Part 6

(9) _Kwall Falls._—The first application was made on behalf of this company for this power, which would be of great value, as it gives 2,000 horse-power in the dry season, and commands several properties.

The _Dubbo_ property is situated near the village of Dubbo, on the Dubbo River, and west of the Soli Hills. It is sometimes described as Topaz Valley, so named on account of the large quantity of topaz found in the wash. It is situated about six miles north of Juga. The Lireui natives have done a lot of work on this property, sinking shafts in some cases a hundred yards back from the Dubbo River. These shafts run from 8 to 10 feet in depth, proving that the bottom wash must have been very rich for, as a rule, the Lireuis only mined shallow ground where the wash is easily got. Mr. Lush said that he had not seen similar work in any other part of the tin district.

Mr. Lush reported that the pannings from the river bed gave very high values, and four shafts sunk to a depth of 8 feet averaged 6 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard. One shaft, which bottomed at 5 feet, went 30 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard. An open-cut on the river bank exposed 17 feet of gravel, which went 6 lbs. to the cubic yard. The overburden thrown out at the shafts sunk by the Lireuis, where tried, gave an average of 5 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard. At the southern end of this property Mr. Lush says the river comes down from a hill with a fall of some 350 feet through a rocky gorge. By working a dam at the top of the rapids sufficient water could be conserved to run a plant by electrical transmission. This country is mostly granite sand, no stiff clay or pug. Mr. Lush states that nearly the whole of the 632 acres are an alluvial deposit, and in his estimates, in order to be well within the mark, he estimates that the payable dirt extends over 300 acres and averages 6 feet in depth. The manager reported on August 29 that he had 300 men employed, and for the four weeks ending August 27 he had recovered 31½ tons of tin, and had cut 735 feet of water leads.

_Rafinsiroma_ adjoins Dubbo to the south, and the manager, reporting on August 29, said he had just started work on this property. On September 4 the manager reported that he had already shipped 505 lbs., and a cablegram received October 9 states that a further shipment is being made.

Work has been started on Polchi, and on October 9 a cablegram was received stating that the first shipment had been made.

On the _Bilidi River_ property Mr. Lush reported that he made several tests from wash exposed on the river bank below the Kofai crossing, and obtained payable tin results in all. He then followed up the river for about three miles, and in one part he says he got gold as well as tin in the concentrates. In five pannings he reports there were from six to ten colours of gold in every dish, which in his opinion was highly satisfactory. Two miles below the Kofai crossing he found some very promising flats, where he also got eight colours of gold in one dish. At the time of his visit he says there was sufficient water running in the Bauchi River for centrifugal pump work.

As regards _Kurdum_ and _Dila Rivers_, at the lower end of the ground, near the village of Bundas, Mr. Lush says he obtained very good prospects of tin in gravel from the river bed. At Dawka, some eight miles upstream, the wash taken out of the river went 80 lbs. to the cubic yard. Several pits were sunk on the banks, but owing to soakage water only one bottomed, the depth of which was 8 feet, and gave the following result:

Overburden 7 feet went 3 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard.

Bottom wash 1 foot went 60 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard.

The river between Dawka and Bundas falls 400 feet, and at the latter town it is 30 feet by 2 feet deep, flowing at the rate of 60 feet per minute. Even in the middle of the dry season Mr. Lush says a race cut from a point about a mile upstream would give sufficient head to generate 500 h.p. by electricity.

Mr. L. H. L. Huddart, in his report on the Kurdum River concession, says he feels justified in making a preliminary estimate in order to give an idea of what the property may be proved to contain, and he bases it on the following reasons:—

(_a_) The tin falls above the property.

(_b_) The river has its source in a country rich in tin.

(_c_) The good values obtained in the stream bed and samples taken from the banks.

(_d_) The method of deposition of the alluvial which indicates that “wash outs” are unlikely to be found. In fact some good leads should have been left by the river in the older gravels.

