ON THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD FIELDS. 121 



It will be noticed that a number of quartz reefs, known 

 to be auriferous, are marked upon the Government Map 

 from actual survey, their parallel and meridional direction 

 being strikingly shown. Many other reefs however exist, 

 some perhaps unauriferous, but mostly untested or imper- 

 fectly tested for gold. 



Western Gold Fields of N. S.Wales. — In the west- 

 ern district of New South Wales, where, it will be remem- 

 bered, Mr. Hargreaves made the first practical discovery 

 of Australian gold, the prevailing strata are of a hard slate 

 rock belonging to the Silurian era. Quartz reefs are found 

 abundantly penetrating the strata. The country, accord- 

 ingly, is of a more rugged and mountainous character than 

 in Victoria, rapid streams or torrents flowing from among 

 the steep stony ranges. The auriferous alluvium generally 

 consists of gravel mixed with a little clay, lying in or close 

 to the present water-course ; but there exist many places 

 where the stream has in the course of time worn for 

 itself a new channel, and left in its former place large 

 accumulations, even hills, of auriferous drift. Making 

 allowance for the harder nature of the prevailing rock, the 

 same geological principles prevail in these diggings as in 

 those above mentioned. 



Maryborough. — This small town is situated in the 

 midst of many gold-producing localities of inferior import- 

 ance, but I have only to notice here a small hill, close to 

 the town, consisting of schistose rock penetrated by a con- 

 siderable quartz reef. A mass of feldspathic porphyry is 

 also to be found close to the reef, and sometimes pene- 

 trated by leaders or thin veins of quartz in a very curious 

 manner. 



Ovens Gold District. — In this district are comprised 

 many separate localities, such as Jackandandah, Woolshed, 

 Indigo, &c. ; but for my present purpose, I need only de- 

 scribe those auriferous flats or gullies lying within a few 



SER. III. VOL. I. R 



