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Dr. H. Exton — Geology of Lady smith. 



peculiarity of their disposition, appear to have been travelled 

 blocks (Locality No. 1). Each one is more or less encased with 

 a fine-grained sandstone, like the kernel of an almond in its shelly 

 which to a certain extent takes the shape of the central mass. 



These blocks, lying on the Ecca Shale, are well shown in the 

 photographs Nos. 1 and 2, for which I am indebted to Captain 

 Dalgleish, of the Newcastle Field Artillery. 



" No. 2 " shows an artificial pile of detached blocks, each partially 

 exhibiting the crust or casing of sandstone. These stones have 

 evidently been exposed, and possibly rolled from higher ground, 

 and thus more or less fractured. 



" No. 1 " (see Fig. 1) shows a block still lying in situ, partially 

 embedded in the Ecca Shale, size 27 x 19 x 12 inches. The 

 immediate foreground shows the cutting of a military road, and by 

 this the portion facing the spectator has been exposed, whilst the 

 base of the block and the further portion remain embedded in the 

 shale, as when planted there by natural agencies. 



--..-^- 



Fig. 1.— One of the encrusted blocks in the Ecca Shale near the Station Hospital, 

 Ladysmith, Natal. 



There is so much that to me is enigmatic in these stones that, 

 with the stimulus your kindly interest in them has excited, I have 

 extended my researches, with the result, as mentioned in mine 

 of May 16th, that I found a similar specimen at Nicholson's Nek, 

 four miles due north-east from this station (Locality No. 2), and 

 on a second visit discovered others having the same characters. 

 Since then I spent a satisfactory day at Bester's Farm (Locality No. 3), 

 behind Waggon Hill, about five miles in a south-west direction 

 from the Station Hospital (that is, Stationary, in contradistinction 



