Report on the Mines and Mineral Resources of Natal (other than Coal)

Abstract

THIS little volume, which contains the results of an eight months' prospecting trip in the colony of Natal, undertaken by Dr. Hatch on behalf of the Natal Government, is extremely disappointing, as the only conclusion that can be drawn from it is that Natal possesses no mineral, other than coal, that is deserving of any serious attention. Dr. Hatch sums up his impression in the words, “no large well-developed metal mines, either of the precious or of base metals, exist in Natal.” To which may be added that the report indicates that no deposit has yet been met with which promises to be worth developing or to be likely to be mined with any measure of success, and the same is true of the non-metallic deposits-coal, of course, being always excepted. Deposits of gold, copper, tin, iron, manganese, chromium, lead and silver, molybdenum, of limestone, phosphate, graphite, asbestos, gypsum, salt, nitrate, oilshale and petroleum, building stone, slate, clay, are known to exist and have here been reported on, but nothing of commercial value seems to have been met with anywhere. The value of the mineral output of Natal for 1908 is given as 741,158l., out of which the value of the coal is 737,169l. Further comment is needless.