The Gold Deposits of the Farms Lisbon and Berlyn in the Eastern Transvaal by V

The gold deposits of the farms Lisbon and Berlyn in the Eastern Transvaal by V. C. H. R. BRERETON* (Visitor)

SYNOPSIS This paper describes the discovery and recovery of gold, over a period dating back to the 1870s. on the farms Lisbon and Berlyn, situated approximately 1I km north-east of Pilgrims Rest. where mining ceased in July 1971. 99 years after gold was first discovered in the Pilgrims Rest and Sabie districts. Included in the paper are accounts of the discovery and mining operations of the Lisbon-Berlyn Company from 1884 to 1890. The operations of small companies and syndicates. the superficial winning of gold by diggers, and the encouraging reports of four mining engineers in 1890 are also mentioned.

SAMEVATTING Hierdie verhandeling beskryf die ontdekking en herwinning van goud oor 'n tydperk wat strek vanaf die sewentigerjare van die vorige eeu, op die plase Lisbon en Berlyn, ongeveer I1 km noordoos van Pilgrims Rest waar mynbou in Julie 1971,99 jaar na die eerste ontdekking van goud in die distrikte Pilgrims Rest en Sabie, gestaak is. Die verhandeling sluit verslae oor die goudontdekking en die mynboubedrywighede van die Lisbon-Berlyn Con;- pany van 1884 tot 1890 in. Daar word ook melding gemaak van die bedrywighede van klein maatskappye en sindikate, die oppervlakkige winning van goud deur delwers en die bemoedigende verslae van vier myningenieurs in 1890.

INTRODUCTION As shown in Fig. 1, the farms Lisbon (531KT) and Berlyn (506KT) are situated 8 km north of Graskop at an altitude of 1370 m. Graskop township is located at the terminus of a 123-km-Iong railway running northwards from Nelspruit. The country is very beautiful and the climate healthy, and there are large timber plantations and an abundance of clear water. The Lisbon Falls, with a drop over two stages totalling approximately 90 m, are situated on the Waterfall River, which tra verses the two farms (Plate I). Approximately 1 km below the falls, on the left side of the river, is a cave. A Mr Billy Davies, whilst prospecting on the farm Lisbon and the adjoining farm Berlyn, fled from some hostile natives and hid himself in the cave, which he subsequently fortified against any attacks. This portion of the cave and the fortifications can be seen today. Davies' prospecting activities led to the discovery of what has been described as 'a wall of gold'. The locality is in the vicinity of a large belt of leaders, the latter covering an

*Government Land Surveyor, retired. Plate I-Lisbon Falls

JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY NOVEMBER 1973 125 /~1 , LEDOUPHINE VAALHOEK I I / On udoup'>;ne N'c", (hum MINE I I M,ne HuyerJ & WC/ltlJerJ , (Glynn's Reel') I~/ , TG.M.£ TuckerJ LeC/der;. A at; , ., , ,, ,, // "'~"'\ "~:~Z:) '6{/ FRANKFORT .,,~., \.;;<, '] tJ MINE ,:~'~ i~ ,~ if 8S :~" ;" i1 8S /0 I:; :0 1< I~ /~ PONIESKRANS /1 /~ NORTH MINE (~J ,~ (fJortC/'ueJe Reef) /:;" TG.ME /~ /0 /, //' "~ ,:'v' ~ KEY

0------, DOL OMITE

TS". - - - TRANSITION .sHALES fMIDOLE &. LOWER GRASKOP MLSS---l5ANDSTONE & SHALE c, TRANSVAAL GOLD MINING ESTATES ~ .. 85 BERG SANO.5TONE ;; .. CENTRAL MINES 'tt " OG OLOER GRANITE <- ~t

fO 0 5 MU.£S I 1 I 0 4 8 16 KU_OM£TR£S

Fig. I-Plan showing the position of Lisbon and Berlyn in relation to Pilgrims Rest

