53 
and obliquely jointed, some of the joints being filled with impure pasty silica 
from which, so Mr. Wilson, of Berwick, informed me, a little gold had been 
obtained. In the quarry near Berwick, referred to more particularly later 
on, the Silurian rocks form the base of the hill and are overlain by 
sedimentary beds and basalt. In the entrance to the quarry the rocks 
are greenish and bluish-grey soft claystones, greatly jointed, fairly fissile, and 
dipping from S.E. to S. 60° E. at from 35° to 65°. The hill on which 
Berwick is situated is also Silurian, with a strip of basalt on part of it. On 
the Beaconsfield slope the Silurians extend down to the Cardinia Creek flats, 
and just below the bridge on the Sale road are outcropping on the north¬ 
western side of the creek, and in the stream. They are brownish-grey 
mudstones, much jointed, dipping N. 70° W. at from 10° to 15°, and are thin- 
bedded with ferruginous bands between the beds. This strip of Silurian 
extends southwards through allotments 17, 27, 29, B, 30, 31a, and 31b, 
parish of Berwick. Most of it is seen on the eastern slope of the ridge, but 
in allotment 29 it occupies the crown. On the Narre Warren-Cranbour ne 
road, between allotments 24 and 25, parish of Berwick, yellow and white 
claystones are also seen outcropping in the cuttings on the lowest portion 
of the ridge. They probably extend along the flank of the ridge for some 
distance on both sides, and are covered with coarse gravels and siliceous 
grits of Cainozoic age. 
On the south of the Great Southern railway there occurs an area of 
Silurian, forming undulating country covered with a fairly thick forest of 
manna gum, wattle, prickly box, and various shrubs. The greater part 
of it is still virgin bush, though here and there orchards exist. The soil 
is particularly suitable for the growth of certain fruit trees requiring a 
rather stiff soil and clayey subsoil. Outcrops of rocks are rare, and, almost 
without exception, are seen in small road cuttings or quarries. The best 
exposures noticed are in two quarries near the road between allotments 
33 and 34, parish of Sherwood. The rocks are yellow and white, thin- 
bedded, finely sandy and pure claystones, and hard, fine, grey siliceous 
sandstone with pyrites. They dip N.W. at from 76° to 80°. Thin veins 
of quartz obliquely traverse the strata. Another exposure in a road cutting 
about midway between allotments 3 and 27, parish of Langwarrin, shows 
yellow claystones dipping N.W. at 55°. 
The exceptions previously referred to are small inliers found between 
Berwick and Cranbourne. One occurs in the N.W. corner of allotment 
45, parish of Cranbourne, and probably extends across the Berwick-Glyde 
road, on a continuation of the same ridge. This small inlier has been noted 
by Dr. Selwyn. The rocks here are pink and yellow soft claystones with 
rather numerous argillaceous concretions about the size and shape of 
loquats. Some of them are hollow. The rocks are greatly jointed at about 
right angles to the cleavage planes, and they dip N. 70° W. at about 34°. 
The place has been quarried to a considerable extent, but the rock does not 
make good road material, being broken up too rapidly. The extension west¬ 
ward of this ridge has pisolite only noticeable on the surface, and, as this is 
found on basalt and Cainozoic grits areas as well as on Silurian, a definite 
determination cannot be arrived at without the aid of an artificial or a 
natural section. The inlier is almost entirely bounded by Eocene ? clays 
and gravels. Pleistocene alluvium completes the cordon. The other 
inlier occurs in the south-western portion of allotment 24, parish of 
Cranbourne, and near that township. The rocks are yellow, white and 
red claystones, and fine siliceous sandstone, dipping about N. 70° W. at 
from 20° to 24°. They are not at all folded or much indurated. Thin veins 
