38 ANNITEESAET ADDRESS. 



Limestone occurs near Elsmore, and not far from Barraba, and 

 elsewhere also to the eastward; and there is a possibility of find- 

 ing near Elsmore outliers of what may be considered the Car- 

 boniferous beds that are in force to the westward.* 



(4.) I now desire to express my opinion that the region in 

 which this tin country occurs is Devonian, and that there is 

 nothing that is usually called primary about the granite which 

 twenty years ago I traversed in various directions, and of which 

 I gave a full account to our Grovernment in the reports of my 

 northern explorations. The slates flanking the granites are seen 

 to be older than the latter in many places ; and this view is sup- 

 ported by Mr. "Wilkinson's opinion of a transmutation of the 

 slates, besides other data which cannot now be mentioned. 



CnWABAE. 



As an addition to the above discussion in relation to tin, I may 

 notice here that I have received samples of tin from the granite 

 highlands of Tasmania, this year discovered ; and also last year I 

 had placed in my hands tin drift from Eliiider's Island, in Bass's 

 Strait, where topaz abounds, brought by Mr. Grould, the late head 

 of the Geological Survey there, who is now added to the stafl^ of 

 the Topographical Survey of New Sou.th "Wales. I have also 

 recently received from a New Zealand friend some excellent 

 samples of cinnabar. It occurs in a swampy locality, not far 

 from the Bay of Islands, and under circumstances that fully 

 justify the opinion I have previously expressed respecting the 

 agency of hot springs in the production of this ore of mercury 

 as it has been found in this Colony and in Queensland. It is a new 

 find, but owes its first discovery to a lady now resident on the 

 North Shore, who noticed it lying exposed on the surface. 



The only occurrence of colonial cinnabar in solid siliceous rock 

 that I am acquainted with is at Wide Bay Creek, near Elkivan, 

 in Queensland. Specimens from both of these new habitats 

 have been placed by me on the table, for comparison of the modes 

 of occurrence. 



* See Appendix D 



