712 



GOLD 



that the field is rich, and, from the geological formation of the country, of immense 

 area. By assay the gold is found to consist of 91-1 of that metal, and about 8*333 of 

 silver, with a little base metal; or of 22 carats in fineness. July 17th, a mass of 

 gold weighing 106 Ibs. was found imbedded in the quartz-matrix, about 53 miles 

 from Bathurst; and much more, justifying the anticipations formed of the vast rich- 

 ness and extent of the gold-field in this colony. This magnificent treasure, the 

 property of Dr. Kerr, surpassed the largest mass found in California, which was 

 '28 Ibs. ; and that in Russia, which was 70 Ibs., now in the Museum at St. Petersburg. 

 One party of six persons got at the same time 400. in ton days, by moans of a quick- 

 silver machine ; and a party of throe, who were unsuccessful for seven days, obtained 

 in five days more than 200 ounces. 



Numerous claims have been made by persons who have thought that they had given 

 the first indications of gold in Australia. To the late Sir Roderick Murchison is, 

 however, due the merit of pointing out that gold might probably be found in Australia, 

 long before it was known in Europe that gold existed in that important colony. Sir 

 Roderick Murchison thus gives us the facts : 



' Having in the year 1844 recently returned from the auriferous Ural mountains, I 

 had the advantage of examining the numerous specimens collected by my friend 

 Count Strzolecki along the eastern chain of Australia. Seeing the great similarity of 

 the rocks of those two distant countries, I could have little difficulty in drawing a 

 parallel between them ; in doing which I was naturally struck by the circumstance 

 that no gold had yet been found in the Australian range, which I termed in antici- 

 pation the ' Cordillera,' impressed with the conviction that gold would, sooner or 

 later, be found in the great British colony. I learnt in 1846 with satisfaction that a 

 specimen of the ore had been discovered. I thereupon encouraged the unemployed 

 miners of Cornwall to emigrate, and dig for gold as they dug for tin in the gravel of 

 their own district. These notices were, as far as I know, the first printed documents 

 relating to Australian gold.' 



August 25th, 1851, Lieu tenant-Governor C. J. Latrobe announced to Earl Grey 

 from Melbourne, the discovery of large deposits of gold in that district of the colony. 

 In a second Parliamentary blue-book, issued February 3rd, 1 852, .it is stated that 

 79,340 ounces of gold, worth 257,855?. 7s., had been previously forwarded to England ; 

 and that the gold-fields of the colony of Victoria rival, if they do not exceed in value, 

 the first-discovered gold-fields of New South Wales; the total value being then 

 300,000^. ; and but a little time afterwards about half a million sterling. Mr. E. 

 Hargreaves, Commissioner for Crown lands, announced from Bathurst, that no part of 

 California which he had seen had produced gold so generally and to such an extent as 

 Summerhill Creek, the Turon River, and its tributaries. 



For the purpose of conveying a correct idea of the conditions under which the 

 greatest quantity of the Australian gold occurs, three plans have been selected from 

 different districts. The first of these (fig. 1118) represents a longitudinal section 



1118 



1. Auriferous drift. 



2. Boundary of workings 



3. Boundary fence. 



4. Oreswick's Crook. 



along the course of the west quartz-voin in the Clunes gold-mining field. Wo have 

 here, as indicated by the darker portion of the woodcut, the quartz-vein shown in 

 section, with the shafts sunk, and the levels driven upon it. The lighter portions of 

 the figure resting on the quartzoso rock is an auriferous drift ; and on tho loft of tho 

 section the great basaltic formation is shown. 



Fig. 1119 is a section of a portion of tho Ballarat gold-field. It is an east and west 

 section from the Red Streak-lead across Post-Office Hill, White Flat, tho township of 

 Ballarat West, and the quartz-reef west of tho township ; and it shows tho auriferous 

 drift, schist, quartz, and basalt formations of the district. 



