92 STANNIPEEOUS DEPOSITS OF TASMANIA. 



owing to the difficult and dangerous nature of the country lying 

 between it and Mount Bischoff. Mr. Gould was the first geologist 

 who visited it, and from what lie said of the character of the 

 country my services were secured to conduct a geological and 

 general prospecting expedition in the neighbourhood. 



Mount Ramsay is essentially composed of a coarse tourmaline 

 granite occasionally passing into a fine-grained rock. This gran- 

 ite rises in three bold lofty peaks. Unlike Mount Bischoff, the 

 older palaeozoic strata are seen only around the base. The creeks 

 and gullies furnish very superior ruby tin ore, associated with 

 considerable quantities of zircon sand and tourmaline ; but the tin 

 occurs in much less quantity than at Mount Bischoff, the best 

 of my prospects seldom reaching an ounce to the tin dish. Since 

 I was there, however, more than twelve months ago, very promis- 

 ing indications of lodes have been found, consisting of rounded 

 nuggets of nearly pure binoxide of tin, varying from the size of a 

 marble to a hen's egg. In accordance with my advice, these 

 have been followed up till portions of lodes have been obtained, 

 showing very little sign of abrasion. Mount Bam say, however, 

 is better known for the remarkably rich and large lode of bismuth. 

 This is said to be between 30 and 40 feet in width, while it has 

 been traced for a considerable distance. This valuable discovery 

 was made after I left the locality, while a party was prospecting 

 for tin, and which latter metal, in a native state, they at first took 

 it to be. As is often the case, the bismuth is associated with 

 considerable quantities of wolfram. Very recently some highly 

 promising samples of copper ore have been found there, both in 

 the form of carbonate and sulphide. This locality bids fair to be 

 a powerful rival in its metalliferous deposits to its neighbour, 

 Mount Bischoff. A pack-horse track is now being made from the 

 open country to bring away the bismuth. 



From the summit of Mount Bamsay a large extent of mountain- 

 ous country is seen stretching away in the directiou of Macquarie 

 Harbour. Mountains, with broken and rugged outlines, present- 

 ing vertical precipices many hundreds of feet in height, as though 

 they had been rent in twain, are visible, with the waters of the 

 Pacific Ocean dimly observable in the distance. As seen from 

 this point, the panorama is truly grand, and might be compared, 

 to use a metaphorical simile, to a tempest-troubled sea, suddenly 

 frozen. And yet this at the present time is a terra incognita to 

 the geologist and prospector, but offers a fine field to some of 

 those " mute inglorious Baleighs," whose courage and noble self- 

 sacrifice have done so much to benefit their fellow-man. 



Before taking my leave of this north-west part of Tasmania, I 

 must briefly refer to two other localities where stanniferous deposits 

 have been found. One is at Wombat Hill, about midway between 

 Mount Bischoff and Mount Ramsay — the other at Mount House- 



