1854,] STEPHEN AUSTRALIAN GEMS AND GOLD. 307 



Q. A sample of gold from Bendigo, Victoria ; one of the richest 

 gold-fields yet discovered. 



R. Three Octahedral crystals of gold ; from Ballarat. 



S. Three Dodecahedrons of gold ; from the same locality *. 



T. A Made-crystal of gold, — two dodecahedrons united. The 

 faces are very perfect, and one of them is a 'pentagon, with a mamma 

 on it. It is from Ballarat. 



V. Moss-gold, coloured by oxide of iron ; from the M'^Ivor River 

 Diggings, in Victoria. 



U. Moss-gold, from Mount Alexander. 



W. An interesting specimen of Ramose gold ; from the M"Ivor. 



X. A specimen of gold, resting upon galena in quartz. It was 

 found near Mount Alexander. 



Y. A Cavernous Octahedron of gold, of unusual size ; from Bal- 

 larat. 



Z. A Cavernous Dodecahedron of gold, of large size ; from Bal- 

 larat. 



1. Gold imbedded in iron-stone ; from Ballarat. 



2. Gold imbedded in quartz ; from Louisa Creek, New South 

 Wales. Its light colour shows it to be alloyed with silver. 



3. A sample of gold, containing the Black Gold; from Forest 

 Creek, Mount Alexander. 



4. A very large crystal of gold (fths of an inch in diameter) which 

 I selected from a parcel of 10,000 ounces of gold from M'^Ivor 

 River. Its form is so peculiar that I found difficulty in classifying 

 it, until the eminent crystallographer, Mr. Brooke, F.R.S., expressed 

 the opinion that it is a dodecahedron, extravagantly distorted. 



5. A group of gold crystals, in cubes, elongated octahedrons, and 

 dodecahedrons, in most interesting forms, and surrounding a trans- 

 parent hexagonal crystal of quartz, being the only specimen, except- 

 ing No. 6, which I ever saw in Australia, showing crystals of gold 

 and crystals of quartz in connection. The cube of gold at the base 

 has reached the extraordinary size of |ths of an inch in diameter, and 

 has ascending planes, as if passing into the octahedron. 



It was sold to me as a "peculiar nugget," from M^Ivor River, 

 Victoria. 



6. An equally interesting group of fine crystals of gold from the 

 same locality ; also interlacing an hexagonal quartz-crystal. 



These two specimens are peculiarly interesting to geologists. It 

 will be observed that such of the edges of the gold and quartz 

 crystals as have been exposed to the contact of rough bodies are 

 rubbed and destroyed, whilst the edges of the crystals which have 

 been protected by surrounding crystals are as perfect and sharp as 

 when formed by nature ; thus proving that in bygone ages they 



* Whilst in the Australian colonies, I never saw nor heard of any gold crystals 

 being found there, excepting what I procured myself. But as I showed some to 

 Messrs. Hopkins, F.G.S., Foord, Hood, and others, many will now be on the look- 

 out for them. Since my arrival in England, however, Professor Tennant has shown 

 me some dodecahedrons from New South Wales, which he considered properly 

 authenticated. 



