scale is comparatively young, but its beginnings are prehistoric. Although the modern development of the business is customarily dated, at least by AInericans, froin 1859 when 'Colonel' E. L. Drake obtained crude oil froin the first well drilled in the United States specifically for that purpose, the most ancient Egyptians, Greeks, AInerican and Asiatic Indians, among many others, all found, produced, refined, transported, sold and consuined petroleum. l\lax W. Ball cites instances of its use from about 6000 s.C. on, in Kish, Ur, Babylon, Persia, India, China, and froin Diodorus, Herodotus, and Plutarch. Many wellknomrn references arise from the ancients' acquaintance with rock oil. The fire-breathing Chimera, Moses' burning bush, and the eternal fires of the Veda Inay have originally been gas seeps. Asphalt is evidently the 'slitne,' 'pitch,' and 'bitumen' used on Noah's ark, the Tower of Babylon, and Moses' bulrush ark. Not incidentally, mummy coines from the Semitic, meaning sasphalt.'3 A suggestion has been made that soine of the driller's