Upon these grounds he is of opinion that there are about 300 acres of alluvial ground that should prove to be about 2½ yards deep with values of about 3 lbs. per cubic yard. Mr. Huddart adds that an output of about 30 tons per month, or 360 tons per year, should be reached without difficulty. In conclusion, he says: “The property is a good one, and its ample supply of water cannot be too strongly emphasised. Tin will be produced quickly from the river bed, and systematic development should bear out the above estimate, and enable the work to be laid out with a view on ultimate production of about 40 tons per month.”

Application for the Kwall Falls for electric power has been made on behalf of this company, and great importance is attached to them. They are situated about 14 miles west of the Niger (Bauchi) Syndicate’s area, and it is stated that in the driest months there is ample water flowing with a drop of 400 feet to generate 2,000 h.p. without any expense of damming.

TIN FIELDS OF NORTHERN NIGERIA, LTD.

_Capital._—£100,000 in 100,000 shares of £1 each, of which 45,000 were issued to the vendors and 24,507 for cash, 10s. paid.

_Directors._—Mr. S. R. Bastard (Chairman), Mr. F. N. Best, and Mr. C. H. Dudley Ward.

_Secretary._—Mr. Newman Ogle.

_Offices._—Friars House, New Broad Street, E.C.

This company owns alluvial tin property at Federri comprising an area of 5,120 acres, and a further property situated on the Dila River or Doss, comprising an area of 5,760 acres.

On the Federri property a tin-bearing area of 300 acres has been proved containing tin alluvial from 2½ to 3½ yards deep, going from 3 lbs. to 6 lbs. per cubic yard, and it is estimated that the property has a life of twenty-six years.

The second property is the Dila River or Doss, which has a proved area of tin alluvial deposit from 3 to 5 yards deep over 400 acres, with an average value of 3 lbs. per cubic yard. The life of the property has been estimated at twenty-three years. A fully qualified engineer is now in charge of the properties, and production of tin is expected to commence immediately. The consulting engineer is Mr. C. G. Lush.

JUGA (NIGERIA) TIN AND POWER COMPANY, LTD.

_Capital._—£275,000, in 275,000 £1 shares, of which all are issued.

_Directors._—Sir J. West Ridgeway (Chairman), Mr. Segar Richard Bastard, Mr. Frank Norman Best, Sir Horace G. Regnart, J.P., and Mr. Henry S. Reitlinger.

_Secretary._—Mr. Newman Ogle.

_Offices._—Friars House, New Broad Street, E.C.

This company owns three properties, as follows:—

Acres (1) Juga 1600 (2) Sub-Juga 6720 (3) South Juga 1280

_South Juga._—Mr. C. G. Lush, in reporting on the South Juga property, said: “On the northern end there are several native workings, in which payable prospects can be got. It would be advisable to have shafts sunk right along the lead from the Juga boundary to the Bauchi road, and boring plant used if water hindered sinking to bed-rock.... Some of the tin carried into Juga must have found its way into South Juga.” Mr. L. H. L. Huddart, reporting on the property, said: “The elevation is about 3,000 feet above the sea-level, with precipitous granite hills rising at least 1,500 feet above the valley on both sides.... The tin occurs in a valley about four miles long, running north-east and south-west. Bed-rock is granite with frequent outcrops of granite and granulite, which form baths more or less at right angles to the valley. The average width is about 2,000 feet.... The ground is friable and easy to work.... A water course which rises on Juga runs right down to the valley. From December to April there is practically no running water, but from May to November the stream runs freely.... If the small tributaries are dammed, and skill is used in saving the water, there should be sufficient for all purposes for six or seven months in the year. Later on a portable pump elevating plant would have sufficient water for at least nine months. There is a considerable quantity of water held up between the granite baths, and the water-locked ground provides natural reservoirs.... A thorough system of prospecting should be inaugurated.... Pits should be put in right across the valley at 100 feet intervals, and a property plan made out showing the depth of ground valued. These will enable the mining work to be laid out in a systematic manner, and will disclose the rich leads.” Mr. Huddart has formed a favourable opinion of the property, and gives the following reasons for the estimates he has prepared: (1) Amount of work previously done by natives who never touch anything but rich wash; (2) sampling and inspection of native working and their tailings; (3) the fact that this proposition is geographically a part of Juga on which rich wash exists; (4) personal knowledge of the ground tested and discoveries on every known part of this field, and general occurrence of cassiterite on all parts of the property. Taking the property as a whole, he estimates that there are 180 acres of alluvial ground, running 4 lbs. per cubic yard, averaging two yards deep. In conclusion, Mr. Huddart says this is an attractive property.... Importance is readily attached to the fact that the property can be made an immediate producer.

