500 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [Jan. 19, 



mains of a vegetation, and perhaps of animals, similar to those at 

 present in this continent. But this " terra incognita " wiU only be 

 disclosed, and we may say conquered from the Kobold phantom, by 

 persevering mining and industrial appliances. 



It is under this extensive basalt-formation, partly bounded on the 

 S.W. by the schist-ranges and granite of Smythe's Creek, that the 

 diiferent auriferous mainchannels, the Dead Horse (3), the Golden 

 Point (26), the Sebastopol (73), and Black-clay Leads (84), have 

 entered upon their mysterious course : the miner might say it is a 

 merciless one. 



Further to the N. of Dead Horse there are other leads, for instance 

 Northumberland and Sulkj^-g-ully Lead ; but I have not extended 

 my observations in that direction. It is true that there is not much 

 to observe there ; suffice it to say that the named leads are directing 

 their course to vs^estward. 



jN'ow that wo have had, as it were, unfolded before us the geolo- 

 gical habitus of this field, we vnll ascend Mount Buninyong. 



Let us consider how we stand. To the N.W., and divided from 

 us by high schist-ranges, lies Ballaarat ; and Mount AYarrenheep 

 lies N. Further westward, we again see the lakes, the Pyrenees, 

 and the extensive basalt-plains, the monotonous aspect of which is 

 only now and then relieved by the bold cones of extinct volcanos. 

 At our feet, looking due W., is the township of Buninyong. 



Prom here you see how the Eedhill Eange (its summit crowned 

 at intervals by the White Horse, Great Republic, and other auriferous 

 quartz-reefs) follows a southerly direction towards the Long-gully 

 (80) and Buninyong Cemetery quartz-lodes, where the range is inter- 

 cepted. The debris of this part of the range supplied the alluvial 

 deposits which are all united in the Black-clay Mainchannel (84). 

 You also easily distinguish a shallow channel, which seems to arise 

 somewhere E.N.E. of Buninyong, at the S.W. boundary of the town- 

 ship, showing itself again extensively developed on the Chalk-hills 

 (85) ; at the south end of which (notice it particularly) the schists 

 are again seen to crop out, following the southerly direction of the 

 Redhill Range, — again cropping out between Laermonth's paddock 

 and the River Yarrowee, where, following the same direction, they 

 are again visible at the crossing-place, and finally form the ranges 

 from whence arise the Welshman's (89), Rider's (90), and Durham 

 (91) Leads on the E. side (which Leads eventually will join the 

 Greenhill Mainchannel, 92) and the Napoleon's Lead on the western 

 side, which latter takes even a due N. direction, tending in aU pro- 

 bability to join the Black- clay Lead. 



Thus the southerly continuation of the Redhill Range is the 

 schist-ridge which divided two great ante-volcanic valleys from each 

 other, and parted the course of the above-mentioned mainchannels 

 (Black-clay, Sebastopol, &c.) from that of the Greenhill auriferous 

 mainchannel (92), which doubtless will keep a southerly course, 

 whilst the other mainchannels pursue at present a westerly direc- 

 tion; and it might figuratively be said that this interesting ridge, 

 which is to be traced from hence along the Redhill and Blackhill 



