] 60 
to test the reef on its southern extension by sinking another shaft, consider¬ 
able difficulties will occur owing to the steepness of the valley slopes, and 
this, coupled with the want of anything like a payable shoot of gold, 
renders the undertaking extremely speculative. 
[Report sent in 14.8.06.'] 
THE COPPER LODE, MT. CAMEL, NEAR HEATHCOTE. 
By E. J. Dunn , F.G.S., Director , Geological Survey. 
This newly-opened lode is situate about 12 miles north of Heathcote 
and about 1 mile W. 20 deg. N. from the Mt. Camel Homestead. It is, 
by aneroid measurement, 800 feet above sea-level. At this site, and for a 
considerable distance around, the country rock belongs to the remarkable 
Heathcotian system. 
The lode is at the east foot of the Mt. Camel range, two or three 
hundred feet below the crests of the ridge. At the lode the rock is difficult 
to determine, but it appears to be a highly altered igneous species stained 
with oxides of iron and manganese. At the surface there was nothing to 
indicate that rich 1 copper ores existed within a foot or so below the 
surface. 
On breaking into the friable cap, even for a few inches, stains of blue 
and green carbonates are very distinct. 
The lode was first discovered about twenty years ago when a fence was 
erected, and in sinking a post-hole, stones were thrown out with the 
characteristic blue and green stains. A piece of this stone was kept, but 
nothing more was done until a short time ago when the site was re-located 
and a trench made on the north side of the fence. From this trench, 
which is about 9 feet long and 5 feet deep in the deepest part, rich car¬ 
bonates of copper ore were obtained. At the bottom some red oxide of 
copper and, it is stated, branching films of native copper were found. It 
is remarkable that at so shallow a depth rich ores exist while on the 
undisturbed surface the rocks have been so thoroughly leached as to leave 
no clue to what exists below. Another trench has been cut close to, and on 
the south side of, the fence, and at 2 ft. 6 in. from the surface, I saw 
blue and green carbonates of copper. 2 
The two small trenches prove that the lode is at least 15 feet across, 
but how much wider it is remains to be proved. The strike of the lode 
appears to be about north and south. Parallel to it and 1 chain to the west, 
there are characteristic Heathcotian chertv beds, and about 2 chains further 
west is a very strong quartz lode, 30 or 40 feet thick, that runs southward 
for over a mile. It crosses the highest peak south of the copper trenches 
and it dips west at an angle of about 45 deg. I11 a gully still further 
south, a shaft was sunk many years ago on what is believed to> be the same 
quartz lode, and rich silver assays were obtained from the mineral present 
in the quartz. In about the same line, but over a mile southward (i| miles 
northward from the Junction Hotel) there are old workings where Mr. 
Mitchell, senior, over 30 years ago obtained auriferous quartz which he 
( 1) Samples submitted by the Hon. G. Graham assayed 5 6 per cent, of copper. 
(2) Samples obtained by me for assay gave—gold 8 grs. per ton, copper r.5 per cent., iron 6r.8 per cent. 