area of approximately 50 acres operated on Lisbon-Berlyn from In 1882, Mr Gwynne Owen arrived (20 ha) and situated on the north 1884 to 1890, described how he in Pretoria with some fine samples side of the Waterfall River and panned out 41 ounces of nuggets of gold from the farms Lisbon and approximately 1 km north-west of from a single prospecting pan of Lisbon Falls. Davies established Leader ore from the face of one of Berlyn, whose ownership he had himself in this Leader Belt, his Davies' adits. Mr Fraser said, 'The acquired. Taking some ofthe samples workings being described as 'Davies' Leader must have been well named to London, he succeeded in obtaining Jeweller's Shop'. and was really the start of the Mr Archie Fraser, an employee of Lisbon-Berlyn Company being financial backing and the Lisbon- the Lisbon-Berlyn Company, which formed'. Berlyn Company was floated.

126 NOVEMBER 1973 .JOURNAL OF TH!; SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY THE GEOLOGY AND THE That the upthrust of these leaders MINING AND PRODUCTIVITY brought about a heavy deposition of ORIGIN OF THE GOLD The Lisbon-Berlyn Group was in gold on Lisbon and Berlyn is evi- active production over seven years The well-known geologist, the denced by reports, totalling 750 from 1884 to 1890. Operations took late Dr Leopold Reinecke, who was words, by the four mining engineers place on three areas of the farms. intimately connected with the dis- mentioned in the following covery of the Far West Rand, re- quotation2. Leaders ferred to Lisbon as one of the three It is well-known that amongst the The large belt of leaders previously areas in the Pilgrims Rest district richest properties in the Transvaal are mentioned. For the purpose of where the presence of a payable gold the two estates Lisbon and Berlyn, which adjoin and are practically one 'hydraulicking' the area, the Com- field was due to the intrusion of a property. The combined area totals pany in 1884 erected a weir 610 m granite batholith into the Black 18000 acres [7500 ha]. Four mining back from the falls, at a junction of Reef Series, namely, the boss at the engineers, John M. Stuart, John Web- ster, Mr Hamilton and Mr Penning the Lisbon Creek, Heddle's Gorge, base of the falls1. issued glowing reports on the findings and the Waterfall River. From the The geological horizon is the and prospects. Whilst not mentioning weir, a water-race, 2 km long, was Black Reef Series (shales and quart- any specific localities, they reported favourable mineralization over con- dug to supply the water for the zites). At one time the strata, with siderable areas. Mr Stuart estimated the hydraulic operations at the Mass of alluvial ground as extending over their associated reefs, sloped west- Leaders. The Company did some wards at a low angle of dip. At a later 3000 acres [1250 ha] with values running from 10 to 1000 ounces to the sluicing with monitors on this section period, a great eruption took place ton. Mr Hamilton's estimate was 5000 but, owing to the exposure of an in the area, disturbing the strata acres [2100 ha]. Mr Penning in his re- port quoted that taking into con- extensive dolomite bar, the work was over a distance of some 1050 m, the sideration the proved extent of ground abandoned. The weir and the water- western and eastern limits being containing auriferous leaders, their race, which can take the whole 600 m west and 450 m east of the average yield and probable extension, the value of the alluvial ground and river during low flow periods, are falls. The apex of this eruption was the existence of a large and constant still in existence. over the position where the Lisbon supply of water at a great elevation, Falls subsequently formed, the strata he had no hesitation in declaring that The Vertical Reef "Waterfall" [Lisbon and Berlyn] is an being erupted hundreds of metres extremely valuable gold mining prop- This is a wide leader cutting into the air. With this eruption, erty. across the Waterfall River from there was an upthrust of the batho- Whilst these engineers may have north to south and situated a short lith previously mentioned, and of been over-enthusiastic in their find- distance west of the weir. The Com- numerous vertical or nearly vertical ings, their reports must still have pany erected a treatment plant, but, leaders, the latter bringing up gold considerable bearing on the future as no cyaniding plants were in from the nethermost regions (Fig. 2). possibilities of Lisbon and Berlyn. existence in the late 80s and early

