64 
These reefs are undoubtedly rich, and carry gold in depth, but owing to the 
hardness of the ground and the quantity of pyrites they contain will need to be 
richer than the reefs on the other part, of the field. 
No water has yet been struck in the shafts, the battery being run with water 
pumped up from a well at the bottom of the valley, which although not very salt 
does not yield enough water to keep the battery going. It is a pity that a shaft 
was not sunk in the mine itself, as a good supply of water is sure to be struck, 
and there is no reason why it should not be fresh, if not fresher, than that in tlio 
well. 
Hope’s Hill. 
Hope’s Hill is about 30 miles South of Golden Valley, the lode here forming* 
the main ridge of the country running North and South, and gradually rising from 
the lake level at the South end to about 200 feet above it at the North end. 
The quartz on the main hill is of a white hungry-looking character but carry¬ 
ing fine gold in the stone and clay partings, particularly on the East side of this 
reef, in a white magnesian clay, full of quartz grit. On this side of the reef there 
is a mass of whitey-brown and greenish-blue banded clay, probably resulting from 
the decomposition of a serpentine rock, full of small quartz leaders, of a curious 
gritty nature. These leaders are, as a rule, rich in gold, and in some parts gold is 
also met with along the joints of the clay, but for the most part it is not visible, 
though on crushing good results are obtained. The bulk of the reef is a white* 
stone of barren appearance, though here and there are bands containing iron, 
which yield, on crushing, very good prospects of gold. The reef, which is about 
fifty feet wide at the surface, seems to be in reality a series of reefs separated by 
partings or casings of a white greasy clay. The richest stone is found in the mass 
of leaders to the East of the reef; but the main portion is useful for crushing 
with the muBocky portion. 
To the Southward this reef decreases in size, but there still the same size 
patches of stone are met with, but the clay becomes more solid, and presents more the 
appearance of a decomposed dyke of a greenish tinge, the gold often being met 
with on the faces like thin paint. There is an enormous lode formation, with 
shoots of stone first on one side of the lode then on the other: these, had they 
been picked, would have yielded good returns, but as it was considered more 
economical to crush tlie whole of the lode stuff taken out, the crustings have been 
low, but this system will cease when the work of development is complete. No 
water has yet been struck in the mine, as the water level is some 100ft. below the 
level now being driven into the hill. 
This reef, owing to the fact that it rises up out of the plain, could be easily 
and cheaply worked, and considering the great mass of stone which carries gold it 
would pay well to work on a large scale. 
Near the lake there are some pyrites lodes which contain a good deal of gold, 
but lodes of this class would be more expensive to work. 
Southern Cross. 
Southern Cross is situated about thirty-five miles to the South of Golden 
Valley. There is here a series of reefs running more or less North and South, 
which appear to have been formed at different periods; but without carefully 
mapping this district, when it has been sufficiently opened out, it is impossible to 
express a certain opinion on this point; for the present, it is enough to say that 
there are three lines of true lodes, one white, one ferruginous, and one mullocky 
with quartz leaders, and one series of cross-courses. 
These true lodes apparently owe their origin to the great upheaval which has 
taken place on the Eastern and Western sides of this area, to which they run 
