70 PROCEEDIKGS OP THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [DeC. 7, 



If we take a vertical section of the Natal formations, we shall find 

 them as follows : — 



Brown soft sandstones and grit, with great 1 Cretaceous Series, Lower Greensand 

 numbers of fossils. J up to White Chalk. 



Sandstones and shales with coal-beds, 1 j^^^^^ formation: probably Trias, 

 ^hales, and Boulder-hed (greenstone | reaching as far up as the Jura. 



Quartzose sandstone with shales ; contain- ) Table-Mountain Sandstone. Coal- 

 ing only traces of fossil remains. J period. 



Clay- and talcose slates, mica-schists, dykes 1 ^^^ slate-formation. 



01 diorite. J •' 



Granite and gneiss, dykes of diorite. Primary rocks. 



III. Economic Geology. 



Industry and the fine arts are still in their childhood in Natal ; 

 otherwise the raw materials are there in abundance. Natal possesses 

 good building-material in the quartzose sandstone of the Table Moun- 

 tains, and an excellent slate which is found at some places (for in- 

 stance, at the Umpampinioni river). The lower parts of the crys- 

 talline limestone would, I have no doubt, afford a good statuary 

 marble. 



1. Graphite. — A very good quality of pure graphite is found 

 south of Springvale, in Natal — in gneiss, as it seems. As the work- 

 ing of the graphite is not expensive, a ton of pure graphite costing- 

 only about £30, it would probably be a lucrative undertaking to 

 ship graphite at Durban. Graphite is not very rare in South Africa ; 

 traces of it are found at several points in the " old colony." A 

 considerable amount of this mineral is to be met with, as I have 

 been informed not very far from the Mission-station of Inyatin, 

 about 20° S. 



2. The Goal of Natal, which belongs to a younger series than the 

 more newly discovered one near Tulbagh, in the Cape Colony, seems 

 to form extensive fields in the sandstone and shales of the plant- 

 bearing Karoo formation. Although it is a good steam-coal, it is 

 still cheaper to import the coal from England or Australia, whence 

 it may be obtained at 27-55 shillings the ton at Durban. 



3. Metals. — a. Gold. Every body remembers the great excite- 

 ment which was caused by the first " discoveries " of gold in South 

 Africa. Since then companies have been formed, shares sold and 

 bought, diggers have been sent out, and the colonies hoped for better 

 days ; but suddenlj^ the gold-fields turned out to be imagination, as 

 it became pretty certain, and indeed an ascertained fact, that gold was 

 not in sufficient quantities to pay the Avorking of the quartz. Not only 

 in the interior, but also near the coast, within the boundary of the 

 colony, gold was sought for. Traces of gold are to be seen in the 

 quartz-veins and quartz piasses (" reefs ") in the granitic and slate- 

 formation, but not sufficient to pay the expense of crushing. I have 

 visited most of the localities in Africa which were called auriferous ; 

 but nowhere did it seem to me likely that it would pay for working, 

 as the quartz-veins (supposing they would yield a paying quantity) 



