During Post-Miocene Times. 13 



remained for ever undisturbed. On the contrary, they have 

 been scooped out and refilled repeatedly. 



Captain Couchman describes some hills at Fryer's Creek 

 as being covered in a" most erratic manner by a gravelly 

 wash, which is as plentiful on the tops and flanks of the 

 hills as on the floor of the gullies" (B. Smyth's Goldjields, 

 p. 158). A. W. Howitt reports gravel beds which occur upon 

 the Delegete at from 500 to 600 feet above the river (B. 

 Smyth's Goldnelds. p. 118), and also drifts of rounded quartz 

 between the Clifton and Nicholson. " These not only cover 

 the hills as surface, or form beds in the stream, but also, in 

 places, constitute 'made' hills'' {Gold, p. 681). 



Ainsworth (mining suiweyor) gives a description of a 

 drift of slate and granite boulders and clay on the Never- 

 mind Spur, Wood's Point, at an altitude of 1200 feet (B. 

 Smyth's Goldfields, p. 87) ; and Hodgkinson, in a paper "On 

 the Inter-Mitta and Campaspe Geology/' mentions the 

 occurrence of recent alluviums of water- worn schist, quartz, 

 and slate on granite hills near the Campaspe mouth, which 

 drifts, he says, ll are not only at a considerable elevation, 

 but must have been brought from very far-distant sources" 

 (Phil. Ins. T., Vol. YL). 



Krause reports similar deposits of older pliocene date on 

 hills near Stawell (Lock's Gold, p. 651). 



From the condition of these alluviums, we can picture a 

 time when the sea was receding from till-covered plains. As 

 it withdrew the land surfaces became veined with creeks and 

 rivers. These, as they wound down the gentle slopes, slowly 

 scoured out the soft materials until, in time, gravel-capped 

 ridges separated the several watersheds. 



Meteoric conditions approximating more and more closely 

 to those of this age then succeeded, and must have held sway 

 for a long period, perhaps 80,000 years (Croll, C. and T., p. 

 325). Ordinary fluvial action has, therefore, been the 

 last and longest modeller of the surface. It has given 

 the finishing touches, and, of necessity, all the super- 

 ficial appearances indicate the sculpture of flowing water. 

 The scour of the stream has dimmed the traces of all prior 

 agencies ; but if by the aid of experience gathered from other 

 countries which have been glaciated we can look through 

 the lighter outlines sketched on the rocks and sediments by 

 aqueous action, we shall discern beneath them the touch of 

 the heavier hand and the sharper chisel of frost and ice 

 and snow. 



