542 ./. T. Jutson : 



It will be as well to distinguish between the quartz and 

 alluvial mining. The quartz mining will be treated first. 



Once the discovery of gold was made the reefs of the district 

 were no doubt rapidly located, and any rich pockets of gold 

 quickly obtained. After the first rush the miners must have 

 sought the fields which have since risen to such importance — 

 Ballarat, Bendigo, etc. — for in 1860 the Mining Surveyor refers 

 to the numerous abandoned reefs, and the few quartz miners 

 on the field. He considers one great drawback to the district 

 is the want of crushing nuichinery, and the high ^^I'ice the 

 miners have to pay for having their quartz treated, the price 

 rising as high as £4: per ton. Several attempts were made to 

 remedy this by the introduction of various crushing machines 

 to the district, but none seemed to work eft'ectiveh" until the 

 construction in 1868 of machinery worked by water power 

 on the Yarra. The rates for crusliing and cartage were also 

 reduced. 



A distinct impetus was in this year given to quartz mining, 

 apparently owing to the facilities mentioned, althougli the 

 crushing machinery was not very satisfactory. The impetus 

 is shown by the yields between 1861 and 1870. From October, 

 1861, to June, 1868, 138 tons of quartz were crushed, yielding 

 153 oz. dwt. 13 grs. of gold. From the latter date to the 

 end of 1870, 725 tons of quartz, yielding 930 oz. 9 dwt. 13 grs., 

 were crushed. There may be some exaggeration here, due per- 

 haps to the returns in the early part of the decade not being so 

 complete as in the later part. Making all reasonal)le allowance 

 however for this possibility, the great difference between the 

 periods mentioned remains. 



During the next decade, the yield continued fairly steady. 

 Few new reefs appear to have been discovered, the old reefs 

 being w'orked by small parties with varying success. No very 

 rich returns were obtained, those from the Pigtail Reef being 

 the best. This reef and the Yarra Tunnel Reef were the most 

 successful. These, together with the so-called diorite dykes, 

 which were discovered in this decade, will be discussed sepa- 

 rately. 



During the next decade there was a serious dechne. The 

 Yarra Tunnelling Reef was resuscitated, and vielded fairlv well. 



