II l;/li/(i ikJs of Wrshrn Victorht. 263 



stream tn the IJurruinheet Creek. Beneath it is a valley into 

 which the Trunk Ijead flows, hut opinions have been divided as 

 to whether the outlet of tin- valley is towards Burrumbeet or 

 in the opposite direction, and thence to the Ascot Gap. If 

 the fall is into the Burrumbeet IJasin. we are still in doubt as 

 to the outlet from that Basin. Parts of that area may drain 

 northward by the Ereildoun (Jap. north-east to the Ascot Gap 

 or south-west by a route near the present outlet. 



The western leads of Bnllarat aie subject to the i-ame uncer- 

 tainty as the Trunk lead. But even with regard to the Golden 

 Point Gutter itself there is still some diversity of opinion. 

 Close to the south limit of Balhirat City a point is reached at 

 which there is a broad lead tn tiie west, and a comparatively 

 narrow lead to the south. Jioth have been Avorked. Tlie ques- 

 tion as to which was the real outlet of the stream above v/a-s 

 discussed by Murray, l and he decided for the southern — that is, 

 that the lead followed the saiuc' valley as the present Yarrowee. 

 Btit the decision was based mi small diiYerences of levels. Either 

 way the averaige gradient fm* some distance is much less than 

 in the lead upstream. Against the southern otitlet are ilie 

 change in width and perhaps some minor featm-es of the lead 

 itself, the narrow valley of the Yarrowee downstream and the 

 decided north fall from near Staffordshire Reef. Recent bores- 

 show that an outlet is possible to the Avest. There is thus 

 a double uncertainty in the course of the old valley, both as 

 to the direction the waters took at Ballarat and as to the 

 subsequent course of the AVe.stein Loads. Probaibly at Ballarat 

 both outlets have been used, the head waters of the lead having 

 been captured and diverted. 



The present drainage system at Ballarat is determined largely 

 by the volcanic centres. From the Ballarat Common extensive 

 flows of lava have run to north, south, and west. Murray con- 

 sidered, from the records of the rock passed through in the 

 ]ionshaw shaft, that the uppermost lava stream or "first rock" 

 is here misr^ing. This shaft is in a valley at the south end 

 of Sebastopol. In the present condition of the creek, the second 

 rock, much decomposed on its surface, is seen exposed under 



1 Report of I'l'Di^ress Geol. Surv. \'k'., I. 



'2 .Viinual Hcport, Mines Depai-tment, Aictoria, 1892. 



