62 Unexplored Districts of Victoria. 



and the wax taper applied frequently until it permanently 

 ignites the oil ; a thermometer placed in the oil will register 

 the point of permanent ignition. 



One source of danger arises from carelessly feeding a lamp 

 with oil whilst in a heated state, and another from allowing 

 it to burn down so low that the metal burner becomes heated 

 to such degree that it vapourizes the oil and explosion 

 ensues. 



Note. — The original paper was accompanied by tabulated results of tests of 

 various samples of the oil. 



Art. XVIII. — On the Unexplored Districts of Victoria. 

 By K. Brough Smyth, Esq., F.G.S. Lon. 



[Read 8th September, 1862.] 



The remarks I intend to make to-night are rather sug- 

 gestive than otherwise. There are some districts of the 

 colony wholly unexplored, and it is to these principally that 

 I would wish to direct the attention of the members of this 

 Society. You are aware that the operations of the gold 

 miner have been confined almost exclusively to that large 

 area of the colony which is occupied by rocks,— sandstones, 

 schists, and clay-slates, — belonging to the silurian formation. 

 From the modes of occurrence of gold in alluvia and quartz 

 lodes, easily found and as easily wrought, the miners have 

 not generally sought to explore the deeper tertiaries and the 

 plains covered with basalt, which, I believe, conceal as rich 

 stores of gold as have been found at Castlemaine or Sand- 

 hurst. In addition to the auriferous tracts concealed by 

 rocks not older than the newer tertiaries, there are vast 

 areas of silurian rocks wholly unexplored. I may instance 

 the Delatite or Devil's River, a tributary of the Goulburn, 

 which has been only partially examined by an exploring 

 party sent out by the Prospecting Board. That party found 

 rocks exactly similar to those occurring at Jamieson, and at 

 the sources of the Howqua ; but owing to the nature of the 

 country, which is described as precipitous, and mostly 

 covered with a dense scrub, they were unable to penetrate 

 further than Emu Creek. This river (the Delatite), takes 

 its rise some thirty or forty miles to the eastward, and as all 

 the creeks on the opposite side of the ranges flowing to the 



