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Mining Industry. 



By W. H. J. Slee, Esq., F.G.S., Chief Inspector of Mines, &c. 



The gold-fields of New Soutli Wales are very numerous and extensive, 

 stretching fi'om Mount Browne, the extreme north-westerly part of the 

 Colony, on to the river Murroy, a distance of nearly 700 miles, and the 

 extent of the auriferous area at j^resent known covers fully 80,000 miles. 



The Mount Browne Gold-field was first discovered in October, 1880, 

 in an arid country, the average annual rainfall being about 8 inches. 

 The district is known as Sturt's Stony Desert, and here, owing to a 

 severe drought, the explorer, Sturt, was obliged to camp for some 

 months in 1845 on a water-hole now known as Depot Glen. Here, 

 too, the second in command named John Poole died ; the exploring 

 party underwent great hardships and privations ; John Poolers grave 

 has since been discovered and fenced in, and is now a historical spot 

 in New South Wales. Within 200 yards of Depot Glen, the first 

 payable gold on the Mount Browne Gold-field was discovered just 

 thirty-five years after Sturt and his party departed from Depot Glen. 



The geological formation in which the gold occurs is silurian slates 

 and granite, and the highest elevation — that is. Mount Browne and 

 Mount Poole — is about 300 feet above the surrounding cretaceous 

 plains ; forming, as it were, an island surrounded by the former 

 cretaceous sea; the extent of the auriferous area is about 40 miles in 

 a north-easterly by south-westerly direction, and from 1 to 5 miles in 

 width. The gold generally is coarse and water-worn ; nuggets up to 

 30 oz. in weight have been obtained; the gold is of the highest quality, 

 the local price being £4 per oz. Generally the gold is found on the surface 

 or in shallow sinking, but lately ground from 150 feet to 200 feet has 

 been worked with payable results. The quartz reefs, which vary in 

 thickness from a mere thread to several feet, have in several instances 

 proved payable, and new payable discoveries have only very recently 

 been made. A 10-stamp battery for quartz-crushing and gold-saving 

 purposes is on the field. There are also a large number of puddling 

 machines erected all over the field, which are, however, frequently idle 

 for want of water. Milparinka and Tibooburra are the principal 

 towns, and are now connected by telegraph. 



Cobar, about 300 miles from Mount Browne, also in our north-western 

 district, was opened about twenty-five years ago for copper-mining, 

 and thousands of miners were employed. Notwithstanding this, rich 

 and extensive gold discoveries were only made within the last five years, 

 and that within only 3 miles of the co])per-mine referred to, pi'oving 

 beyond doubt new gold discoveries may be made throughout the Colony 