_Juga Property._—This property is on a plateau 3,280 feet above the sea-level, and Mr. Lush estimates that 200 acres will be highly payable. He takes the average depth of ground as 9 feet, and this extending for 200 acres equals 2,904,000 cubic yards. The area is of exceedingly high quality, and exceptionally free from impurities. In his report Mr. Lush says: “Valuing the ground at 6 lbs. per cubic yard, I am not taking into account only the high results obtained from some of the bottom wash, but am reckoning it as a whole. I do this because working results may prove that the wash does not extend over the whole 200 acres, but the gravel does, and I feel confident will average what I state.”

_Sub-Juga._—This property, comprising an area of 6,720 acres, lies upon the lower plateau, or plain, immediately below Juga. The natives have done a great deal of work here, and their beds were extensively tried by Mr. Lush, who got very rich prospects when panning. Some of the dish concentrates went as high as 40 lbs. of tin oxide to the cubic yard, and in no single instance did he get less than 3 lbs. He considers that out of the 6,720 acres 400 are proved to be highly payable, but this only includes the main lead, which runs right through the property for 6¼ miles, and does not include any of the runs coming in from east and west. He takes the average depth of ground as 9 feet; this extending for 400 acres equals 5,808,000 cubic yards. Mr. Lush has recommended movable plants for these properties. Transmission of electrical power to run both the nozzle and the gravel pumps is, of course, the cheapest and best method of working, but it will be some time, probably two years, before the contemplated hydraulical scheme can be installed. Mr. Lush’s recommendations have been accepted by the board, and two plants are being constructed, and their cost when mounted and erected at the mine will not exceed £10,000. In addition to the sluice boxes at present on the property, there are now on the way a further sixty-nine sluice boxes, with all exhausters complete, and these will enable sluicing and calabashing to be carried on pending the arrival and erection of the hydraulic plant.

Mr. Hooke has been appointed manager, with Mr. Grant as his assistant. Besides sluicing, surveys have to be completed, dams constructed, prospecting done, especially by means of boring, tools being supplied for those parts where the water is too heavy for the pits to be sunk.

Mr. A. W. Hooke writes under date September 14, 1910, as follows:

“Attached hereto are my notes upon the leases of the company and the dam site. In setting forth this general report several difficulties have faced the writer—the absence of any systematic sampling record—the flooded condition of the existing holes, and the short time in which to cover the ground.

“At the same time also an effort had to be made to organise the labour and increase the output under existing circumstances. I give the following summary to show how the output has increased in the last four weeks. From August 15 to September 10 the production stands thus:

Week ending. Calabashers. Crude Purchased at Tin Won.

August 20 52 men 768 lbs. ¾d. per lb. ” 27 102 ” 3,319 ” ¾d. ” Sept. 3 127 ” 3,327 ” ¾d. ” ” 10 133 ” 4,925 ” ½d. ”

“Some of this ore is being won on Juga, but by far the greater part comes from Nafuta. It contains much iron impurity, and a streaming box has already been made for its re-treatment at Juga. It will be understood that the natives bring their weekly winnings from Nafuta to Juga on Sundays, when it is weighed and purchased from them. The first three lots shown above were purchased approximately at ¾d. per lb., and the last one at ½d. The condition of the tin, &c., is a big factor in guiding one as to the price, but as time goes on I hope to instruct the native into the way of streaming his tin and bringing it to a better quality. If I can do this, and keep the price down, it means a big advantage to us.

