27 
6 in., but pinching north and south to small quartz tracks on the footwad. 
In length this large quartz reef is over 50 feet, and prospects of about 2 dwt. 
of gold per ton could be obtained throughout. The south drive is 68 feet in 
length, with a 5-ft. cross-cut west exposing the graphitic vein in the face. As 
the transverse section (Fig. 12.) shows, the intersection of the black slate 
series and the main reef formation has not been passed through ; but since the 
series is of the indicator class, this intersection should be well prospected. 
This could be done by sinking about 30 feet and driving north and south. 
The reef is on the Queen’s Birthday line ; the black slate series is in itself 
promising, and is situated near the source of the alluvial gold in Nuggety Gully 
a little to the south. Further work is consequently fully warranted. 
[16.9.12.] 
AURIFEROUS AREAS NEAR TALBOT. 
By H. S. Whitelaw, Field Geologist. 
I have inspected certain auriferous areas near Talbot where, in the opinion 
of the members of the Talbot Prospecting and Progressive Association, there 
are indications which give good ground for the belief that deeper quartz 
mining will prove successful. The localities visited were the Southern Cross, 
Blue her’s, and Sarah Bernhardt reefs to the north of the township, the 
Tunnel reef to the west, and Granite Hill to the south-west. 
The Southern Cross and Blucher’s Reefs. 
These reefs, the prospected portions of which lie between 2 and 3 miles 
north from the township, are parallel, less than 100 feet apart, and at the 
surface strike about N. 12° W., and dip about 70° westerly with the country. 
Mr. Ross, a farmer and miner who lives near by, and Mr. Allen, proprietor 
of the Talbot Leader, stated that the reefs have been worked with payable 
results to an average depth of about 50 feet for a length of about half-a-mile 
north from the Talbot-Maryborough road, near where it crosses Back Creek. 
The deepest shaft here (the Southern Cross, on the northern end of the work¬ 
ings) is, according to Mr. Ross, about 200 feet deep. From it the reefs were 
remuneratively worked by the original holders to water-level at 116 feet. 
At about this depth Blucher’s reef is 78 feet east of the shaft. The mine, it 
is said, was paying its way below water-level, when an employe named Boyd 
was accidentally killed in the workings. During the inquiry into the cause 
of his death operations ceased. They were not resumed until Ross and 
party re-opened the mine and took several crushings, which yielded 4 oz. 
of gold to the ton, from the 200-ft. level. This average was not long main¬ 
tained. The battery having been removed from the locality, the mine was 
again closed, and has remained so ever since. Northward from this mine is 
the Madame Patti shaft, from which, Mr. Ross states, four men in six weeks 
won gold which sold for £3,200. 
.Sarah Bernhardt (John Bull) Reef. 
A few chains east of Blucher’s line is the Sarah Bernhardt or John Bull 
reef, which has been worked over about the same length as Blucher’s. Accord¬ 
ing to Mr. Thomas, who worked on the reef, the richest yields came from a 
depth of 40 feet, and he considers the length of the workings to be the length 
of a horizontal shoot, which was richer in places where flat makes or spurs 
branched westward from the main reef. Mr. Ross states that the shoots of 
payable quartz were vertical. Mr. Allen, whose calling necessitated his 
