West Tarnar District, Tasmania. 165 



the Grand Junction Company's shaft, on the eastern side 

 of the range, it also occurs as boulders in the drift, and 

 contains quartz pebbles, having no doubt been washed down 

 from the reef in middle pliocene times. It contains gold in 

 itself, and was being saved for crushing. Is it possible that 

 these carbonaceous selvages to reefs have had any influence 

 on or been the cause of the formation and segregation of 

 gold in the reefs ? Although much has been done by Mr. 

 J. Cosmo Newbery towards a solution of this question, 

 but with at present rather unsatisfactory results, still a 

 great deal yet remains to be accomplished before an answer 

 can be given to this important question. 



Art. XI. — Notes on Small Motors. 

 By W. C. Kernot, M.A., C.E. 



[Read October 9th, 1879.] 



The general substitution of machinery for hand-labour in 

 various industries during modern times has given to the 

 question of prime movers an importance it did not possess 

 in earlier periods, and has led to the perfecting of old and 

 development of new expedients for obtaining mechanical 

 power. Amongst these expedients the steam engine holds 

 by far the most prominent place, while the various hydraulic 

 motors, though of somewhat infrequent occurrence in the dry 

 climate of Australia, are of inestimable value in localities 

 where a constant fall of water is available. 



But while the demand for motive power is very fairly met 

 in the case of transport by land and sea, and of large estab- 

 lishments when numerous or comparatively heavy machines 

 have to be kept in motion, it will, I think, be freely admitted 

 that an important, and, as yet, but imperfectly occupied 

 field remains for a cheap, simple, and easily managed motor 

 of small power. We need, a suitable contrivance for 

 working small lathes, lapidaries' wheels, dental engines, 

 sewing machines, grindstones, &c, for winding up large 

 clocks, and for actuating various pieces of mechanism 

 which are beginning to make their appearance in our private 

 residences; in short, a cheap and convenient motor for the 



