Rev. S. S. Bornan — Geology of Basutoland. 59 



a pea up to masses six or eight inches in diameter. The presence of 

 these blocks must imply a considerable distance in transportation, as no 

 rocks of this character occur nearer, I understand, than Pondoland, 

 Griqualand West, or the Transvaal. As most of the ripple-marks 

 in the sandstones indicate a current with an east to west direction, it 

 is more likely they came froTU the first-mentioned place. This 

 conglomerate is highly charged with ferruginous matter, so that its 

 appearance is very characteristic. The thickness of the bed varies 

 from three to five feet. This bed is usually taken as indicating coal 

 beneath in Cape Colony, and I can confirm this from personal observa- 

 tion in Basutoland. It seems to be the higher of the two horizons 

 upon which coal is found in the Molteno Beds. The lower is not 

 exposed in Basutoland. The conglomerate is remarkably uniform and 

 persistent all over the country, just a little above the plain, and 

 in every exposure I have found indications of the presence of coal 

 iDeneath. Good exposures of the Molteno Beds are difficult to obtain 

 in Basutoland owing to the amount of detritus, which covers the 

 slopes of the hills where they lie. This does not apply to the 

 Bed Beds and Cave Sandstone, splendid exposures of which occur 

 everywhere. 



Fossils,^ except plants, are not plentiful, principally owing to the 

 absence of good exposures, and also owing to the jealousy of the 

 natives, which prevents any systematic search. Scattered bones occur, 

 but I have seen no skulls or complete skeletons. The species to 

 which these bones belong have not been determined. Large fossilised 

 trunks of trees as much as 2 feet in diameter are not uncommon. 

 These would indicate a land surface, at no great distance, or they may 

 liave been floated down hj a river. 



(3) The Bed Beds lie conformably upon the Molteno Beds without 

 any distinct line of separation, so that it is difficult to say where the 

 one ends and the other begins. The name is an unfortunate one, and 

 as the rocks are so characteristic and so persistent all over the country, 

 the name could be verj^ well changed in favour of some other 

 designation. They are composed of red sandstones, blue, green, and 

 ■chocolate-coloured mudstones and shales, the mudstones as a rule 

 predominating. It is noteworthy that most of the green mudstones 

 weather red, which gives the red portions of the beds an apparent 

 thickness much greater than they leally have. Bipple-marks and false 

 bedding are extremely common, and nearly always indicate a current 

 from an easterly and north-easterly direction. No plants have been 

 iound so far. Fossil wood is rather plentiful, and, of late, reptilian 

 bones have been found in the Orange Biver Colony and North 

 Basutoland in considerable numbers, indicating lar^e and small 

 Dinosaurs. The largest thigh-bone I have seen measures 19|- inches 



1 Since this was written footprints of reptiles have been discovered in Molteno 

 Beds near the Tsuaieng Eiver about l\ hour's ride from Morija. They are four- 

 toed and about 6 inches square, and belonged to some heavy-footed animal similar to 

 a Pareiasam-Hs, but certainly not this animal. They strongly resemble Labyrintho- 

 dout tracks. I am also informed by Mr. H. C. Sloley, Resident Commissioner of 

 Maseru, that a skeleton of a Dinosaur of large size was found in the bed of the 

 Tebetebeng River, and curiously enough was lying alongside of a doleritic dyke. 



