870 



COAL BRASS 



occupied by the coal-measures. The general dip of the coal-measures is slightly 

 to the north-east, but modified by the action of intrusive rocks.' 



From the localities opened, the Government Reporter is enabled to give the descrip- 

 tion of the condition of the coal-field from which the following abstract has been made. 

 At Vice's workings a shaft is sunk to a depth of 70 feet. It cuts the coal at 4 1 feet. The 

 seam consists of alternate layers of coal and shale to a thickness of 3 feet 7 inches. 

 Of coal there are 25 inches. The lower seam 13 inches thick is of poor quality. The 

 middle one 9 inches thick is much superior, while the top 3J inches is very inferior. 



The coal is firm and hard, breaking out in good-sized blocks that do not readily 

 break up in transport. It is laminated, splitting into thin layers ; the faces of the 

 layers are of a dull, earthy black colour, while the edges are lustrous. When burnt a 

 good heat is given out, and the fire burns for a long time. The cinder is, however, 

 very considerable, and retains the form of the fuel when first ignited. It docs not 

 fall into an ash. Whon burnt in a steam-engine or where a strong heat is induced, the 

 result forms a pasty cinder. 



Hattingh's workings are about one mile to the south-east of Vice's shaft, situate on 

 the same seam. Of coal there are 24 inches, with 3 partings of shale (15 inches) between 

 the 4 layers. The third seam from the bottom, 6 inches thick, is the best in quality. 



At Kapok Kraal, about seven miles to the south-east of Burgh ersdorp there are 

 28 inches of coal in 4 seams, distributed through about 16 feet of shale, on the opposite 

 side of the valley close to a neck where a trial has been made by moans of a small 

 shaft, there are two seams, one 16 inches, then 2 feet of shale and 9 inches of coal. 

 Buckley's drive is opposite and about 300 feet above the hotel at the base of Bush- 

 man's Hoek. The outcrop of coal and shale is of very inferior quality, and about 

 3 feet thick. About nine miles eastward from Dordrecht a seam of coal occurs 8 

 inches thick at November's Kraal, Tambookie Location. All the appearances are 

 favourable to the presence of coal in this neighbourhood and throughout the district. 

 Besides the above localities, the seam worked by Vice and Hattingh can be traced for 

 miles along the hill sides. Numerous other outcrops are known, but they are not 

 opened out. . 



Mr. Dunn says : ' There can be little doubt that more extensive deposits, and 

 probably superior quality of coal, will be found further north and north-eastward (in 

 Basutoland and Kafirland Proper, extending towards Natal). 



For the Heating Power of British coal, see FUEL. For Coal Mining, see MINING. 



CO Alt BRASS. This name is given to the iron pyrites (bisulphide of iron), found 

 in the coal-measures, and which are employed in Yorkshire, and on the Tyne in the 

 manufacture of copperas the protosulphate of iron and also in the alkali works, 

 for the sulphur they contain. See SITLPHUB OBES. 



The iron ores called Brass, occurring in the coal-measures of South Wales, were 

 particularly described by E. Chambers Nicholson and David S. Price, Ph. D., F.C.S., 

 at the meeting of the British Association at Glasgow. Their remarks and analyses 

 were as follow : 



' There are three kinds of ores to which the name brass fs applied ; they are con- 

 sidered to be an inferior class of ore, and are even rejected by some iron-masters. 

 One is compact, heavy, and black, from the admixture of coaly matter, and exhibits, 

 when broken, a coarsely pisiform fracture. A second is compact and crystalline, not 

 unlike the darkest-coloured mountain limestone of South Wales in appearance. The 

 third is similar in structure to the first-named variety ; the granules, consisting of iron 

 pyrites, are mixed with coaly matter, and cemented together by a mineral substance, 

 similar in composition to the foregoing ores. It is from the yellow colour of this 

 variety that the name brass has been assigned to the ores by the miners. 



' The ores have respectively the following composition : 