8e/ty Reef' Coo/ucl in Wme Wu/,.dull River. Wulerra!! S..cru Lisbon Creek and !?Ner Wme on Heddl" ,"orge .Junction turns Coold;; R eor NOr('

5 I \ t~,?,~ E I, I,,;'on - - - ,FuIIJ~..£::.;;I;:'f",1lI."hr ;;' . j t IBo,ehore >0' I 5 ..,~I&-i~""'~' ;;:=.~--- -J()ouof {{R.' + +'-"~---+ I "lean 0 ~ ," ~:':,-,,2-~~. . - r ' "- '-. ' ' ' 5 ++ 6++~d ~t I Is ;(:+ + + + + + + ! ",- Bo'ehole app,ox. r".~ 0,5km non" of 3 I section "," T,'al1""'OI1 5""'05 ""0 o"ti",a'od 150Ft (46"') 'h,ck. 5J cm\~",g~- "7~BUOk< t red formation a' CoOlds ne BoilS Reef 15 4111 above Belty Reef. /L4 un ,f1:{ [on'llo",eru/e

bedJ of ,ooqlomeru/e PRINCIPAL REEFS: Theto,Beta,po"O,!"e", "",, Cly""s r"e 'Ho'k"" ",nd, i one by T.C,ME.at sepu' ated by Ce"" a'HI V",,",o"". ~ " Bclty Reel also Gool"'s'" """'" BOilS R..el 011 LIsbon' Beilyn. °' S'1Ildstone Reef on Beilyn. ~o~ -.. >VOR'-C 4 DOlOMITE BlaCk Reel f3 TRANSITION SHALES WITH t Se,;es \2 BERG SANDSTONE 5 MIDDLE SANDSTONES AND SHALES ,Of 6 INTRUSIVE BOSS

.05 ,OMna 1-~ I-~--'--'--_L ~ -- + METRES 500 0 500' '000 ,"00 '600 Fig. 2-Sectlon west.east along the course of the Waterfall River

