PAirr 2.] 
King: Gold-fields of S.-E. Wynatl. 
41 
through the wooded hillock ou which the old fort is situated. Its next appearance is in a 
high ridge on which the Koman Catholic Chapel is built, and again in the Harewood and 
Kiutail Estate east of Mr. Hamlin’s bungalow. Beyond the cross range of Marpanmudi, 
it again shows in the bottom of the Strathern Estate: and still further northward in the 
Nallialum country. 
The direction of the vein is, as usual with these south-east Wynad lodes, viz., north- 
north-west, south-south-east, with a dip or underlie varying from 10° to 25° east-south-east. 
On the top of the hill overlooking Dayvallah the angle is low, in fact becoming flat, hut it 
increases as the reef descends, being at the quarries about 20° to 25°. At the place o 1 
quarrying there is a large irregular surface of the vein exposed on the eastern slope of a 
grassy spur of the hills. This is full of caverns excavated by the old native miners who 
evidently scraped and dug at every bit of casing, enclosed country rock, and the leaders- 
The Manager of the Alpha Company is at present quarrying in at this exposed surface, and 
preparing stone in readiness for the crushing machinery which is to arrive in a few months 
from Australia. At the quarry the reef is about 15 feet thick, of rudely laminated quartz ; 
laminations with the dip and strike. The back or upper surface of the lode is of coarse 
white quartz. From this, as was seen by a cross-cut through the reef, the rock becomes more 
and more ferruginous and stained of dark brown, black, and reddish colors, cellular or mouse- 
eaten, and charged at times with white iron pyrites much of which is decomposed, sulphate 
of iron and even traces of sulphur being left behind. At about 12 feet the quartz is more 
highly colored, very ferruginous, very cavernous, and gold is often visible in minute strings 
and masses. The quantity of rock worked out has not been sufficient to show whether 
there is any definite ‘ gold streak ’ in this lode. 
Through the kindness of the Directors of this Company and their Manager, Mr. Withers, 
I have been supplied with a fair set of specimens from this cross-cut, which have been 
crushed, washed, and amalgamated in a rough manner. Yery good color of gold was got 
in nearly every dish of pounded stone; but the results from amalgamation were very poor 
at first. The enormous quantity of iron pyrites associated with the gold came in the way 
of amalgamation, causing the mercury to granulate and become coated with the iron, 
sulphide ; in fact ‘ flouing ’ (Australian term) set in. 
I have not been able, owing to the difficulties in the way of crushing, failure of some 
experiments, and a want of time, to obtain a complete series of specimens and results from 
one cross-cut in this reef, much less from different parts of the lode, which would, of course, 
be the fairest way of testing the quartz, but such as have been got are now given— 
Specimen 
of quartz. 
Weight. 
Appearance, color, &c. 
Results. 
Depth in cross¬ 
cut from 
‘back’ of 
reef. 
1 
20 lbs. 
Compact, coarse texture, laminated; white color 
2 dwts. to ton 
1st foot. 
2 
28 lbs. 
Still white in color, but stained with ferruginous matter 
2’5 dwts. to ton 
3rd foot. 
3 
Whitish, more discolored with iron 
None. 
5th foot. 
4 
30 lbs. 
Ditto ditto ditto 
Good color in 
dish : lost in 
amalgamation. 
7th foot. 
5 
18 lbs. 
Still white, but ferruginous 
5'18 dwts. to ton 
10th foot. 
a 
18 lbs. 
Highly colored, red and brown, ferruginous, cellular, 
with white iron pyrites. Gold visible... 
19*44 dwts. to ton 
12th foot. 
7 
18 lbs. 
Ditto ditto ditto washed and amalga¬ 
mated in my presence by Mr. Withers. Gold not 
visible 
25‘92 dwts. to ton 
13th foot. 
