COAL-FIELDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 665 
Near New Scotland.—Lake Chrissie is situated at an elevation of 
5755 feet, and coal crops out in both its east and west sides a few 
hundred feet lower down*. On the west side, near the head of 
the Vaal river, there areat least four seams, from 4 to 11 feet thick, 
with thin beds of sandstone between. 
The High Veldt—In some shafts sunk upon two farms near 
the edge of the plateau, by the road from Middelburg to the Komati, 
at about 5000 feet elevation, the following sections are exposed :— 
No. 1. No. 2. 
ft, in. ft. in. 
(om) 10 0 Loose ground. 
10 2 O Inferior, or fine, coal. 
Ih te 1 6 Black shale. 
2 3 +2 3 Coal of good quality (not bottomed in shaft 
No. 2). 
At a pan south of the road about 12 miles east of Middelburg 
are horizontal sandstones, grits, and ferruginous rock, and a breccia 
made up of shale, quartz, &c., with a protrusion of weathered trap- 
rock at the north-east corner’. 
A ‘‘krantz” (small precipice) on the east side of the road from 
Heidelberg to the Kaap, where it crosses the Little Olifant’s river at 
an elevation of rather more than 5000 feet, shows the following 
section :— 
ft. in. Coarse, rather ferruginous grit. 
Fine, white, false-bedded sandstones. 
Laminated sandstone. 
Black shale. 
Coal, of good quality, but much weathered. 
Black shale. 
Coal, not bottomed, water being thrown out by a hard 
rock below (? trap). 
Fine grit at lower level, seen in the river. 
Eb eH 
Syaoqye) 
A few hundred yards to the north-west another spring points to 
the extension of the coal in that direction ; and about four miles south- 
west by the cross roads is another spring in dark peaty soil, present- 
ing similar indications. 
Seams of coal have been opened on the High Veldt in several 
places north of those mentioned, for instance, on the farms of R. 
O'Neil, J. Holzthuis, and others, also by the “ Blink Pan,” on 
Nieukirk’s farm, one mile and a half N.N.W. of Koch’s store. 
Proceeding westward, a stream is crossed at an elevation of 4700 
feet, on both sides of which seams of coal crop out in several places, 
a fact which has given to the stream the name of Steenkool Spruit. 
The coal is associated with fine-grained sandstones and beds of 
iron-ore. According to Dr. Atcherley it resembles ‘‘ Arley Main,” 
and the seams are from 6 to 8 feet thick £. 
* According to Dr. Atcherley (‘Trip to Boerland, p. 219) there are two 
seams within a mile of each other, the upper one over 380 feet in thickness. 
+ Around the margin of this pan a great number of stone-weapons may he 
found. 
t ‘Trip to Boerland,’ p. 219. 
