206 



is greater than the nearest portion of the Meninclie area, but this 

 basin may be worth further investigation, as the Sydney main 

 line of railway to Broken Hill must traverse it, and so would 

 supply fuel for engines to raise the water. This Topar basin, as 

 charted, suggests isolation, but evidence in this direction is en- 

 tirely wanting. 



Another well in this area is Eckerdoon, but its precise location 

 is not to hand. In both wells, however, the supply is reported as 

 large, and, as far as my present information extends, of the same 

 general character as the wells in the Menindie area. 



The Cuthawarra basin is the furthest north, and is immediately 

 south of the Archaean rocks on which Wilcannia is situated, 

 they form the southern boundary of that Cretaceous area, which 

 contains the valuable artesian wells of Queensland, New South 

 AVales and this colony. The wells sunk in the recent clays of 

 the Cuthawarra basin prove that at about 80 ft. below the present 

 bed of the river the flood-waters are also stored up in the sand 

 stratum. Mr. Geo. Riddoch, of Weinteriga, acting on this idea, 

 found that as long as he was within this area he could, by using 

 his aneroid, predict with certainty the depth at which the water 

 would be struck. As a rule, the water is good stock-water. That 

 it may be considered to be an isolated basin appears probable, as 

 the geological chart shows the old rocks as closing in on each side; 

 and that the river has cut-through between the eastern and 

 western extension of these rocks seems proved by the existence of 

 the Christmas Rocks some distance up river above Weinteriga 

 Head-station, and one of the few rock-bars on the Lower Darling. 



The sum of the evidences from all these wells proves incontestably 

 that unlimited water-supplies exist at a very moderate distance 

 from Broken Hill. I submit this is proved undoubtedly, as every 

 well, although miles apart, has within a certain detined area in- 

 variably struck water at about the same level (allowing for the 

 thickening of the clay -beds consequent on increased altitude), in 

 similar strata, and of similar quality; whilst from the bore at the 

 Silistria Well, the only one reaching the best w^ater, which 

 is at the low^est level, namely, 400 feet, the hydrostatic pressure 

 was so great that pebbles were ejected with the water up to 130 

 feet. The Aldborough Well, as far as it went, furnished corrob- 

 orative evidence, also does the Redan AVell, which did not bottom 

 to the lowest water-level. The many wells spread over so wide an 

 area, all of striking uniformity, testify to the inexhaustible 

 quantity of the water contained in what one may call a sub- 

 terranean lake ; the length of which is 140 miles as proved by 

 the wells sunk in the eastern extension, across the Darling River. 

 Its breadth north and south we cannot detins, in the absence of 

 exact data for the south boundary, but, taking it only as 50 



