78 
Mines and Mineral Statistics, 
At the Eletnore Mino tliis old alluvial drift lias been broken up and 
redeposited, forming shallow surfacing near the top of a lull, where it 
is now being worked; but in another part it lies iindistui'bcd, and 
consists of a hard conglomerate, the water-worn boulders being 
cemented together with a siliceous cement. 
The hill on which the drift occurs formed the south side of one of 
the above-mentioned old valleys : the drift therefore deepens as it is 
followed to a lower level, and there is every probability that tlie wash- 
dirt will not decrease in richness, though the amount of stripping will 
be greater. The same description of conglomerate as that at Elsmore 
is to he met with again about 3 miles to tlie eastwai'd, at the Karaida 
Tin Mine; it is ricli in very waterworn stream tin, and I have seen 
specimens of it also enclosing coarse specks of gold with the tin ore. 
The surfacing at tlie Stanuifer Tin Mine, Middle Creek, is the 
remains of an old lead, tlirough which the i>resent valley lias been 
eroded, tlius leaving tlu* gravelly bed of tlie old stream now in discon- 
nected patches amidst tlie liills. Water-worn pebbles and boulders, 
up to 1 foot or more in diameter, of (piartz and quartzite, compose the 
drift, wliicli in places is cemented into ajiard ironstone grit and con- 
glomerate. But little striping is required, and the wash-stuff is carted 
for about down tfi the creek and tlien sluiced, About d.OOO 
cubic yards yielded 57 tons of stream tin. Small crystals of cliromic 
iron and one small diamond were obtained with the tin ore. I have 
traced this lead for about 2 miles to the westward, where it has been 
opened by Messrs. Burlington & Low. It has hero yielded from 10 to 
50 lbs. of stream tin to the load of wash-dirt. Waterworn pebbles of 
clear transparent and dark smoky-coloured ery.stal quartz are very 
abuTuhmt. The diaft is sometimes changed into a hard silicious and 
ferruginous conglonierate. 
For some distance further to tlie westward this lead has been 
removed by denudation ; but the red hills on the S.W. side of Middle 
Creek suggested its continuance in tliat direction and towards the 
Ponds Cret'k. 
I believe that, to the fact of the present Middle Crock having cut 
through the old lead ami redistributed its ricli contents, is to be attri- 
but{‘d the richness of the more recent alluvia in the Sydney and 
Ancient Briton tin mines, about 2 miles lower down the creek. 
iXear tlic head of the Ponds Creek is another similar old lead, and 
which I heliev(‘ will become an important one; it has been partially 
prospected, and with good results. Several topazes of bluish-white 
colour wero also obtained from it. 
On the Boundary Tin Min, a few miles further to the eastward, 
lying between two granite ranges, occurs an older basalt, of a brown 
and purplisli colour, and much decomposed. It may possibly liave 
some relation to the volcanic breccia underlying the pliocene basalt in 
the section at InverelL and to another similar breccia exposed in a 
clifi' section mi rCewstcad Creek. (See fig. G. c.) In appearance tbis 
decom]x)sed basalt resembles some of the older basalts which are 
interpolated with mioceno strata near Geelong, in Victoria; it may, 
therefore, be of the same age. It s(‘ems to lie in an old valley, and 
has probably covered up a lead wliicli ma}'’ be the continuation of the 
one just described near the head of Ponds Creek. Mr. David Wilson, 
Manager of the Boundary Mine, had a iwospectiug shaft put down 
