CHAPTEK VI. 



THE CAPE SYSTEM. 



THE rocks belonging to the Cape system have only been 

 found in the southern part of South Africa ; from Van 

 Rhyn's Dorp in the west, round the coastal districts to 

 the Gualana River, and again northwards from the St. 

 John's River into Natal, the Cape system plays an im- 

 portant part in the structure of the country. 



The true succession of these rocks was made out in 

 part by A. G. Bain, but the numerous folds into which 

 they have been thrown in the west together with some 

 lithological resemblances between parts of the two upper 

 series were responsible for the mistake he made in limit- 

 ing the occurrence of the Witteberg series (the " Car- 

 boniferous " group of Bain) to the eastern province. 

 Moreover, it is evident from the gap left in his map 

 between the Kammanassie and Cockscomb Mountains 

 that Bain never had the opportunity of connecting the 

 west and east satisfactorily. This was partly accom- 

 plished by Wyley and Dunn ; but meanwhile a serious 

 error had been introduced by certain observers l taking 

 the Bokkeveld beds to be lower in stratigraphical posi- 



1 Kubidge, Q. J. G. S., xv., p. 195, etc. Hochstetter, " Beitrage z. 

 Geol. d. Caplandes," in Reise der Oeiterreichischen Fregatte Novara um 

 die Erde, Geol. Tlieil, vol. ii., p. 31, 1866. Cohen, N. J. fur Min., etc., 

 BeiL, Bd. v., 1887, p. 202. 



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