BY A. N. LEWIS, M.C., LL.H. 37 



the western slopes of the Jubilee, and the gorge of the 

 Weld between seems to be the most likely location. Although 

 little hope in this respect can ba held out the area warrants, 

 and would possibly repay, a detailed investigation by the 

 Geological Survey. 



Mr. Renison Bell reported the existence of gold some- 

 where in the area, but exactly where he located it cannot be 

 ascertained. He evidently did not consider the find of much 

 value. On 2nd February, 1897, Henry Judd and Michael 

 Gallagher lodged an application for a reward claim for 

 gold reported to have been found on the north bank of the 

 large western branch of the Weld. Their corner peg blaze 

 is still distinguishable at the end of the old track up the 

 creek, as indicated on the sketch plan attached to this paper. 

 However, the applicants did not pay the fees and the block 

 was never surveyed. The application lapsed, and apparently 

 was not considered of value by the applicants. There is also 

 a corner peg blaze on the old Weld track just above the 

 patch of serpentine, but no application for a lease of this or 

 any other spot in the area has been lodged with the Mines 

 Department. 



At the mouth of the Weld a reward claim for nickel 

 and cobalt was awarded to H. E. Evenden in 1920. A little 

 work has been done here and the lease is still effective, but 

 apparently nothing is being done towards extended opera- 

 tions. The minerals here were obtained from the alluvial 

 flat described above, just at its upper border. If the river 

 has cut through any old lodes, minerals ma^ exist in this 

 flat. Some of the small boulders removed from a small 

 shaft on this claim bore close resemblance to flint, and Mr. 

 Gilbert Rigg, of the Electrolytic Zinc Ltd., who was good 

 enough to have some pieces analysed, considered the speci- 

 mens were true flint. Some specimens were then submitted 

 to the Geological Survey, but the Dii-ector repoi-ts that 

 although they bear a close resemblance to flint they are 

 only a form of chalcedony. Some deposits of a very pure 

 clay also occur near the mouth of the Weld. On the Styx 

 a claim has been taken up for lithographic stone. 



(b) Agricultural. 



Agriculturally the area does not appear to have great 

 possibilities. The lower third of the Weld Valley possesses 

 fair soil of a nature and depth common in diabase and mud- 

 stone country in Southern Tasmania, and the sandstone 

 higher on the hills indicates that somewhat better soil exists 



