668 W. H. PENNING ON THE HIGH-LEVEL 
distance, micaceous shales are seen, tilted by a volcanic dyke, at a 
sharp bend in the river. 
There were good indications of coal observable at Bemhoe’s 
Spruit; and since the time of my visit its discovery there has been 
reported. 
It has been asserted that coal occurs as far down the Vaal river 
as Bloemhof; but this is doubtful, although it is reasonable to 
suppose that there may be remnants of seams that once stretched 
further westward upon the higher lands around the town. The 
Vet river joins the Vaal a few miles above Bloemhof, and about 
12 miles from the junction there are good evidences of coal, which 
would, however, at the Drift where these were observed, le below 
the bed of the Vet river. 
Near Winburg.—At Sand Spruit, something over 5000 feet, the 
‘*‘ Black-band ” occurs, and is described by Mr. Stow as under 
(‘ Report,’ 1878, p. 33) :— 
in. 
f 6 Coal. 
| 5 Black carbonaceous shale. 
»} og Flaky coal. 
The “ Black-band : oa Oe ehiala. 
| 23 Flaky coal. 
\ 53 Coal. 
12  Slate-coloured shale, full of plant-impressions 
( Glossopteris, Paleozamia, Rubidgea, &e.), and 
containing iron-pyrites. 
1 = Coal. 
Shale as above. 
At Brandfort (south-west of Winburg) the “ Forest-zone” of 
Mr. Stow is seen on many of the hills, and can be traced for long 
distances, the surface of the ground below being strewn with many 
fragments of the silicified wood. Accepting his estimate as correct 
for this locality, coal should occur on the flanks of the hills or in 
the valleys at about 100 feet below. 
At Cornet Spruit, at an elevation of over 5000 feet, Mr. Stow 
observed “two seams of coal, the one 9 inches, the other varying 
from 9 to 15 inches thick, with a belt of black carbonaceous or oil- 
shale from 2 to nearly 3 feet thick between them” (‘ Report,’ 
1878). 
Burgersdorf.—Upon several farms a few miles east of this town, 
and at about 5000 feet elevation, is a seam of coal, proved upon 
Leuw Vlei to be 44 feet thick, by a drive 60 feet into the hill. 
The mineral somewhat resembles anthracite; itis hard, heavy, and 
dull, and gives a great heat, burning with a small bluish flame. The 
formation is sandstone, and there is much intrusive trap-rock in 
the locality. 
At a somewhat higher elevation, and about 30 miles south of 
Burgersdorf, is the Bamboes Berg, a mountain near the summit of 
which are several coal-mines. The most important of these is on 
the farm “Cyfergat,” 5400 feet above the sea, where a drive has 
been opened, about a thousand yards from the foot of a hill 800 feet 
high, which discloses the following section :— 
ae ea 
