32 
slaty country that carries a little gold is about 5 feet. The pitch of the 
country is slightly to the southward. The total length of the cross-cut to 
the east is 150 feet at this level. 
At the 1,236-ft. level the cross-cut west is 355 feet long. The “main 
back ” or fault is 80 feet from the shaft, with spurs further west. Centre 
country occurs at 343 feet from the shaft. 
When sinking at 520 feet from the surface, a thin flat spur, about an 
inch thick, was cut, and from the stone obtained over the floor of the shaft 
and amounting to about 2 tons of quartz, 210 ozs. of gold was obtained, 
so Mr. Veale informed me. The gold from this mine is worth ^4 is. 3d. 
per oz. At present about 2bo tons of quartz per fortnight is being 
crushed, yielding between 3 and 4 dwts. per ton. Four dwts. of gold per 
ton would pay well, as the battery is at the mine. 
This mine has two separate directions in which to carry on exploratory 
work—in spurry country and at centre country. The spurry country has 
been a feature on this Chewton line of reefs, and for over 6 miles at 
intervals such country has been worked on the east side of the anticline or 
centre country, and a great deal of gold has been won from these eastern 
spurs. As there are many intervals along the line where no mining has 
been done, there is room for considerable prospecting for these spurs. 
Rowe Bros. 5 wonderfully rich mine at Fryerstown was on the eastern spurs 
of this same Chewton line. 
It is a remarkable feature that auriferous spurs so frequently occur 
in eastern country at varying distances to the east of the anticlines and at 
varying horizons in the strata. It would be of great value to mining if the 
relative stratigraphical position of the zones in which profitable spurs have 
been worked could be determined. Then the relations of auriferous spurs 
to the anticlines and synclines require to be determined. 
Bendigo- affords the field best suited for working this matter out, but 
even the Chewton line of anticlines would afford some useful information 
if the pitch along its course were laid down and the relative positions 
ot the extensive workings on eastern spurs were set out. Such a work 
might explain why there are such gaps between the workings on these spurs 
and why the workings have been carried on where they now exist. 
Quite distinct from the field for prospecting afforded by the spurry 
country is that presented by the anticline itself and the Chewton anticline 
offers particular inducements for prospecting as the country is favourable 
and where the centre country has been opened up auriferous saddle reefs 
have been disclosed and worked. In the Francis Ormond mine centre 
country has only been cut at the 1,236-ft. level, and owing to the pitch 
northward of the beds this appears to be about on the top of the zone 
that should be productive in gold. This bottom cross-cut to- centre country 
which lies 343 feet west of the shaft is well suited for a centre country bore, 
and I would recommend that a bore should be put down to a depth of, 
say, 1,000 feet or as far as the drill could be kept in centre country. This 
is the best means offering for proving the value of the mine at a small cost. 
If the drill cuts auriferous reefs, arrangements can be made to work them; 
p it does not cut any reefs to a depth of, say, 1,000 feet, which however 
is very unlikely, then the mine-owners will know that the problem before 
them is either to sink through so much blank country or else to use all 
their energies in prospecting for payable spurs. 
Mr. Veale, the manager, gave me every help and all the information 
I desired. 
[■Report sent in io.g.o6.~\ 
