126 GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY OF NATAL. 



length some hundreds of crystals may appear. Where they do occur 

 they are arranged in the body of the quartz leaders in lines, that 

 are separated from each other by quartz, and that are parallel to 

 Ihe line of foliation. In these lines each fragment of felspar is 

 separated from another by quartz, and they would almost lead 

 one to think that they were arranged along lines of fluxion. On 

 following up some of the leaders I found one point near Dumisa 

 where, within a few feet, the quartz, with but a mere trace of felspar, 

 became so impregnated with it that the leader was no longer one of 

 quartz, but was converted into a typical pegmatite of the older or 

 earlier type. I think, therefore, that there can be no doubt that 

 these leaders in the schists have been derived from these ancient 

 pegmatite veins. I have also seen portions of these pegmatite 

 veins where the quartz was almost entirely absent and the vein 

 became one of pure felspar. 



The schists and gneiss are very similarly contorted and plicated. 

 The planes of foliations in these rocks follow the sinuosity of the out- 

 crops and would appear to have a tendency to contract in synclinal 

 and expand in anticlinal folds. Another feature of interest in 

 connection with these " leaders " is their auriferous nature. Gold 

 has been found at various times, and at various points along their 

 length, for years past. Certain portions of the belt would appear 

 to be rich. The gold occurs both in the leaders and in the enclosing 

 schists. I think that the leaders that now remain in these ancient 

 rocks mark the remains of huge anticlinal and synclinal folds into 

 which the rocks in the country had been cast from north to south, 

 and acquired their present quartzitic nature and relative positions 

 through the metamorphic influences and terrestrial disturbances, 

 which caused such mechanical deformations in them. 



In passing, I refer to a rather peculiar spectacle. This is the 

 occurrence of numerous pits or hollows within limited areas on the 

 summits or slopes of hills or in the adjoining valleys. They are 

 what are locally termed " Elephant's or Buffaloes Wallows." 

 They vary in number within each limited area. Sometimes they 

 may be counted in hundreds. They rarely exceed three feet in 

 depth. They are usually circular or elliptical in shape though 

 irregular shapes are by no means scarce. Their sides slope towards 

 the central part at an angle varying from about 35 to 60 degrees. 

 The central parts of the hollows usually reveal the subsoil or under- 

 lying ro.ks. Now one point of note in this connection is the 

 ■occurrence of innumerable earth worms within these limited 

 areas. These worms seem to confine their haunts to the soil pro- 

 duced from these ancient rocks. I have not found them inhabiting 

 the areas covered by soil produced from the disintegration of rocks 

 of the Table Mountain Sandstone Series. The castings of these 

 worms are to be found in myriads covering the ridges between 

 and the slo]5es of the " Wallows." Their number seems to be at a 

 maximum on the tops of the ridges, but to diminish downwards 

 on the slopes until near the central parts of the " Wallow," where 

 they are no longer present. \'arious theories have been put forward 

 locally as to the origin of these " Wallows." These may be sum- 

 marised thus : — (i) They mark the sites where elephants and 



