90 
!THE GEOLOGY OE KELSO#. 
While the less extensive, but generally richer river-diggings 
afford better prospect of gain to the individual digger, the dry 
diggings in the conglomerate will afford remunerative returns 
to associations of individuals who will work with a combina¬ 
tion of labour and capital. The intelligent and energetic gold- 
digger, Mr. Washbourn, is the first person who has proved the 
value of the dry diggings in the Quartz Ranges, and has 
demonstrated the fact that gold exists in remunerative quan¬ 
tities in the conglomerate. I am indebted to Mr. Washbourn 
for the following interesting details. He writes to me as 
follows :—“ In the drives into the conglomerate of the quartz 
ranges, the average thickness of dirt washed is about two feet 
from the base rock ; and the gold produced from one cubic 
yard of such earth would be, as nearly as I can calculate, worth 
from twenty-five to thirty shillings. This includes large 
boulders; so that a cubic yard of earth, as it goes through the 
sluice, is of course worth more, as the boulders form a larrm 
proportion of the whole. Where the earth is washed from the 
surface to the rock, the value per cubic yard is much less—not 
worth more, perhaps, than from three shillings to sis shillings 
per yard, and it would generally pay very well at that.” 
With this data, the following calculation may be made. W r e 
will reckon the superficial extent of the Aorere and Parapara 
gold-fields at thirty English square miles; the average thickness 
of the gold-bearing conglomerate, at a very low rate, at one 
yard; and the value of gold in one cubic yard at five shillings. 
'Upon this data, the value of the Aorere gold-field is 
£22,500,000, or £750,000 for one square mile. 
I am not a practical gold-digger myself, but I will leave it to 
those who are more versed in that pursuit to contrive the 
means by which this wealth may be best extracted from the 
soil. Considering that Mr. Washbourn was able to pay his 
men wages from ten to twelve shillings a day, and still to make a 
considerable profit, the richness of the deposit of gold in the 
conglomerate is elearly proved. 
You may allow me to add, from inquiries I made on the spot, 
the number of diggers working on the Aorere and Parapara dig¬ 
gings is not more than about two hundred and fifty. Although 
tbe diggers cannot be at work continually, a large portion of 
time being occupied in bringing their provisions across a 
