228 J. MILNE CURRAN. 
T am of opinion then that the Bingara and Inverell diamonds 
were derived from a common source, and that naturally this source 
is nearer to the Dividing Range than any deposits hitherto dis- 
covered. As far as I could see about Bingara the deep lead of 
the ancient river has not yet been touched. No deposit worked 
looked at all like a main gutter. The late Mr. C. Lowe, of 
Sydney, made a laudable effort to sink on the “deep ground,” and 
had already pierced the upper basalt and got one hundred feet 
into the lower rock, when the work was abandoned. This is 4 
matter for extreme regret on public grounds, and everyone inter- 
ested in Australian diamonds looks forward to the completion of 
this promising work, 
Until enterprise shall cut the dotpee beds of the mighty river 
that rolled west from the mountains of New England, no one may 
say that our country cannot yet glory in her gems, as she has 
_ gloried in the mines of gold and silver that constitute her rich 
inheritance. 
SAPPHIRE. 
Sapphire of every known shade from white to the royal deep 
blue have been found in this Colony. But the percentage of 
first-class gem- -stones to the total quantity recovered is extremely 
small. The writer has seen more than one parcel of sapphires 
from New England weighing 20 lbs., from which not more than 
two or three first-class gem-stones of 1 to 14 carats were obtained. 
Very many sapphires have also passed through my hands from 
Tumberumba, but I have only noted one example of a perfect 
stone. Professor Liversidge, in his work on the “Minerals of New 
South Wales” already referred to, says (p. 196) that sapphire is 
widely distributed over the New England district, but that the 
New South Wales sapphires in common with those from other 
parts of Australia are usually rather dark in colour. They are, 
however, found varying from perfectly colourless and transparent, 
through various shades of blue and green, to a dark and almost 
opaque blue. One or two green-coloured sapphires, oriental 
emeralds, are almost always met with in every parcel of a 
hundred or so speci , also blue and white parti-coloured stones. 
