370 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
the western parts of tlie colony (except that the carboniferous rocks 
have no pebbles). The quartzose sandstone, which is in general 
characteristic of this system, passes into chloritic schist at De Stade's 
and Yan Staden's rivers, where mines of galena and copper have 
been for some time worked, but I fear not profitably. 
" Xo workable coal has yet been discovered in this system ; but 
numerous species of carboniferous plants have been found near the 
Kowie Eiver, AVoest's Hill, Slowison's Poort, and other localities in 
the talcose schist." — ' Eastern Province Magazine,' vol. i. p. 456, 
Grodlonton and AYhite, Graham's Town. Compare with maps and 
description of strata, Geol. Trans. 
Dr. Atherstone. — " Above the quartzose and micaceous sandstones 
and chloritic schists at the ^laitland mines, and also along tlie Lorie 
!River to Hankey, and still further on in the Gamtoos Eiver, a dark 
grey fine-grained magnesian limestone is found. . . . Above this lime- 
stone in some places, as at the Maitland Mines, A^an Staden's E-iver, 
and the Loorie Eiver, there is a hard and coarse sandstone with 
quartz pebbles, whicli makes excellent millstones. . . . Below the mag- 
nesian limestone lie conformably quartzose sandstones and micaceous 
shales and schists, similar to those of the carboniferous sandstones of 
the Zeurberg. The sandstones and schists of the Coxcomb and Wiu- 
terberg range appear more like the Old Eed Sandstone formation, 
and are infinitely more contorted than the carboniferous rocks ; and 
as no fossils have as yet been found in them,* and the range appears 
the slates and quartzites conformable, and that he has made a mistake in the boundary of 
the formation in the east, while he strongly affirms the accm'acy of his section in the west. 
It will be seen by reference to former Papers, that on my belief in the truth of Mr. 
Bain's section I founded the prediction that the clay-slate and Devonian would be proved 
one formation. "When I use the word Devonian as applying to all our strata, I would 
explain that I make no pretension to settle the question of their age ou my own authority, 
or to deny the possibility of there being strata as old or older than the Cambrian or older 
rocks in Britain. I simply mean that I have seen no reason for believing in any older 
rock unconformable with the Devonian ; and I hope I have shown that the position of 
the quartzite, with reference to the latter, is the same as it is to the clay-slate, which Bain 
and "Wylie believe so much older. 
I ask for the aid I mention because I think the opinion of high authority would be of 
great value to us by showing what is regarded as credible, and what is not. The assistant- 
secretary of the Geological Society, some years ago, told me that the story of quartzite 
metamorphosis was rejected in ioto. I hope the labours of Messrs. Sorby, Daubree, Hunt, 
and others, have somewhat modified opinions. At the period in question my belief in this 
assimilation of rocks of difl"erent ages had not been confirmed by those discoveries which, 
rendered the map published by the Society entirely obsolete as to some of the principal 
formations of the Colony. It was quite natural that under such circumstances the fulfil- 
ment of my early predictiou should have been regarded as the confirmation of lucky 
guesses ; but when I pointed out the fact that as to the Carboniferous and clay-slate for- 
mations, the result of my researches was, as I have said, to render the map obsolete, I 
think that in taking no notice of my communications the Society lost an opportunity. 
* The discovery of Devonian fossils at the northern foot of the Coxcomb, in rocks with 
but a slight inclination, and that of the same species close to the Yan Stadensberg, in beds 
with a dip of 46'', with a clear section connecting them with the schists at theDeStade's 
River mines, is singular in connection with this remark of my friend, and would seem 
to indicate that he has been misled as to the relative ages of formations in the east, iu 
the same manner as Mr. Bain has further west. 
