278 Revieics — Geology and FalcBontology of S. Australia. 



IX. — Eeport on Geological Explorations in the West anb 

 Nokth-West of South Australia. Prepared under the authority 

 of the Minister of Mines, by H. Y. L. Brown, F.G.S., Govern- 

 ment Geologist. Also Contributions to the Paleontology of 

 South Australia, by E. Etheridge, jun., Curator, Australian 

 Museum, Sydney, pp. 1-11 and 13-17, map and plates, folio. 

 (Adelaide, 1905.) 



THE records of this exploration, the principal object of which was 

 to deflne the boundary and limits of the Cretaceous water- 

 bearing area in the west and north-west portions of South Australia, 

 are put into the form of a diary as the explorer and his party 

 proceeded slowly through the somewhat desolate country through 

 which their route lay. Leaving Adelaide in April, 1904, they 

 reached their destination in August of the same year. Their journey 

 conducted them over tablelands, plains, and downs of Mesozoic 

 (Lower and Upper Cretaceous) rocks, through which protruded at 

 intervals outliers of quartzose sandstone, quartzite, and slate, striking 

 N.N.W., and dipping at low angles. The presence of these outliers 

 of PalEeozoic rocks is of importance in selecting sites for boring for 

 water, as they constitute the bed-rock of the artesian basin in the 

 district. 



Numerous bores have been struck at Stuart's Creek Station, some 

 of which are in proximity to the natural artesian springs. 



The most successful bores, not in the proximit}^ of springs, are the 

 J. H. Angas bore, depth 962 feet, yielding 1,400,000 gallons per diem, 

 and the New Year's Gift, depth 237 feet, yielding 300,000 gallons per 

 diem. The dejDths of the other bores range from 33 to 740 feet. 



At another boring, that of Lake Phillipson, bituminous shale, 

 yielding petroleum on distillation, was met with at depths of 312: 

 and 393 feet. This boring gave favourable indications of the existence 

 of artesian water. 



The rest of the diary consists of a daily record of the distance 

 traversed and the rocks encountered until on the 5th August 

 " Charlotte Waters " was reached, where the record terminates. 



A great drawback to the correct delineation of the shoreline of the 

 Lower Cretaceous artesian area is the accumulation of sand, as sand- 

 hills and sand-plains. Loam and other surface deposits also cover 

 a large extent of the interior of the country, hiding the underlying 

 rocks. The Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous deposits also overlie 

 rocks of older date than the Lower Cretaceous, and owing to the 

 level nature of the surface of the country sections showing the 

 sequence of the rocks seldom occur. The boundaries can therefore 

 only be laid down approximately. Boring can alone determine what 

 rock formations exist between the Eecent and Tertiary deposits and 

 the bed-rock. 



On the return journey Mr. Lyell Brown made a collection of fossils 

 from the Lower Cretaceous rocks at Dalhousie Springs. These were 

 forwarded to Mr. E. Etheridge, Curator of the Australian Museum, 

 Sydney, whose description of them is embodied in this report. The 



