Colleries in Natal.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 3, 7 June 1900, Page 1

Colleries in Natal.

The colleries of Natal are all situated in the country north of Ladysmith extending to within twel?e inilea of the Boor border. They are twenty in number, and % Government mining expert reported in 1881 that they cover an area of 1350 square nines ; and, an average thickness of faur feet per seam, he estimates the available coal depoait at no fower than 2,073,000.000 tons. Mr North, the expert referred to, stated at that time that althotigh Cape Colony possessed coal 5-u'ficiwnt for its own locomotive requirements, it had none equal in quality to Natal coal. The great obstacle to coalmining in Natal is that the natives seldom remain longer than three months consecutively at the pit 3; but this has been partiall remedied by the introduction of coolies from India, whose stamina is, however, distinctly inferior to that of the Zulus. Most of the rxtines had just erected thorough and oomplete plants of th^ most modern designs, capable ofjpro-, ducing 1000 tons each day; and I ' the loss by destruction of machinery at these mines by the Boers will alone amount to thousands of pounds.