Discovery of the Witwatersrand Gold Fields 193 



results. Fred also prospected the range from Sterk- 

 fontein to Wilge Spruit and located the rich outcrop 

 at the latter place, which we called the " Confidence 

 Reef". He then discovered the conglomerates on 

 Paarde Kraal, this we followed along the rand from 

 Vogelstruisfontein and Driefontein, east of Knights, 

 which is now the Witwatersrand Gold Fields. On 

 March 4th I let George Moodie, George Hudson and 

 Fred each take a share in the " Sterkfontein Junction 

 Mining Co.," of which I was elected chairman and 

 Fred manager. On the 7th he wrote that he was 

 down 28 feet finding " colour " all the way in the 

 shaft, and had traced the reef to Wilge Spruit. I 

 engaged a Cornish miner named Arnold, and started 

 him working on Wilge Spruit under Fred's super- 

 vision. The man was afterwards quoted as a dis- 

 coverer, whereas he was merely a labourer in my 

 employ. As he drank, and was too talkative, I took 

 him to a copper lode on " The Willows " to get him 

 out of the way. 



On April 16th, 1884, I commenced to drive an 

 adit into the hill to cut the reef. This took about 

 two years (being in quartz-porphyry). At the back 

 of the dyke we struck a strong stream of permanent 

 water, which I had conducted down to Cliff en dale 

 farm, where we were then living. 



During 1884 we were very busy. I purchased 

 or leased properties along the line of conglomerate 

 reefs, known as " Almond Rock " from its appear- 

 ance, and called " Banket " by the Dutch. Fred was 

 prospecting and looking after the mining work. 

 Many friends tried to dissuade us from working 

 them and told me that I would never see the money 

 again, as gold had never before been found in con- 

 glomerate. On or about June 1st, 1885, Dr. Jorrissen 

 came to me from Pretoria, and said that the 



