130 THE INSIZWA COPPER-NICKEL DEPOSITS. 



Nickel fields which to-day are among- the world's largest nickeB 

 producers. At the time of the author's visit the Insizwa Com- 

 pany had driven their adit 175 feet west on the contact. Alongf 

 its entire length the floor and south wall were in solid ore, 

 the roof and north wall being in mineralised dolerites. A 

 winze had also been put down, following the dip, for 150 feet, 

 ore and mineralised dolerites being laid bare all the way. About 

 200 feet above these workings another drive was being put in 

 following a decomposed dyke which occurs in the dolerites. 

 This had reached a length of 60 feet and appeared fairly well' 

 mineralised, though by no means as rich as that first described. 

 Analysis of specimens brought by the author yielded the- 

 following results: — 



Highest Copper content ... 19.3% 

 Lowest ,, ,, ... 1.2% 



Average of 14 analyses 4-i% 



Highest Nickel content ... 7.3% 

 Lowest ,, ,, ... 0.6% 



Average of 14 analyses 3-8% 



Highest Platinum content... 40Z. igdwts. per ton of 2,000 lbs. 

 Lowest ,, ,, ... 12 grains ,, ,, ,, 



Average of 14 assays 2 dwts. 15 grains ,, ,, 



Cobalt, silver, gold, and osmiridium occur in traces. 



Two trial shipments of some five tons each sent to England 

 soon after the author's visit were analysed by Messrs. Johnson,. 

 Matthey and Co., wMth the following results: — 



I 2 



Copper 3.40% 3.50% 



Nickel and Cobalt! 4.90% 5-25% 



Gold 6 grains per ton 6 grains per ton 



Platinum 2 dwts. 12 grains per ton 12 grains ,, 



Silvei- 10 dwts. ,. I2dwts. 



About three miles east of the Insizwa Company's 

 workings Messrs. Stack and Gilsen had sunk 

 shafts to meet the contact. The author had not 

 the opportunity of inspecting these workings, but was 

 informed that ore similar to that exposed at the Water- 

 fall Gorge had been struck, but very little work on the actual 

 ore deposit seemed to have been done. At the eastern ex- 

 tremity of the Lisizwa Mountain the Alec Payne syndicate 

 was working. The contact had been laid bare 

 and ore struck, but not enough work had been 

 done to yield information of any value. The same 

 remarks apply to the workings at Ndakeni at the western 

 edge of the Insizwa range. These two points are some 13 

 miles apart, and between them the contact between dolerite and 

 shales is easily traced all the way. Ore has been found at 

 many places along this line, but no work worthy the name- 

 has been done except at the four places mentioned. 



The future of these deposits will therefore be followed with 

 interest, for, although many dii^cult problems will have to be- 

 faced, there seems no reason to consider the difficulties in- 

 superable. 



