176 REPORT— 1870. 



On the South-African Gold-fields. By Captain Sir John SwiNBtTRNE, Bart. 

 The part of South Africa treated of by the author was the district lying between 

 the Limpopo and the Zambesi rivers, and between 27° E. long, and the Indian 

 Ocean. The shoi-test practicable route to it is by way of Port Natal and Harrismith. 

 There is no public conveyance between Maritzburg and Hanismith, a distance of 

 150 miles, and the road is very bad, as all the rivers and valleys are crossed at right 

 angles. The Drakensberg is crossed on the road at an altitude of 6400 feet. From 

 Harrismith to Potchefstroom, a distance of 190 miles, the countrj^ is undulating 

 and almost destitute of wood. Seventy -five miles further Rustenburg is reached, 

 the last civilized place in the interior ; hence to the Tati river is a march of 382 

 miles through the bush country, a monotonous, arid tract, wooded with stunted 

 trees rarely exceeding sixty feet in height. The mining settlement on the Tati is 

 situated in lat. 21° 27' S. and 27° 40' E. long., at an elevation of 3200 feet above 

 the sea. The .Southern Gold-fields, as far as the actual metal has been found, 

 extends from N.W. to S.E., a distance of forty miles by fourteen miles broad. 

 There are five different mines within a mile of the settlement ; two three miles to 

 the south-east, one thirteen miles north ; two twelve miles, and one thirty-five 

 miles up the river, to the north-west of tlie settlement ; making a total of eleven 

 mines which have actually been worked and gold extracted. Besides these there 

 are numerous other reefs where gold has been discovered ; but these have not 

 yet been worked. In most of the mines two shafts have been sunk to 

 an average depth of fifty feet, and all are upon the site of ancient workings. 

 The original miners appear to have worked the reefs more in the manner of 

 quan'ics than mines, leaving great holes or pits. There are two descriptions of 

 quartz, — one red and honeycombed, the other of a bluish -grey appearance, the gold 

 in the latter being coarser, but more easily discriminated than in the red ore. The 

 climate of the gold country is very healthy. From the end of April to October no 

 rainfalls; the other months are subject to violent thunder-storms, but there is 

 scarcely a day without some hours of fine weather : the nights are always cold, in 

 June the thermometer falling as low as 38° Fahr. about an hour before simrise, 

 while it ranges as high as 88° or 90° during the day. The prevailing wind for nine 

 months of the year is S.E., blowing strong during the day, and dying away at 

 sunset. The Northern Gold-fields lie 327 miles to the N.N.E. of the Tati, in the 

 Zambesi basin, their northern part being the Umfidi river (the Tole or Banyeka of 

 Livingstone's map), and their southern boundary the Bembees. The latitude of 

 the principal workings is 18° 11' S., and the longitude 30° 34' E., and they are distant 

 205 miles from Tete, and IGO miles due south of Zumbo, on the Zambesi ; at present 

 they have not been veiy productive. The countiy is densely peopled by the Mes- 

 huna nation, industrious workers in iron and earthenware, and growing all kinds 

 of grain and pulse. The author, who visited these previously almost unknown 

 people, gave a sketch of their recent dealings with the invading Matabele Caflres, 



Tlie Island of Hainan. By R. Swinhoe, F.R.G.S. 



]\rr. Swinhoe visited the island of Hainan on Government service in 18G8, to 

 inquire into its commercial capabilities. He describes the island of Navchow, 

 near Hainan, wliich was first visited. The chief port flloihow) and the capital 

 of Hainan (Kiungchow) are then described, and an account is given of a visit to 

 the mountains of the interior, and an inten-iew with the independent aborigines 

 called Le. Leaving the chief port, the gunboat 'Algerine,' Commander Domvile, 

 which canied the expedition, circumnavigated the island, calling at the most im- 

 portant harbours aud places on the coast. Some account is given of each of these. 



On the Harlours of Western India. By Capt. Taylor, (late) I.N. 

 During his service in the late Indian navy of nineteen years' duration, the author 

 has been employed in surveying various harbours hitherto unused on the western 

 coast of India ; aud as the results of these surveys, showing the existence of har- 

 bours of great capacity and excellence, had been published, he was naturally sur- 



