46 Auriferous Districts of 



to be discovered, though, probably, at wide intervals. In this 

 brief summary I do not mention with much expectation the 

 abundant occurrence ©f such gold as was discovered by me in the 

 quartz pebbles of the Secondary fossiliferous rocks of Fitzroy 

 Downs, because that fact may merely testify to the derivation of 

 the quartz from auriferous reefs in Secondary times (a very 

 important deduction on another account) ; and recently an explor- 

 ation by prospectors of the country 150 miles N.W., of Roma, on 

 the Fitzroy Downs, has not resulted in any discovery of alluvial 

 gold, probably because that whole country is of Secondary age. 



If, however, we include Talgai and other places near the 

 northern boundary of New South Wales, and some mentioned in 

 my own reports, we shall see that Queensland offers ground for 

 great expectation of auriferous wealth. With her Coal-fields on 

 the Isaac, the Mackenzie, the Bowen, and at Hervey's Bay, on 

 the Bremer and the Brisbane, the Dawson and the Condamine, she 

 becomes connected with similar coal deposits on the Clarence 

 River, in New South Wales, and by her abundant wealth in 

 Copper and Iron, bids fair to balance the present superior advan- 

 tages of our own territory in Coal and Gold. 



The occurrence of Copper with gold in some localities in 

 Queensland is also very remarkable. In other places the copper 

 is so rich as to rival the wonderful masses of Lake Superior, the 

 lodes being made of little else than Native copper, without any 

 trace of gold. Whilst in other localities, again, the copper 

 occurs distinct from, but in close proximity to an auriferous area. 

 Such appears to be the case about Mount Wyatt, near the 

 junction of the Burdekin and Suttor, as gold is scattered in the 

 drift all the way to the Belyando. 



This leads me to the Cape River Gold-field. 



The Cape River is merely at present indicated on the charts, 

 as entering the Suttor ; but it has lately been explored, where 

 practicable, to its head, and stations are occupied between its 

 junction and Hughenden, on the head of Jardine Creek, which 

 is the Macadam River of Walker, and forms one chief source of 

 the Flinders. 



From the head of the Flinders, gold may be found in small 

 particles for some distance down the river, though Jurassic and 

 Cretaceous rocks cover the older formations over a large area as 

 proved by the abundance of fossil shells, &c, and by remains of 

 reptiles, as for instance, at the base of Bramston Range, at 

 Marathon, on Richmond Downs, on O'Connell Creek, and else- 

 where. These rest upon the underlying Palaeozoic or older 

 deposits which extend to the Burdekin and Suttor. 



It is remarkable that Sir Thomas Mitchell should have turned 

 back from the Belyando River, which would have led him to the 

 Suttor, Cape, and Flinders' Rivers, and have given him his long 



