243 
add, however, that kaolin (pipeclay), a sample of which I collected, occurs 
under the basalt in several local ties, and should it prove of good quality 
and of sufficient extent there might, in the future, be a possibility of 
utilizing the lignite in the baking of pottery, as has been successfully done 
in Devonshire, England, where lignite of bad quality for other economical 
uses, containing iron pyrites, has been so used. 
[Report sent in 8th August, 1904.] 
REPORT ON WILKINSON AND PHELAN’S ALLUVIAL GOLD 
MINE, WHITFIELD SOUTH, COUNTY OF DELATITE, 
WITH PLANS AND SECTION (PLATE XXVI.). 
By A. M . Howitt. 
The alluvial mine of Messrs. Wilkinson and Phelan is situated on the 
southern side of a small creek, which runs into the Fifteen Mile Creek, 
on the. Toombullup plateau, between Mansfield and Whitfield. It has been 
reported upon previously by Messrs. W. H. Ferguson, E. H. Goodenough 
and H. Davidson in connexion with applications under the Mining De¬ 
velopment Act. These reports were made when Murray Brothers held the 
ground, and they received ,£200 to develop the mine by means of adits. 
Geology. 
A very dense basalt of Older Volcanic (Eocene ?) age caps the hill, cover¬ 
ing sub-basaltic sands, clays and gravels, which rest on a bedrock of 
quartz-felspar-porphyry and garnetiferous quartz-mica-diorite—[see Fig. 2]. 
A good depth of surface soil covers the rocks all over the locality. 
Workings. 
On the northern s.ide of the gully some old shallow alluvial workings 
can be seen, and on the southern side a great amount of work has 
been done, including several adits driven in a southerly direction to catch 
the auriferous wash, as it dips under the basalt. Little success, however, 
has attended any of the past work, which has nearly all been done by 
Messrs. Murray Brothers, the late prospectors of the ground. In this 
report the adits are numbered 1 to 5, in a direction from east to west. 
Adits, Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are only partly accessible at present, and were 
abandoned after being d’riven about 50 feet, and meeting auriferous wash 
dipping into the hill in each case, so I was informed. 
Adit No. 4 (see Plate XXVI.) was driven about 160 feet by Messrs. 
Murray Brothers, partly with assistance under the Mining Development 
Act. It passed through sands and clays into porphyry. In the face at 
the time of inspection the wash was of water-worn quartz, quartzite and 
iron-stained pebbles; it dips at an angle of 9 deg. to south into the hill. 
There is about 1 foot to 2 feet of wash, from which a good prospect of 
water-worn and flat gold was washed in my presence. A prospect also 
from the headings showed a fair prospect of finer gold. The bedrock 
porphvry is fairly hard. There is a very sfrong inflow of water, which 
may indicate that the deep channel is not far below the level of this adit. 
"Adit No. 5 (see plan, Plate XXVI.).—This is the main low'er adit, and 
starts about 30 feet below, 100 feet north of, and a little to the east of 
adit No. 4. The driving was through clay, sands and porphyry, being 
verv hard in the later portion of the adit. At about 80 feet in there was 
an "inflow of water, which may indicate a narrow alluvial channel, or a 