~OUR~A" OF Ttfe ~OUTtf AFR'CA~ 'fiSTITUTE OF MINING AND M!:TAf,.LURGY NOVEMBER 19n 127 90s, gold was recovered by mercury- Berlyn in normal strata and slightly Leaders and Alluvial constitute an covered copper plates. The per- to the east of the disturbed area. area of forty -eight claims, equivalent centage recovery was therefore low It is situated west of Heddle's to 67 acres (27 ha), along the in comparison with that obtained in Gorge and north of the dam (the Waterfall River, Lions Creek, and modern practice. start of the Waterfall River). Banket Heddle's Gorge-a total length of The Pigeon or Westly Reef reef formation, 53 cm wide, was 1,6 miles (2,6 km)-and include the When a Mr Westly shot a pigeon intersected at a depth of 317 m. pool at the bottom of the Lisbon in the vicinity of the falls and This was followed by a conglcm3rate Falls. climbed down into the gorge to bed, 124 cm in width, and by five Towards the end of August 1933, retrieve the bird, he came across further beds of conglomerate sepa- Captain van Delden of ship-salvage reef material with visible gold. This rated by bands of sandstone (Fig. 2). fame approached the owners of the discovery led to the Lisbon-Berlyn The fourth edition of Mineral mineral rights of the pool below the Company winning gold by stoping Resources of South Africa reports on falls. He wished to divert the river in . what w~s called the Pigeon or the outcrop of a system correspond- into the water-race, pump out the Westly Reef, which in those days ing to the Witwatersrand and Do- pool, and recover the gold. The was exposed on the face of the falls. minion Reef Systems and appearing owners stated that a venture of this At the time of the eruption, the along the eastern (Transvaal) es- nature should be undertaken only granite boss on which the Pigeon carpment of the Drakensberg. As during the dry months, April to Reef is located, was thrown up. the escarpment is approximately September. He insisted, however, This boss, dipping at a steep angle 5 km east of the Lisbon borehole, it is and made rapid progress down to the with the Pigeon or Westly Reef possible that the borehole disclosures gravel at 6 m (20 ft), from which the stope, can be seen in Plate 11. In a relate to the Witwatersrand and majority of the nuggets shown in r~port on the Pigeon or Westly Dominion Reef Systems. The collar Plate III were collected. Before a Reef, Mr Archie Fraser is quoted2 as cif the borehole was re-discovered in thorough exploitation of the area follows: July 1966. could be undertaken, rain brought operations to a close in October. The first ore mined was shipped direct to London and gave a marvellous re- SUBSEQUENT Captain van Delden had never had turn. Thereafter, the ore was hauled to DEVELOPMENTS any intention of switching from ,:the surface and treated in a ten- salvaging to mining, but the gamble i stamp mill. Rich pockets were bagged. In 1898, the Lisbon-Berlyn Com- On one occasion, a sugar pocket of ore pany was resuscitated under the had attracted him. (He returned to yielded eight hundred ounces of amal- his life's love, but regrettably was gam which gave a 60 per cent recovery name of the New Lisbon-Berlyn Com- of gold-480 ounces [at 100 dollars pany Limited. The South African W ar killed attempting to salvage the per ounce, this is equivalent to R32 000 I. commenced a year later in 1899, but, 'City of Lincoln', which went No mining was carried out below the aground at Quoin Point, between level of the pool, as the Company had when hostilities ceased, the Com- no pumping plant. pany did not resume operations, and Cape Town and Cape Agulhas.) The reef band in which copper the farms Lisbon and Berlyn fell was then present became pinched, open to diggers and small workers. OTHER WORKINGS and the stoping was abandoned. For the past seventy years, the Other workings were situated on Thinning and widening of a reef is a mining of gold has been in the hands Ledouphine, London, and the east- common occurrence, particularly in of small mining concerns (lone ern boundary of Berlyn (Fig. 1). this area. owners or syndicates operating small The Lisbon-Berlyn Company was crushing plants) and the diggers. Ledouphine operating under very primitive con- The work done by the diggers con- In the New Chum Mine, a sketch ditions, which made gold recovery sisted mostly in mining the gold plan showed ten leaders, approxi- difficult. Had the Company operated from alluvial operations and pene- mately 30 m (100 ft) apart, over with drilling machines, instead of trating into previous workings as which a total of 1500 m (4900 ft) of with hand labour, mining would far as their limited financial re- development was carried out. The have been more extensive. Re- sources allowed and to a very great leaders averaged 5 to 7,5 cm (2 to stricted to gold recovery by amalga- extent without explosives. 3 in) in width, but the mine was very mated copper plates, hand drilling, rich. On one level, the yield was and no pumping equipment, the CLAIMS OWNERSHIP 60 ounces to the ton. operations had to be severely cur- The three main claim holdings Huyer's Claims were small work- tailed. Under modern conditions, are the Hob Mining Company, the ings but were very rich, containing this would have been a very different Bestra Mine, and the Lisbon Leaders as much gold as they did gangue, story. The Company finally aban- and Alluvial. The largest concern, which was mostly calcite. doned operations and transferred the Hob Mining Company, has ex- Wither's Claims are believed to be their interest to the farm Frankfort, tensive mineral interests over Lisbon the extension of what was formerly some 12 km to the west. andBerlyn, including the Vertical Reef known as Tucker's Leader, from Included in the activities of the and the Gem Mine. The Bestra Mine which gold worth £13 000 was taken. Company was the sinking of a is situated on the south side of the London borehole to a depth of 334 m. The Waterfall River, 1 km west of the The Hepta Syndicate, during 1923, borehole was sunk on the farm falls. The interests of the Lisbon produced 228 ounces of gold from

128 NOVEMBER 1973 JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY I3ERLYN , A , -f~/' Dolomite o~~/ . 0°";/ J3uLy" //,//

