584 "w. H. PE^'^^^"G ox the goldplelds op 



m. Just south of the road passing up the escarpment is a piece 

 of ground called " Peach Tree," nearly all on shales, but also Tvith 

 sandstones on the top of the hill. There is on the table-land a 

 highly ferruginous bed, Tvhich has been worked by the natives for 

 iron. The shales are intersected by plutonic dykes and by two 

 nearlj^ vertical quartz-reefs, about 12 inches wide, which strike 

 nearly X.E., and yield gold at the rate of upwards of an ounce 

 to the ton. 



n. Pollowing the upper series of chalcedolites a few miles north, 

 we come to ■'' Eotunda Creek," which affords sections at intervals 

 from the top of the hill to the Blyde Eiver ; and here we find the 

 rocks following the usual order of the escarpment. Eotten-reefs, 

 containing fine gold, have been worked here. There is also a large 

 main reef, consisting almost entirely of coarse crj^stals of quartz, and 

 very ferruginous ; it is at least -1 feet wide, and fields coarse gold, 

 upon the average not less than 4 oz. to the ton. 



. Still further north, " Kaspar's Xeck" is on shales and quartz- 

 ites. The lower series of chalcedolites crops out on the east ; the 

 upper series in the small valley on the west. 



jp' . The small stream west of Kaspar's Xeck joins the Orighstad 

 Eiver ; and in that valley, a few miles above the junction, the rocks 

 are, in ascending order, quartzites and cherts, crystalline sand- 

 stones, shales, conglomerates, shales, quartzites, and cherts, aU dip- 

 ping "W. at a low angle. In the Orighstad Talley are some highly 

 crystalline sandstones. 40 feet or more in thickness, which jield 

 gold several pennyweights to the ton, as do also the conglomerate 

 beds associated with them. 



q. Towards the head of the Orighstad Yalley the rocks are chiefly 

 shales with sandstones, having a well-defined conglomerate at their 

 base, on the hills and ridges. From this point back to Lydenburg 

 the surface is occupied by shales, sometimes arenaceous, which extend 

 almost without intermission to the High Yeldt, where they pass 

 beneath the coal-bearing formation. About the head of the Origh- 

 stad Yalley there are many quartz-reefs, one of which, over 2 feet 

 in width, strikes almost E. for Pilgrim's Eest, and carries gold in 

 the proportion of more than an ounce to the ton. 



About the Speckboom Eiver, near the " drifts,'* are numerous thin 

 veins of quartz, some in diorite, others in shale, aU. of which, so far 

 as examined, contain more or less gold. 



§ 3. AXLITVIAL ATTEIFEEOrs DEPOSITS. 



In the Lydenburg goldfields some few patches of very rich allu- 

 vial deposits are known; but, considering the great extent of the gold- 

 bearing area, and the qualitj' of the reefs in some places, it is 

 remarkable that no large alluvial field, like those of Australia and 

 California, has yet been discovered. Two years since, when writing 

 of the Kaap goldfields*, I offered some observations on the river- 



*• Guide to the Goldfields, pp. 51, 57. 



