NATURE 



113 



THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1906. 



■niE RAND THROUGH FRENCH SPEC- 

 TACLES. 



Etude sur I'Etat actiiel des Mines du Transvaal. Les 

 Giles — Icnr Valeur. Etude industrielle et financiere. 

 By George Morcau. Pp. iv + 218. (Paris: Librairie 

 polytechnique, Ch. B^ranger, Editeur, 1906.) 



THIS, the latest description of the VVitvvatersrand, 

 is a curious medley of history, physiography, 

 geology, mining, and finance, in which the author 

 endeavours, and not without success, to picture to 

 his readers the present condition of the gold-mining 

 industry. 



The geological portion of tlie book consists of a 

 rt'suini^, fairly accurate and complete, of recent pub- 

 lications of the Geological Society of South Africa, 

 while the mining and economic statistics are derived 

 chiefly from the excellent compilations of the Wit- 

 watersrand Chamber of Mines and the Government 

 Mines Department of the Transvaal. The descrip- 

 tion of the methods employed in the e.xploitation of 

 the mines, and of the processes in vogue for the 

 recovery of the gold from the ore during its progress 

 from the rock-crushers, through the stamp-mill and 

 the cyanide works, to the residue dumps, is well done 

 and up to date, such recent innovations on the Rand 

 as tube-mills and filter-presses being described. 



The use of the old chemical symbols (in which 

 vvalcr is represented by HO) in giving the reactions 

 of the cyanide process seems a strange reversion to 

 the past. The author's reason for this procedure is 

 found in a footnote on p. 165. It runs : — 



" Nous avons hdsite pour choisir les notations des for- 

 mules chimiques et avons fini par adopter les vieilles 

 formules des Equivalents. Les nouvellcs vues rela- 

 tives k la constitution des corps ont provoquE bien 

 des attaques contre les theories dites atomiqucs ct 

 beaucoup dc bons esprits regardent cette notation 

 comme insufl'isante. Nous ne prcnons nullement 

 position dans le d^bat et choisissons simplement les 

 formules pond^rales comme commode pour les 

 praticicns." 



A curious commentary on the chemistry of the day ! 



Not the least interesting part of the book is that 

 which contains the author's views on the labour supply 

 for the mines — the burning question of the hour in 

 ihe Transvaal. Speaking of Kafir labour, he says, 

 *' whereas among the white working classes continuous 

 work is necessitated by the fact that a day's pay scarcely 

 sulTices to meet a day's requirements, the Kafir has no 

 wants (his food and lodging being found), and he works 

 only for six or eight months, during which time he 

 accumulates sufficient capital to enable him to return 

 to his kraal, where he invests his savings in women 

 and cattle. The work of his wives then provides the 

 wherewithal for an idle life. Formerly, war furnished 

 forth slaves fqr the conquerors ; now the males con- 

 sent to a little temporary fatigue in order to assure 

 a life of complete tranquillity and repose. The con- 

 stant succession of fresh hands, inexperienced in mine 

 NO I 9 18, VOL. 74] 



work, depresses the standard of efficiency for Kafir 

 labour. The best workers are, of course, the few 

 who spend their earnings (unfortunately largely in 

 the consumption of alcohol), and consequently remain 

 on the mining field." 



The author calculates that in the territories in 

 which recruiting for native labour is permitted a 

 supply of not more than 250,000 can be reckoned 

 on. The labour requirements of South Africa (for 

 mines, agriculture, and public works) amount at pre- 

 sent to 380,000, and if Ihe developments that are hoped 

 for are realised, the demand for labour will have in- 

 creased in five years' time to 600,000. It is evident 

 that the importation of Chinese labour relieved a very 

 pressing necessity. 



The introduction of the Chinese receives the com- 

 mendation of the author. It has, on the whole, he 

 says, been a success. 



" Very industrious and most desirous of gain, 

 the Chinese make first-class miners. They take 

 to underground work, and the results are ex- 

 cellent wlien they know that they are being paid 

 in proportion to the work done. While they exert 

 themselves as little as possible when on salary, they 

 show great activity when put on piece-work." 



There is no doubt that if they are employed on piece- 

 work excellent results will be obtained. Moreover, the 

 introduction of the Celestials has, according to the 

 author, had a particularly favourable influence on the 

 recruiting of the Kafirs, who now feel that they are 

 no longer masters of the situation. 



The white miners come in for some severe handling 

 at the hands of the author. He ridicules their an- 

 tagonism which forced the Transvaal administration, 

 in admitting the Chinese, to impose restrictions which 

 prevent their best qualities being utilised. The em- 

 ployment of a Celestial on anything approaching 

 skilled labour is strictly prohibited. Yet, as the 

 author points out, the machine-drills are often actually 

 manipulated by a Chinese or Kafir assistant (whose 

 pay does not amount to more than three or four 

 shillings a day), while the white miner in charge 

 (who draws one pound or more a day) looks on and 

 smokes his pipe. 



In concluding a chapter on the future of the Wit- 

 watersrand mining industry, the author says : — 



" The Transvaal is a fine country, where Nature has 

 been pleased to concentrate enormous mineral wealth, 

 and where there is still a fertile field to exploit. Gold and 

 coal have been found in abundance. The diamond 

 occurs in an eminently favourable condition for e.x- 

 ploitation, and a recent notable discovery has added 

 tin to the metals — lead, silver, and copper — which 

 were already known to exist. The possibilities of 

 the Transvaal are considerable, and those who interest 

 themselves in a good venture from the start are 

 almost certain to net a profit. The reverse of the 

 medal is that the European markets do not get the 

 chance of participating in South African ventures 

 until they have passed through the hands of a number 

 of intermediaries, all of whom have exacted a profit, 

 and the price at which they are finally offered to 

 the investing public is more in harmony with the 

 illusions of the purchasers than the reality of the 

 facts." 



F. H. H. 

 P 



