Southern Africa, the land and its peoples . est gold-mining region. The Rand as itis usually called, is a lofty ridge to the north of the Vaal, extendingfor about 60 miles from west to east, and forming a watershedbetween the Vaal and Limpopo river-basins. Along this ridgethriving mining towns have grown up with phenomenal rapidity,the chief being Johannesburg, Krugersdorp, Benoni, Springs, * The value of gold production increased enormously in 1932 owing to a rise inthe price of gold. MINING 119 Hrakpan, and liohsburg. So great indeed lias beenthe growth of population in this regi
Southern Africa, the land and its peoples . est gold-mining region. The Rand as itis usually called, is a lofty ridge to the north of the Vaal, extendingfor about 60 miles from west to east, and forming a watershedbetween the Vaal and Limpopo river-basins. Along this ridgethriving mining towns have grown up with phenomenal rapidity,the chief being Johannesburg, Krugersdorp, Benoni, Springs, * The value of gold production increased enormously in 1932 owing to a rise inthe price of gold. MINING 119 Hrakpan, and liohsburg. So great indeed lias beenthe growth of population in this region that it is more accurateto think of these towns as constituting one vast urban district,with Johannesburg its main focus. Since 1916 the greateeldevelopment baa occurred in the eastern pari of the Wrtwaftererand. The Witwatersiand is traversed by reef*, 01 \cins, QompOtfd of .pent/ conglomerate. This rock contains gold in line particle*. Over three tons iore may have to be treated In order to recover one ounce of gold. Drill and. r/into.) Publicity Department. Si i;i \( i WoaKDfOfl and Dt UPS, JOHANNKSBUBG. dynamite having done their work, thousands of feel beneath the surface, the auriferous rock is hoisted up the long shafts. At the surface If is brokenIntO evenly-sized pieces, ground to gravel, and sent to the stamp-mills, wherehammer*, Weighing as much as twenty tons, rcduee the rook to a line separation of the gold from the rock-fragments now begin*. The crushedpulp passes over gently-moving copper plates coated with mercury. Thissubstance amalgamates with much of the gold, from which it is afterwardsseparated by heating. A further process completes the separation of thatproportion of gold with which the mercury failed to combine : the residueof rock-pulp is made to Mow into large vats containing potassium e\anidesolution, which dissotvc* most of the gold still remaining in the pulp. Theseparation of the gold from the cyanide is effected by a simple ch
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