242 
Locality No. 2. 
At a point about 20 chains further south, at a lower altitude than the 
main beds, similar ligneous clays, containing leaf fossils, were examined in 
section, where a steep fern gully has exposed them below the basalt, as in 
sketch section—Fig. 1. 
SKETCH SECTION 
NOT TO SCALE 
Fiff. I. 
The beds are nearly flat, only dipping slightly N.E. into the hill, and 
are directly below the gravel and wash. The basalt is on the ridge above, 
while below the ligneous beds are the Lower Carboniferous sandstones. 
I consider these lignites and leaf beds to be similar to the sub-basaltic 
lignites and ligneous clays of the Dargo High Plains, &c., and probablv of 
Eocene age. The ligneous clays and leaf-beds may occur over a large area 
undfer the basalt, as already they have been noted in three localities, two 
in Facey’s allotment and a third in P. Egan’s allotment No. 50A, parish of 
Dueran East, a little further south, under the same basaltic area; but the 
purer lignite would probably only occur occasionally in layers or seams in 
the ligneous clays, and, therefore, not be of great extent. 
In a report on this occurrence of lignite in Facey’s allotment, published 
in Prog. Rept. Geol. Surv., Viet., No. IX. (1898), p. 45, Mr. James Stir¬ 
ling, formerly Government Geologist, says:—“A cursory examination was 
sufficient to disclose the nature and age of the deposit, as consisting of 
several small layers of dark-coloured lignite. . . .” Later on he 
states: “ This lignite deposit is of no commercial value whatever.” 
The recent analysis (No. 355), made at the Mines Department Labora¬ 
tory, was of clean lignite, and is as follows: — 
% 
Moisture ... ... ... ... 23.5 5 
Volatile hydro-carbons ... ... ... 20.32 
Fixed carbon ... ... ... ... 38-58 
Ash ... ... ... ... ... X7.55 
100.00 
Pyrites assayed apart. 
I have obtained specimens of fossil leaves, and a fresh sample of the 
lignite for further analysis, if required. On the whole, I consider that 
at the present time these lignite deposits are of no commercial value. I may 
