o 
saiiclstoue and slaty shingle, wliicli indicate the existence of slate roeks beneath the sui'faoe. Near Ncllingho 
are hills of hard ejuartzite bands interstratified with soft slate and calcareous rocks, witli <|uartz ^cins, and 
metamorpbic and micaceous slates in alternate bands, also containing (juartz veins. Pieces of grmiite tind 
porpyrv arc seen on the surface, which arc derived from dyke.s traversing the fornwtion. IJetHceii Ncllingho 
and Koonamore are ranges covered with (|uartz drift and limestone; here the softer calcareous slates are 
decomposed, leaving only the ([uartzosc bands exposed: cpiartz reefs are frequent. Southward of Koonamore 
plains of rod loam with sandhills tire succeeded by clay slate tind (jmirtzite. and still further south by ranges 
of t'le simc formation, together with greenish micaceous clay slate, and micaceous sandstone, (iuartz veins 
arc numerous, and the Hats and low hills are white with quartz drift. 
The general direction of strike of the main line of quartz reefs at Waukaringa is about H.N.E., tind the 
the dip southerly, at an angle of from '26 to 35°. The thickness of these reefs vitrics from a few inches to 
about 2(' feet; the quartz is as a rule of a highly fenaiginous character, and associated with iron ore and a 
ferruginous gossany formtition. The veins occur in and between bands of quartzoso sandstone, quartzite, 
sandstone, clay and calcareous slates, which form synclinal and anticlinal curves and undulations, and are 
highly jointed and cleaved. 
itichman’s line lies further south, and strikes N. 53° K., with a north-westerly dij) of from 35 to 55°. 
The character of the tpiartz and the bed rock are similar to the main line of reef. 
Blaekfeliow's reef to the north-west of the above lino is said to have yielded the coarsest gold yet found 
in this locality. The vein, which is very thin, consists of quartz with carbonate of iron, iron pjwitcs, and 
oxide of iron in greenish clay, slate, and argillaceous sandstone. These lines of reef outcrop towards the 
summits of low ranges ; others traverse the valleys between. The proportion of gossany quartz and iron ore 
found in them is considerable ; the gold is found in both in a very finely-divided state. Tiie lodes are strong 
and extend for long distances, and will doubtless be found to continue to considerable de])ths when followed. 
Very little work, however, has been done to the greater number of the claims, which have probably been 
taken u]) for speculative ])urpose.s. A few miles westward g.alena containing on assay 12oz.s. I'ldwts. 19grs. 
of silver per ton has been found in an excavation a few feet deep on a ferruginous (juartz lode. Of four 
assays of gossany quartz from the main line of reef, three contained oidy traces of gold, while the fourth 
yielded at the mte of 2ozs. 12dwts. 6grs. to the ton. 
The country near Ncllingho, Koonamore, and Waukaringa is all likely country for alluvial gold, which, 
however, does not appear to have been looked for to any extent, the absence of water preventing jn-ospecting 
operations. From the genei'id character of this country it is not likely that boring for artesian water will 
prove successful, for reasons set forth in my re])ort of Ajiril 9th, 1883. 
North-eastward ol Waukaringa the rocks are a continuation of the same formation ; calcareous varieties 
are, however, more frequently met with ; they are ca])j)cd in places by quartz gravel, similar to the Pliocene 
gravel of other 
goldfields. 
About twentj'-two miles from Waukaringa, granite country begins, and continues eastward to Mingary 
Creek, alternating with areas of metamorj)hic and other slaty rocks. In the granite of the Ethieudna Hills, 
veins of quartz, hematite, and mica slates occur. Two miles S.E. of Mount Victoria, a cojqter lode has 
been found, and is being prospected and ore raised from a shallow depth ; specimens of gold arc found in the 
ore and qu.artz from the mine; the lode lies jtarallel to a dyke of soft bluish granite and dccomjjosed 
serpentinous clay traversing hard granite of the ordinary kind. These soft granitic dykes in granite arc not 
uncommon here, and arc indicated on the surface by smooth road-like sjjaces between rotigh boulders 
of granite. !Mica schist bands also occur in the granite and occasional veins of (juartz. The alluvium 
is charged with magnetic iron sand. From Mount Victoria to within sixteen miles of the jirovince boundary 
the cotmtry is granitic and metamorphic. the gninitc being in masses over a large area and in dykes traversing 
mica slate and clay slate. Near Boolcoomatta there arc hornblendic and micaceous gncissic rocks, with 
coarse granite dyk(w and greenstone. A quartzose sandstone and felsj)athic rock has been excavated here 
and crushed for gold; it is stained with green and blue carbonate of cojqjer. Ea-stward of this jdace vertical 
cleaved clay and mica slates strike N.E., associated with tjuartz and iron ore lodes, greenstone, and granitic 
d 3 'kes. Afterwards granite again aj)peai's and dips under extcirsive jjlains near Mingary Creek, which con¬ 
tinue thence to the boundaiy of the jirovinee. Water has been found by sinking in all the fonnatioiis met 
with on this route at comparatively shallow dejrths, from the sandstone and jmrjile shale formation down to 
the granite and metamorphic rocks. 
A considerable portion of the country, as shown by sections Nos. 1 and 2, is underlaid by a limestone 
formation, which is alwaj-s found to be favorable to the natural storage of water underground. The following 
is a list of the princij)al wells met with on the route, with the formation in which each occur; — 
1. Near Beltana station.—M^cll, in calcareous conglomerate (an old spring dejjosit), good water. 
Other wells, in limestone, shale, and .slates, j'ield tolerably good water at a shallow dejtth. 
Six-mile Camji.—Well, in jjurjde shales, good water. 
Nuccaleena.—Well, in purple shale.s, calcareous clay slates and flags, good water, 
len miles east of Wirricljta Station. — Well, on jjlaiu, in alluvium on limestone. 
5. Limestone Sju’ing. near Tooth’s Knob—W'cll, a few feet deej) in limestone, good water. 
6. Near looth’s Knob head station. — Well, in limestone on q^iartzose sandstone. 
7. Between 'iooth’s Knob and Pasmore. — Sjwing, in limestone near low table hills of conglomerate, 
on white and yellow pipeclay. 
8. Atrij)cna \\ ater.—A large sjjring in the bed of the Pasmore river, in limestone conglomerate, on 
massive bmestone. 
9. Siccus river.—Well, in sand and clay. 
10. Cumamoona station—Tubed bore well, 377ft. deej), through claj' and sand drift; good w'ater 
rising to within 4()ft. of the surface. It is quite probable that if this tube were jnit down 
lower, sufiicient jrressurc would be obtained to send the water to the surface. 
11. M aukailnga station.—This well is down 90ft., and the water lies within 40ft. of the surface. In 
sinking, micaceous and argillaceous sandstone were passed through, which strata outcroi) at 
the surface but a short distance off. 
12. Waukaringa.—AVell, ten chains north of No. 11. 
13. The Government bore lies to the north-cast of these wells, on the strike of the same strata. 
14. Eight miles south-east of Mount 'N’^ictoria.—Well, in white granitic rock under alluvium • (rood 
water. ’ ® 
15. Bimbowrie 
2 . 
3. 
4. 
II 
