I 
179 
it is considered how such springs in Europe have gathered cities around 
them, it is evident that some pains should be taken to render those existing 
in the State as valuable and attractive as possible. 
In some cases, the alluvial deposits of clay, gravel, soil, &c., to the 
extent of several feet, have been stripped off the rocks near the springs; 
this facilitates the escape of gas, which may be seen escaping, in some 
cases, where a little water has accumulated. Where possible, some advan¬ 
tage might be gained by again covering the rocks with clay and then soil, 
which might be planted, the gas would then, perhaps, escape through the 
spring, instead of by other orifices. 
[.Report sent in 20.5.op.] 
MOUNT FRANKLIN LEADS, NEAR DAYLESFORD. 
By E. J. Dunn , F.G.S., Director , Geological Survey. 
From Dry Diggings, near Daylesford, an alluvial gully has been 
/worked for gold, and apparently with good results, in a north-westerly 
direction, and as far as the New Shakespeare shaft (145 feet deep) in 
allotment 3, section 9, Franklin parish; but the further extension of the 
lead has never been determined, either by boring or shaft sinking. There 
are two directions the lead may have followed. The one would be below 
the basalt flow, running in a north-westerly direction through Mr. Rees’ 
property, and then on to Jim Crow Creek, where the basalt flow forms 
the bed of the creek from a little south of the Mill Spring. The basalt 
flow continues down the creek, forming its bed for several miles, and there 
should be a lead below the basalt at the bottom of the old valley. The 
other direction is through the west side of Mount Franklin, and then 
through the Mount Franklin estate, to where the Leviathan Mine was 
worked. The latter course appears to be favoured by the appearance of 
the washdirt obtained at the Leviathan shaft, which resembles the Shakes¬ 
peare washdirt, and the degree of rounding of the gravel in the Leviathan 
workings implies that it had been subjected to more waterwear than if 
it had been derived from a local source. The probabilities are in favour 
of the lead having reached the Leviathan Mine from the Shakespeare 
shaft. Between the Leviathan workings and the tunnel mines near Frank¬ 
lingford, the basalt flow has not been mined under, and there is room for 
some boring. 
The lead has been worked by tunnels below the basalt north-west from 
Franklingford. 
Reverting to the flow of basalt that runs into and forms the bed of 
Jim Crow Creek just south of the Mill Spring (a perennial spring of 
excellent water and of large volume on the east bank of Jim Crow Creek), 
this flow is much lower than the basalt worked under by tunnels to the 
north-west of Franklingford, and it certainly marks the deepest water¬ 
course that then existed. Further north, extensive mining has been carried 
on under it where the creek has deepened its course, but from the Mill 
Spring to beyond Franklingford the ground below the basalt does not 
appear to have been worked. 
Mount Franklin.. 
This is one of the best examples of an old crater in the State. It is 
5 miles due north of Daylesford, and the bottom of the crater is about 
2,150 feet above sea-level. The crater is surrounded by a very regular 
circular rim, with a gap on the south-east side. On the north-west side 