NEW YORK

0 ,H, , .75, I I " I 0 ~. 1°

Fig. 3-Map showing miscellaneous gold occurrences

IR Records show that adits in one of the gulleys on the south side 3L A trench approximately 300 feet long and 6 feet deep was of the Waterfall River disclosed reef outcrop. Probably dug between the two pools to lower the water in the eastern either the Glynn's Reef or Willemsoord Reef (Lower Glynn's). pool. When the trench was finally cleaned up a quantity of 2R A patch of sandstone reef below the contact of the Tran- nuggets was recovered. This would account for leaders sition Shales and Birg Sandstone was worked in the vicinity intersecting the sandstone above the falls. of Berlyn Creek. It was reported to be very rich. 4L Approximate locality of a recently discovered leader. 3R Bestra Mine. BH Borehole. 4R Pigeon or Westly Reef at base of Lisbon Falls. As the reef D Dam and weir at intersection of Lisbon Creek, Heddles disappeared below the level of the water it was thin but Gorge, and Waterfall River. assayed 16 dwt. 0 Opencast workings. Work carried out in the early days by SR The large leader called Vertical Reef. Development on the Billy Davies. incline for a short distance below the first level on the south side of the Waterfall River disclosed encouraging values. C Davies fortified cave. 6R Gem Mine. 2LW Wall of Gold. IL Wet Leader. A rich discovery. Gold, with its associates limonite and concentrates, lies 2L Large belt of leaders. anywhere and everywhere.

JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY NOVEMBER 1973 129 670 tons of ore. A single panful sometimes yielded 20 ounces of gold. East Berlyn Dreyer's Claims were 14 quartz leaders 30 to 60 cm (12 to 24 in) wide over a width of approximately 30 m (100 ft) on the eastern boundary of Berlyn. Because the gold was coated with iron, amalgamation was difficult, but concentrates of black sands assaying 70 ounces per ton were obtained.

FUTURE PROSPECTS And what of the gold on the surface and below ground extending Plate II-PIgeon or Westly stope overlying a ,ranlte boss over this huge area? As stated at the bottom of the Lisbon Falls (taken In 1890) earlier by two of the mining engineers, alluvial ground was estimated as extending over 3000 to 5000 acres (1250 to 2100 ha). Mr Archie Fraser told the author that nuggets had been found at Heddle's Gorge, some 4 km east of the falls, and the author has panned out nuggets 3 km down the river below the falls. Add to these the finds of Captain van Delden. On one occasion, Dr Reinecke accompanied the author to Lisbon. Taking a pan, he panned out some gravel from the side of the river near the weir and exclaimed, 'I've seen big companies started on less than this', referring to the nugget in the pan. The gold scattered over this wide area is the result of the denudation and wearing away of reefs and leaders. The efforts of the small worker and the diggers have not extended to any large-scale operations, the work done and the gold won being infinitesimal com- pared with the area of the mining field. Mining and development on the Vertical Reef, or large leader cutting across the river west of the dam, has been restricted to the first level for a distance of 1824 m (6000 ft). At some distance north of the river, where the Vertical Reef inter- sects the Betty Reef dipping from the west, payable values were encountered at the Gem Mine, situated 1 km to the south of the river. Whilst the Gem was previously considered an extension of the Vertical Reef, it appears that the enrichment is of an alluvial nature. The area was discovered and initially worked by a Mr Botts, and very Plate Ill-Nuggets recovered above and below the Lisbon Falls rich values were disclosed. The

