Art. 1. — Rocks and Ore Occurrences at Bethanga and 



the Loiver Mitta Mitta. /$j^?A^ 



By henry C. JENKINS 



(Wh. Sc, A.E.S.M., Assoc. M. Inst. C.E.). 



(With Plate I.). 



[Eead 11th December, 1902.] 



The author has had occasion recently to visit several places 

 along the Mitta Mitta Valley, including Bethanga, Snowy 

 Creek, Lightning Creek, Mount Elmo and Sandy Creek, and as 

 there does not appear to be a large amount published as regards 

 the character of the district beyond the somewhat general and 

 comprehensive description that it is a metamorphic area, he 

 thought it would be of interest to describe, as far as a fortnight's 

 inspection would justify, some of the rocks there, and more par- 

 ticularly tlie mode of occurrence of the minerals of economic 

 importance. 



Although the greater part of the journey was over ground 

 marked upon the Victoi-ian Geological Map of 1902 as being 

 metamorphic, yet the line also passes over ground marked 

 lower Silurian, between Eskdale and Lightning Creek, and of 

 granitic rocks at Granite Flat, and its peak. A rapid journey 

 over the so-called lower silurian exposure would not justify 

 more than the suggestion, yet it would be desirable to raise the 

 question as to the value of the precise geological evidence upon 

 which the distinction has been made between the rocks at this 

 particular part of the country and some of those of the part 

 marked metamorphic, the resemblance being so close that in the 

 absence of definite paUeontological evidence, or of marked uncon- 

 formity it is doui)tful whether a distinction is legitimate. Any 

 such evidence as the inclusion of the materials of one bed in. 

 another would be quite inadmissable in the case at Snowy Creek, 

 where the beds so closely resemble one another. The author will 

 also submit some reasons for viewing tlie line through Bethanga 



