416 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



as to the origin of quartz and gold is, that at one time the 

 earth's surface was very much cracked, and that melted 

 silica, containing metal in minute division, was projected up 

 from the interior and filled these cracks, forming quartz reefs 

 and veins ; that the metal got cooled in its ascent and 

 formed gold ; that most of it, from its volatility, rose to the 

 surface and became deposited there ; but lately many things 

 have occurred to shake this theory. One of them is, that 

 the yield of gold does not decrease as they go downwards in 

 working the reef. A Government commission went round 

 the gold-fields last year making all inquiries on this very 

 subject, but all mining men here dispute their verdict, 

 which was to the effect, that the lower you went the purer 

 the quartz became. I saw two mining managers at Chines 

 lately, who told me their experience went to the contrary, 

 and I have asked many Ballarat men, who agree with the 

 Clunes managers. Another circumstance which has given 

 rise to a totally different theory is, that at Smythesdale a 

 piece of petrified wood was discovered on which was a 

 deposit of iron pyrites and gold. The favourite theory now 

 is, that electricity is the agent which produces gold, and that 

 it requires to pass through certain feeding grounds to be so 

 produced ; but I have never seen a written statement of this 

 theory, although, if there is one, I shall try and get it for 

 you. 



" The general map of the Ballarat district will show you 

 the way in which the leads all run, and is on this account, 

 I think, very interesting. It includes the gold-fields also 

 of Clunes, Creswick, Sago Hill, Smythe's, Brown's, Linton's, 

 Carngham, Lucky Woman's, Italian's, Buninyong, and Hard I 

 Hills. From Ballarat to Clunes the basaltic plain extends, 

 which begins at the side of the Yarrowee. It goes far 

 beyond Clunes on the north side, and how far south I do 

 not know, and over all the way to Burrumbut, with occa- 

 sional cropping out of hills and other formations, as for 

 instance, quartz in the Creswick gold-field ; and as the 

 farthest mines are not more than half a mile from the edge 

 of this plateau, it seems to me that the basaltic plain covers 