“Labour at 6d. per day is most satisfactory (9d. is the ruling rate elsewhere except at Dubbo). This week my whole gang struck work and demanded an increase from 6d. to 9d. I flatly refused, and to time of writing have almost as many new men as I require. Some of the old hands have since returned to work. I have despatched a headman to Gingim and Polchi, who will doubtless secure all that I require.

“At Nafuta sampling shafts are being sunk at the rate of about nine per week. These cannot be quite bottomed on account of the water in the wash, but as the rain eases off they can be completed and sampled.

“_General._—The three leases are all properties upon which hydraulic sluicing can be carried out satisfactorily, and the wash and overburden in each case is ideal material for gravel pumping. I am quite pleased with the general condition of things, but am anxious to have my sampling completed, so that I may form some estimate of yardage and the average value.”

PRELIMINARY REPORT BY MR. ARTHUR W. HOOKE, ACCOMPANYING HIS LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 14, 1910.

_Juga Property._—This lease stands at the highest elevation of the three, and practically forms the divide between South Juga and Nafuta. Its watershed is large, and the greater portion of this goes north-east through the Nafuta gorge to the flats. The lease embraces an area of 1,440 acres and compasses the flats adjacent to two streams coming from the South, which unite and continue north-east, passing into the Nafuta gorge as the Juga River.

The maximum depth of the ground is only about 12 feet, and much of it is amenable to ground sluicing, though it could be handled more advantageously by gravel pumps. This latter scheme is eventually the policy to adopt, as thereby most of the material can be stacked after treatment, and any chance of silting-up be avoided.

The former (ground sluicing) will be a temporary expedient—I say temporary advisedly, because the detritus from such operations will eventually find its way to the area for the dam site above the Nafuta gorge. It will be readily understood that the shape of the property is irregular in order to most economically take in the desired area.

The rocky surroundings naturally bring down their storm waters rapidly, and this will always act as a deterrent in ground sluicing and be a point in favour of power plants.

The lease carries a sparse supply of timber, but will justify the installation of a steam plant of such dimensions as that already under construction. As time wears on, however, an alternative power must have consideration.

The contour of the country does not lend itself to the construction of earthwork headraces, &c., being too rocky; service water, will therefore have to be carried in a pipe service.

I am forwarding a sketch plan showing the two streams and their confluence under the name of the Juga. Pits as shown have been sunk and a sampling done. The samples (Mr. Robinson informs me) were taken by a native headman, and run very erratically from 17 lbs. to nil per cubic yard. Robinson says that some of the holes at that time had been flooded, and is of opinion that all the bottom wash in some instances was not included in the samples taken.

At the present time all the pits are more or less flooded and silted, but I will re-sample the whole of these and advise results at the earliest possible moment.

The two dams shown in the sketch have been carried away by floods. Higher up the river at “A,” a much better site exists, which will give more pressure and command more ground. I propose to place one here as soon as I can.

The tracts shown on the drawing will give some idea of the direction in which the other leases lie.

Viewed in conjunction with the plans, the directors will have a more concise idea of their relative positions.

_Nafuta or Sub-Juga._—Of the exclusive area held here some 1,850 acres have been embodied in the mining lease just issued. It embraces what appears to be the pick of the Nafuta flats and encloses a maximum of alluvial drift with a minimum of rock, and at the same time adheres to the water-course. The Nafuta gorge terminates quite abruptly, and opens in an expansive plain lying some 400 feet below. The lease commences at the foot of the gorge, and runs along the river in a north-easterly direction. Its width embraces the deepest of the flats, though there is still some ground at the south-west corner of the exclusive area that warrants attention. I should say from a cursory examination that the amount of workable ground is in excess of that of the other leases, though no attempt can be made to quote tonnage until many more pits have been sunk. It is from this area that most of our present tin is being won. The tin contains much impurity, such as iron, and the natives find a difficulty in separating it by calabashing.

The average depth, judging by the present trial pits, is 12 feet. The wash is clear and medium sized, and the overburden is ideal material for removal where viewed in the old paddocks.

