67 
towards either cud of the claim, where it is entirely lost. At the North end there 
is another blow of quartz, which strikes North and South, following the line of the 
strike of the country. This blow then dips under the alluvial flat, hut a reef on 
exactly the same line is met with in a shaft in the gully, after which it appears to 
be lost; but to the North-Westward is another large blow, which follows exactly 
the same bearing as Bayley’s reef. At the North end of this blow it pinches out, 
but on the Western side of the gully is another large quartz blow, which is exactly 
on the same line as Bayley’s, but between which there is apparently no direct con¬ 
nection. At the South end of Bayley’s the reef is lost, as at the North, but to the 
Westward, on a hill, another lenticular mass of quartz carrying gold is met with. 
Prom the general character of the reef, it appears to be a true fissure vein, 
making in size when it follows its true course across the strike of the country, and 
pinching often to a mere thread when it follows the bedding plane of the rocks. 
These breaks in the lode may, of course, he entirely due to faults or throws, but 
the blow at the North end of Bayley’s claim and the reef in the gully seem to 
prove the former theory. All the gold from this reef has been taken from a 
small shoot at the North side of the blow, where there appears to be a small vein 
consisting almost entirely of gold associated with a little oxide of iron. There 
were also some handsome specimens of gold in quartz, and some portions of the 
reef carry a good deal of fine gold. It appears to be the top of a rich shoot, but it 
cannot be expected to continue so phenomenally rich much longer, although it may 
pay well to work. There are several well-formed reefs showing gold about five 
miles further South, and several other patches for 90 miles to the North and North- 
Eastward. The available land for prospecting in the immediate neighbourhood 
of Coolgardie is limited, as this belt lies between the granite country and the 
freehold land of the Hampton Plains Company ; but during the winter we shall 
probably hear of new discoveries to the North-Eastward, and Southward. 
When we consider the quantity of gold taken from Coolgardie outlying rushes, 
it is highly probable that some of these reefs will turn out very good payable 
mines. 
Wongan Hills. 
In the year 1888, Mr. Paine discovered gold in these hills, which are situated 
about 60 miles North-North-East of Newcastle. They appear from the Westward 
to be two or three isolated peaks, but on approach these are found to be the 
highest points, and to form the abrupt termination of a range, which runs in a 
North-East direction. They are flat-topped hills, presenting a bold escarpment to 
the South-West of about 300ft. above the surrounding clay flats; this face is 
probably caused by a line of fault, which would also account for the springs near 
their base. 
The rocks are metamorphic and crystalline, with veins of radiated actinolite 
and small quartz veins. These rocks strike North-East and South-West, follow¬ 
ing the direction of the range, dipping at an angle of 60° to the North-West, and 
making their appearance again in a small hill to the North called the Little 
Wongan. Granite rocks form the low ridges to the North and South; they are 
often almost covered by sand or ferruginous conglomerate. 
The highest peaks of the range are capped by a ferruginous conglomerate, 
nodular clay ironstone, intermixed with sand or clay, clays and ferruginous sand¬ 
stones horizontally bedded. These beds also cap the low granite ridge, but occupy 
many different elevations owing to the upheaval of the Wongan to the North- 
East of the fault. 
The recent deposits are sand, clay, and loam. Of these the sand greatly pre¬ 
dominates, forming large plains to the West and North, occasionally interrupted 
by large salt flats and clay pans. 
