102 On the Occurrence of tlie Diamond near Mudgee. 



5. Zircon. — This occurs in small rolled pieces and as fine heavy 

 sparkling sand in abundance. It is transparent ; brown, very 

 pale red, or colourless. 



The sapphires and zircons very rarely exceed i inch diameter, 

 and are mostly very much smaller ; it is worthy of remark that 

 these gems are found higher up the stream in pieces of consider- 

 ably larger average size. 



6. Tourmaline. — Rolled black prisms, |^-inch long, are common ; 

 small nests of schorl in quartz pebbles rare. 



7. Blach titaniferous ironsand. — Common. 



8. Black magnetic ironsand. — Common. 



9. Titanic acid. — Probably Broohite, in flat red transparent or 

 reddish-white translucent plates, with striated surfaces, but too 

 much worn to distinguish the exact crystalline shape. The plates 

 vary in thickness up to 1-12 inch, and often measure i inch 

 across ; hardness, 6 ; specific gravity, 4'13 ; composition found by 

 analysis to be pure titanic acid except a minute trace of iron. 



10. Wood-tin. — Small, rare. 



11. Garnet, in minute icositetrahedrons. — Eare. 



12. Iron. — Hackly fragments of the slightly rusted metal, 

 averaging \ grain, which are evidently derived from the iron 

 tools and apparatus. Analysis failed to detect in them the least 

 trace of nickel. 



13. Gold. — Pine, scaly, and occasional fragments enclosed by 

 quartz. The quantity is variable, but the average is about 3 

 dwts. per load of drift washed. 



14. — The Diamond itself is distributed through the Older 

 Pliocene river-drift sparingly and irregularly. At Hassall's Hill 

 thirty-three loads from one claim yielded 306 ; at the same claim 

 they have washed from one to fifteen to the load, but the average 

 has been about five, with 3 dwts. of gold. At another 

 claim, on Hassall's Hill, a washing of from twelve to fifteen 

 loads yielded at the rate of eight diamonds to the load, 

 and 3 dwts. of gold ; the average, however, was about three 

 diamonds to the load. This yield afterwards fell olF, and the 

 ground is now worked out. Some of the drift at the junction of 

 Wialdra Creek gave regularly four diamonds per load, but 

 ultimately fell off to one per two loads. In other places the 

 yield has been only one diamond to the load. 



As regards the weight of the diamonds the following parcels 

 will afford a fair average : — 



306 diamonds weighed 74| carats ; 



largest, f carat. 



81 „ 19 



largest, li carat. 



110 „ 26i „ 





16 „ 6 





700 „ 151i „ 





