NOTES ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE DRAKENSBERGEN, 



NATAL. 



By Fkank F. Churchill. 



(Read April 27, 1898.) 

 With Plates VII., VIII., IX. 



The Natal side of the Drakensbergen has not been much visited by 

 geologists, and the following notes, the results of visits made in 

 May, 1895, and September and October, 1896, are given as a small 

 contribution to the knowledge of one of the most interesting and 

 beautiful regions of South Africa. 



The tours embraced the Giant's Castle, the valley of the Little 

 Tugela and foot of the Champagne Castle, and the Tugela Falls, at 

 Mont aux Sources ; also the Bushman Caves and Bushman's Pass 

 at the source of the Bushman's River. 



The features of this portion of the Drakensbergen are everywhere 

 the same, and the immediate neighbourhood of the Tugela Falls 

 may be described as showing the typical scenery and geological 

 structure. This district is more accessible by waggon than any of 

 the other localities, and the scenery is, on the whole, more beautiful. 



In travelling from the nearest railway station at Ennersdale, the 

 Tugela is first crossed where the new magistracy buildings are now 

 being erected. Here the country is open, and for Natal it would 

 be considered very flat, though in reality it is undulating and is 

 dotted here and there with isolated conical or flat-topped hills. By 

 aneroid measurement * the drift lies 3,550 ft. above sea-level. 



The rocks are like those around Dundee and Newcastle — light - 

 coloured sandstones and shales, belonging to the Molteno beds of the 

 Upper Karroo series. Coal has not yet been found in this neighbour- 

 hood, though it occurs in many places towards the Orange Free 



* The altitudes throughout are from aneroid readings. Owing to an accident 

 to the thermometer, temperature corrections could not be made ; but in cases 

 where comparison is possible I have not found much discrepancy. 



419 



