286 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Viciorid 



l)ranch lead from the south, which joins the Calerlonian Lead 2 

 chains above where the Devonshire Reef crosses it, nor were 

 any found further up the lead, until within 100 feet of the 

 Caledonian Reef. Where this reef crosses the Caledonian Lead 

 and for 100 feet below the intersection, they were again met 

 with. 



These pebbles were so rich in gold that an effort was made to 

 locate tlie beds of rock from which they had been derived. 

 Messrs. Barrass and party expended much work in the search. 

 They sank a shaft 135 feet through the alluvium on to a slate 

 bar carrying gold, and then trenched the bed-rock below the lead 

 for 300 to 400 feet below where the Devonshire Reef is crossed. 

 The slate bar was 9 feet wide, and it carried by assay about 3 

 dwts. of gold per ton. This was sunk into for 20 feet, when the 

 gold apparently ceased. This bar was not far from the I'eef. West- 

 ward the trenching did not disclose auriferous sandstone, but in 

 a shaft sunk a little to the east of the other one, sandstone was 

 found carrying gold. A few loads were crushed, and several 

 loads dumped on the surface that yield a small prospect of 

 microscopic crystalline gold. 



More recent efforts to locate the .source of the auriferous sand- 

 stone pebbles were made by Mr. J. Mooi'e and others, where the 

 Caledonian Lead crosses the Caledonian Reef. A shaft was sunk 

 on the I'eef through 90 feet of alluvium, and near this nodular 

 sandstone was cut carrying a little gold, and by trenching into 

 the floor of the lead other bands of sandstones were cut carrying 

 a little gold. A few loads yielded 14 dwts. per load, as I am 

 informed by Messrs. H. Williams and Snow, who worked at this 

 site, and who kindly supplied the information concerning it. 

 In no case could the gold be traced more than 6 or 7 feet 

 into the rock forming the floor of the lead. Another shaft was 

 sunk 200 feet further east, but nothing obtained to encourage 

 further outlay. 



In 1887 Mr. Barrass, Senr., showed tlie auriferous sandstones 

 to the writer, and from examples found by the latter, and 

 assayed at the Mining Department, results up to and exceeding 

 20 oz. per ton were obtained. The boulders and pebbles are 

 more or less rounded, and some show a nodular structure. They 

 are genei-ally white or grey on the outside, and yellowish-l)rown 