I see no difficulties in it as a gravel sluicing proposition, once provision is made for power. The lease carries no timber, and is a power consideration from the beginning.

Of tin value I can quote last week’s winning of 4,000 odd lbs. of crude tin by 120 men with calabashes, and this too in the face of many weather difficulties.

A site has been set aside for a native village, and already people are congregating and erecting their grass huts.

_South Juga._—This lease, as its name implies, lies south of Juga. It covers 855 acres, and is approximately 4 miles long by 2,000 yards wide. It is traversed for its entire length by the track which leaves the Toro-Bauchi road and comes on to Juga. The lease is narrow—it lies in a long gully, and appears bound by a succession of rocky bars. These no doubt may be acting as excellent natural tin savers, but they will make work very irregular. Of the tin value here I cannot speak with any definiteness. I have not traversed the ground in detail, and as no pits have been sunk upon it, I have no samples to guide me. It will have my attention so soon as I can get one lease into a regular producing stage.

_Nafuta Dam Site._—In proceeding from Juga to Nafuta one traverses the basin of this proposed dam. As a site its position would be hard to beat. It covers some 356 acres, which narrows down to a steep rocky neck, through which the waters debouch on to the Nafuta flat. The sides of the gorge rise in an abrupt slope, and are composed of granite. It forms an ideal situation for a retaining wall which, if reared 100 feet, would throw back 326 million cubic feet of water. This quantity of water would develop approximately 550 horse-power for 370 days of 12 hours, using 1,220,000 cubic feet per day, and allowing 525,000 cubic feet for daily evaporation and soakage losses.

At present the dam area is enclosed in the Nafuta _exclusive area_, which expires at Christmas. I propose therefore to take it up as an agricultural lease, which I believe can be secured at annual rental of 1s. per acre.

The dam is a necessity for the operation of Nafuta, though, of course once established, it could generate high tension electricity for transmission to Juga and South Juga, and operate them as well.

A masonry retaining wall could, I think, be most cheaply built, as the stone exists on the site. It would be the installation of a quarrying plant of say half-dozen rock drills and channelling machines, also a small aerial line up the bed of the dam for handling the stone, and a “flying fox” gear across the gorge for handling all the stone in the retaining wall.

In some places at the lower end the water is lost to sight 30 feet or more beneath the huge granite boulders that lie in the gorge.

GONGOLA SYNDICATE, LTD.

_Capital Authorised._—£9000. Issued and fully paid, £6607.

_Directors._—Mr. S. R. Bastard (Chairman), Mr. C. G. Lush, Mr. Walter Wethered.

_Secretary._—Mr. Newman M. Ogle.

_Registered Offices._—Friars House, New Broad Street, London, E.C.

This syndicate owns the following properties in the Bauchi Province:—

_Rein._—An exclusive licence to prospect an area of 4½ square miles near the towns of Rein and Forum.

_South Bukeru._—An exclusive licence to prospect an area of 3 square miles south of Bukeru, and sold to the company of that name.

_Shen._—A mining licence to work an area of 24 acres on the left bank of the Shen stream.

The Rein property is situated on the south-eastern side of the Bauchi Tin Fields, between the pagan towns of Forum and Rein. The area encloses about six miles of a stream flowing in the northerly direction from Rein to Forum, where it junctions with a system of rivers on which the Ribon, Bisichi, Doss, and other properties are situated.

The area is three-quarters of a mile wide by six miles long, an extent of 4½ square miles, practically the whole of which is tin-bearing alluvial. The alluvial is composed of a sandy material of an extremely free nature, and the bottom is the usual coarse grey granite. The latter outcrops in very few places, and carries from about a yard to four yards of alluvial ground. Although the bottom could be reached in only a few places in the stream bed, good prospects of black tin were obtained in nearly all samples panned, and from the alluvial flats, as exposed by the banks of the stream, the results ran from about 3 to 5 lbs. of tin per cubic yard. The panning concentrates contained 10 to 15 per cent. of titaniferous iron sand (which was allowed for), but this mineral presents no difficulties, and can be easily eliminated by the ordinary dressing operations.