Geological Formation of South Africa by Fred Struben, Discoverer of the Rand Gold Fields (1896)

Notes on the Geological  Formation of  South Africa and its Mineral Resources to accompany my Geological Sketch Map of South Africa by F.P.T.Struben, Discoverer of the Witwatersrand Gold Fields, Edward Stanford Publisher, 23 pages and two foldout sketch plans in colour and one foldout borehole section, hardcover, original, burgundy boards, 13.8 cms x 21.5 cms. overall condition: very good.

Foldout Sketch maps are 

A Geological Sketch Plan of the Witwatersrand District

A Geological Sketch Plan of the De Kaap District (Eastern Transvaal)

A section of Borehole sunk on the Simmer and Jack Mine (folds out to 70 cms, tears to some folds but no loss)

Frederick Struben, who together with his brother managed the first gold-mining operation on the Rand. Struben embarked on mining ventures with his brotherand they founded the Sterkfontein Junction Mining Syndicate in 1884, exploring the farms Sterkfontein and Swartkrans. At the time their efforts focused almost entirely on quartz reefs, little realising that gold on the Witwatersrand was confined primarily to conglomerate beds. In August 1884 Fred came across a promising quartz outcrop on the farm Wilgespruit and it was named Confidence Reef. The Transvaal government assisted in financing its exploitation in 1885 and the extremely rich Main Reef conglomerate was found on the farm Langlaagte in 1886.