MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 346 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 
Sydney, July 21st, 1884—_Mr. H.C. Russell, B.A., F.R.AS., 
President, in the chair. 
New members.— Messrs. W. H. Binsted, J. Lackey, M.L.A., 
R. Sands, F. M. Moore, M.D., M.R.C.S., etc., F. Verde, and T. F. 
Wiesener. 
Papers.—1. ‘‘ Notes on Gold,” by Dr. Leibius, M.A., F.C.S. 
1. On the remarkable occurence of gold in Queensland.—To- 
wards the end of 1882, three brothers, named Morgan, discovered 
about 25 miles from Rockhampton, near the Dee River, auriterous 
deposits, which, not only on account of their richness, but especi- 
ally from a scientific point of view, bid fair to be classed among the 
most remarkable examples of auriferous deposits yet known. The 
lucky prospectors have for some time kept their discovery rather 
quiet ; last year they had been for several months retarded in their 
work of developing their mine by want of water, and itis only com- 
paratively lately that its extent and richness have been ascertained. 
The Capricorman, a Rockhampton newspaper, in its issue of 22nd 
March last, gives an interesting account of this mine, under the 
heading ‘‘ The Dee Gold-mine,” from which, and also from infor- 
mation and specimen kindly supplied to me by Mr. Walter Hall, 
ot Sydney, one of the present owners of the mine, I have obtained 
much valuable information regarding the same. ‘‘ The Mount 
Morgan Mine,” so called atter the name of its discoverer, is a 
mountain ridge, rising about 400 feet, and consists of ferruginous 
quartz, in which the gold is disseminated in-a very finely divided 
state. The mountain ridge appears to be the result of a thermo- 
spring, which in past ages held quartz, iron, and gold in solution, 
and from wnich the gold has been precipitated in a finely divided 
state, more or less coated with hydrated oxide of iron. As the 
mine is being developed caves are opened out, from the roof of 
which this oxide of iron and silica hangs like stalactites the size of 
a finger, andin which the gold is readily seen finely disseminated 
as shown by samples brought here to-night. As the Capmieoyman, 
before referred to, says, “the formation operated on cannot be 
called a reef. The whole hill-top seems to be ot richly auriferous 
stone. It is merely cut away to suit the convenience of the miners, 
so that a quarry or a broad terrace hasbeen formed, The cutting 
is 20 feet high and about 100 teet long, and thestone is of the same 
character the whole distance, and extends to the summit of the 
mountain, several chains higher. The facility with which the gold- 
bearing quartz may be obtained, may be judged from the fact that 
a charge of blasting powder only needs to be put in anywhere 
along the workings, and tons of itcan be displaced. The expense 
of securing it is therefore comparatively small. It is carted about 
a quarter of a mile along a good metalled road down the mountain 
side, and is then thrown into a wooden shoot, wide and deep, and 
at most 200 teet long. At the bottom a cutting has been made for 
the reception of the stone, and barriers raised to prevent its progress 
down the hill. It is then carted about half a mile to No. 1 battery.” 
There are two batteries, one of 10 the other of 15 stampers, where 
about 230 tons are passed through per week. The before-mentioned 
paper says:—‘‘ The owners here possess an apparently inexhaustible 
deposit ot auriferous quartz, and are able to mine it for almost 