130 NOVEMBER 1973 JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY author once saw gold particles Reef was originally discovered above cemented int? the cracks. In carrying out ~he alluvIal operations, the leaders 'loop the loop' right round a pros- the falls and was known as Bott's cuttmg through the river from south to pecting pan. Reef. north will be disclosed. It will then be possible to investigate them both on As to the wide belt of leaders to Goold carried out development the river bed and outwards on both the north-west of the falls, the with financial aid from what was sides of the river. The Dykes, which termed 'The claim-holders assist- are catchment for nuggets, will also Lisbon-Berlyn Company removed be dIsclosed.~ ance', and in 1937 the development only the surface loam and soil by Alluvial operations also com- was sampled throughout by an 'hydraulicking'. The diggers then menced at Pilgrims Rest, approxi- official of the Government Mine picked their way as far as they mately 11 km south-west of Lisbon Survey Department. The assay plan could into the hard ground without about 1873, and over the followin~ is available. At the commencement the use of explosives. They tunnelled eight years a large number of of the war in 1939, financial assist- here and there, and their efforts were diggers were mining gold from ance to claim-holders was with- frequently rewarded by the winning Pilgrims Creek and the Blyde River drawn. of visible gold-in some cases very Valley. Some of the nuggets were On account of payable values in rich. As previously stated, 41 ounces 48, 84, 119, 208, and 300 ounces advance development, Mr Goold of nuggets were recovered from one each. There is every possibility of was granted an area of 42 claims prospecting pan from one of Davies' large nuggets being found at Lisbon (61 acres or 25 ha) across the bound- adits. In some cases the diggers when alluvial operations are carried ary into what is now the forestry found it necessary to place locked out in depth. Efficient recovery of area. Owing to the limited capital gates at the adit entrances to pre- gold from this extensive area calls available to the owner, the area vent the theft of visible gold. It is for operations by a major mining covered by development and mining to be expected that a large tonnage concern, and the advantage of re- is not extensive. Payable values were of payable leader ore remains to be covering gold at relatively shallow encountered at some distance in worked. The leaders may even depths will off-set the initial cost. extend across the river to the south from the surface, along a dyke strik- side, where there is a very rich ing east-west. Payable values along CONCLUSION leader known as the Wet Leader. east-west dykes have also occurred As one stands on the face of the in the workings of the Transvaal Lisbon Falls and looks to the south- THE BESTRA MINE Gold Mining Estates. In this con- west, where mining operations have nection, it must be noted that ceased at Pilgrims Rest and Sabie A reef horizon, the Betty Reef, although outcrops may appear un~ after 99 years, the ground there occurs in the Transition Shales payable, payable values are possible says, 'I have given to them what which underly the dolomites. Th~ some distance in from the surface. they could afford to get'. The Betty Reef horizon is of wide- Payable values can be expected ground below one says, 'So little spread occurrence throughout the by further development along the have I given over a hundred years! Pilgrims Rest and Sabie districts. east-west dyke, and southwards into Come and get what I have still got At Lisbon-Berlyn and situated the Forestry area. to give'. 3,7 m (12 ft) above the Betty Reef is THE ALLUVIAL AND THE REFERENCES Goold's Reef, named after the late LEADERS 1. REINECKE, L., and STEIN, W. G. A. Mr F. P. Goold, who spent 28 years Ore bodies of the Pilgrims Rest gold- at Lisbon-Berlyn. When he died in There have been no extensive field, TraM. geol. Soc. S. Afr. Jun . 1956, he left his claim holdings on operations in which alluvial gold 1929. ' has been won at depth throughout 2. The goldfield8 of South Africa. Dennis Lisbon and Berlyn to Mr G. A. Edward and Co., 1890. Marshall, who reports the existence the river and the adjoining flats. 3. IDRIS, I. Pr08pecting. of pigments on his claims (yellow The gold has been won only from BIBLIOGRAPHY ochre and unlimited quantities of the upper gravels. According to HERRIN

SECOND INTERNATIONAL discussion of research, results, infor- developing international co-operation CONGRESS OF ENGINEERING mation, ideas, and experience ob- in the field of Engineering Geology'. tained in the field of Engineering All enquiries should be directed to GEOLOGY Geology, attaining in this way the The above congress is to be held in general aims of the International Guido Guidicini, Secretaire-General Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 18th to Association of Engineering Geology: 11 Congres IAEG, Instituto de 24th August, 1974. It will concern '. . . to encourage research, training Pesquisas Technol6gicas, Caixa Post- the presentation, comparison, and and dissemination of knowledge by al 7141, Sao Paulo-SP, Brasil.

JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY NOVEMBER1973 131