18 



Tomboye, the station of Mr. P. A. Stuart, although the homestead 

 stands on a patch of basalt, but whether an outlier or portion of 

 a large flow, time did not permit me to ascertain. Descending 

 gradually again over Silurian ground the track joins the main 

 Braidwood coach road, and continues onward until immediately 

 before crossing the Ningie Nimble Creek another outcrop of 

 basalt occurs, near the local post-receiving othce. Onwards from 

 this point Silurian rocks seem to predominate in the valley of 

 the Coorong River, which is crossed, until east of the ISTerriga 

 Hotel, near the village of Nerriga, a third patch of basalt is 

 observable in the road cutting. After leaving Nerriga the 

 country becomes mucli more rugged, and a few miles further a 

 rapid descent takes place to the bed of the Endrick or Bulee E.iver, 

 a rocky, well-watered stream, also like the preceding watercourses 

 a tributary of the Slioalhaven River. Overlooking it, on the 

 west side, is again a basaltic escarpment. The road, a main one 

 by-the-bye, immediately after crossing the river leads up the 

 latter on the east side, partially in the bed, and a more disgraceful 

 piece of road planning could not have been devised. The four 

 bivsaltic outliers I ha^-e here recorded do not appear to be shown 

 on the " Geological Sketch Map of N. S. Wales." 



Throughout the whole of the district so far passed over, the 

 strongest evidence exists of its probably auriferous character, 

 especially from Boro Creek at Virginia Water onwards. Large 

 quantities of scattered quartx are observable, and a few defined 

 reefs were seen. As early as 1851 this district was reported l)y 

 the Rev. W, B. Clarke* as an auriferous area. He says, "it" 

 (i.e. gold) " also occurs . . . .in all the creeks falling to the 

 Shoalhaven from the Nerriga district." Mr. Clarke also states 

 that gold was found at Boro Flat. Nerriga now seems to be the 

 centre of a promising little goldfield, as several large claims are 

 being worked for alluvial gold along the Shoalhaven River and 

 some of its tributaries. Encouraging reports of these are given 

 in the " Annual Reports of the Department of Mines " for 188G 

 and 18871 l)y Mr. James Gal way, Mining Registrar. He there 

 describes the opei'ations of the Cooi'ong Sluicing Company, who 

 have probal)ly " made the most complete and extensive race 

 in the Colony." This race, a portion of which came under our 

 notice, takes its supply from the Coorong River, and is some 

 twenty-four miles in length. 



From the Endrick or Bulee River a vei-y i-apid ascent takes 

 place up the steep short spurs of Mount Bulee, as the western 

 portion of the Sassafras plateau is called, the road ultimately 



* Votes & Proc. Leg. Council N. S. Wales, 1851, 121-ft (Geol. Surveys), 

 p. 8G ; also Researches in the Southern Goldfields of N. S. Wales, 18G0, 

 p. 20. 



tAnn. Eeport Dept. Miaes N.S.Wales for 188G (1887), p. 73, and 

 Ibid for 1877 (1888), p. 70. 



