A MINERAL SURVEY OF THE ZINC AND .Ir^'^lC/f/X 



DEPOSITS OF BROKEN HILL, NORTHEK®^>^r^*>^ if' 



RHODESIA. /^/^ 



P.v Arthur E. \'. Zeallrv. A.R.C.S., F.G.^ [ I- • ^ R ^ R Y 



I. Introduction. ^vs.,.^^0 ^^^ 



To the mineralogist there can be very few locahties in the 

 world of such interest as Broken Hill in Northern Rhodesia. 

 The minerals occurring there in the deposits of zinc, lead and 

 vanadium have attracted considerable attention in spite of the 

 inaccessibility of the locality, which is some 300 miles north of 

 the Zambesi. The variety and the extreme beauty, together 

 with the rarity of several of the minerals occurring in the 

 deposit, render its study immensely attractive, and the unique 

 association of mineralized bones, the implements and other 

 evidences of human occupation of the caves in the deposit further 

 increase the interest of the subject. The deposits have been 

 opened up for mining. 



The minerals in the mines and the materials affording 

 evidence of occupation of the caves by man and by beast have 

 been carefully collected from time to time by Mr. Franklin 

 White, Mi^ J. L. Popham, Mr. P. C. Tarbutt, and others, and it 

 is chiefly to these gentlemen that we are indebted for the beauti- 

 ful mineral specimens from Broken Hill which arc now to be 

 seen in the museums of almost every country. 



The minerals have been identified and fully described by 

 Mr. L. J. Spencer (1) of the British ^Museum. South Ken- . 

 sington. 



The mine, its surroundings and the cave have been described 

 by Mr. Franklin White (2). who has discovered evidences of 

 its occupation by man ; f lu^ther evidences — worked and carved 

 bone, clinker, etc. — being described by the same author (3). 



The fossil mammalian and other bones have been described 

 bv Mr. E. C. Chubb (4), and by Messrs. F. P. Mennell and E. 

 C. Chubb (5). 



The ores of lead, vanadium, and zinc were briefly men- 

 tioned by the present writer (6). 



The examination of the minerals in situ and survey of their 

 distribution bring out several points of interest regarding their 

 origin. The mining operations carried out by the Rhodesia 

 Broken Hill Development Co. enabled the writer to make during 

 a visit to the mine extending over some ten days a somewhat 

 hasty but detailed survey of the deposits, and he has thought 

 that it may be of interest to publish the results. 



Acknowledgments are gratefully made to the following com- 

 panies and gentlemen who kindly gave the writer permission 

 to examine the mines, and assisted him in various ways during 

 his investigations: — Messrs. Percy Tarbutt and Co.. The 

 Bechuanaland Exploration Co., Messrs. A. M. Bentley, J. Blackie, 



