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quartz crystals in the stone, and the bunches of mica, which edgeways look like large black crystals, and on 
the planes of cleavage like plates of silver. Then the slates at each side are composed of coarse glittering 
black mica scales all combining to make a surprising display of light color and variety of forms of crystals. 
This remarkable tin mine was discovered by a miner named G. Barrett, who took it up in partnership with 
another miner. This was about four years ago. From that time little or nothing has been done. 
It is difficult to get people to believe in the stories about Northern Territory mines, still more difficult 
to get capitalists to join in working them. Generally there has been a tendency to exaggerate the first 
discoveries, and the reaction has turned capital away. ‘It can hardly be supposed that the Mount Shoobridge 
district will have its treasures of mineral wealth long unworked. Then much more than merely appears on 
the surface will show that this is a metalliferous country of no ordinary character. 
Bridge Creek .—This is an alluvial diggings on some open flats between low ranges of quartz and diorite 
dykes, about a mile or so south-west and south of Bridge creek (a tributary of the Howlcy). The whole formation 
partakes of the usual character which all the alluvial quartz diggings in the Northern Territory manifest 
with two peculiarities. One is, that the quartzite in the alluvial is often like flint, white on the outside with 
a black core in which there were faint traces of stratification. The second is, that in the alluvial there are 
small boulders of whinstone or the hornblende porphyry, which occurs as a dyke in so many portions of 
the mineral country to the southward. There are also stones of magnesia, carbonate, and many pebbles 
with stains of blue and green carbonates of copper. No doubt there is a copper lode at no great distance. 
One small quartz leader is worked, and in this the stone is crushed by hand. The alluvial extends all along 
the creek. The gold is so fine and scaly that it floats away in the panning. Only about twenty white 
miners are now working (July, 1886), though the gold is by no means worked out, and the alluvial might 
be called rich, but provisions, See., are too dear in the Northern Territory to enable a miner to pay his way. 
There are many Chinese miners, and there will soon be none others. Bridge creek diggings is one of the 
many instances hereabouts of low ranges producing rich alluvial. Probably there is no country in Australia 
where, as a rule, the gold veins are in ridges so little elevated above the plains. 
Fountain Head .—This is a very remarkable mining district or area, about six miles north of the Port 
Darwin camp goldfields. What is remarkable about it is that it is situate in a wide plain, and there is no 
creek or watercourse of any kind, but just a small stony hill of gentle acclivity rising to about 60ft. 
above the plain. All around this hill for half a mile or so, and on its slopes to the summit, the ground has 
been turned over and over, giving rise to a series of gravel mounds. The gravel is small and angular. Not 
the slightest trace of water-wearing can be seen. The fragments are slate like the Union and Sand¬ 
hurst, mixed with much blue quartz. With the exception of the reef the hill is entirely composed of 
these fragments, apparently derived from the reef on the summit. There was a large amount of gold 
found in the alluvial, all worked by Chinese, of whom there were as many as three hundred on the 
ground at one time. The quartz reef on the summit runs N.N.W. and S.S.E. It is about 12ft. wide 
and was worked for gold. Some tons of stone were crushed, but it did not produce more than one ounce to 
the ton, so the lode was abandoned. Yet it is a most remarkable reef, probably containing much valuable 
mineral. Samples have been carefully selected with a view to further analysis. There are two points of 
especial interest in connection with this hill. One is that is not an outcrop of slate, but is nearly entirely 
composed of detritus from the reef. Secondly, this rich alluvial diggings on an open plain gives rise to the 
expectation that many more of these open valley plains will prove to be auriferous. There are plenty of 
such where quartz reefs are known to exist, though they do not crop out, and from all a rich alluvial may 
be expected, lo the south of the lode distant three quarters of a mile there were some leaders or narrow 
quartz veins found. These were worked by Chinese, who carried the stone to Yam creek to the battery, 
distant six miles. It turned out well, but not good enough to pay the enormous expenses of carting, 
crushing, &c. 
Ihe fountain Head diggings arc still worked by a few Chinese who seem to make wages by turning 
over the old gravel. In the rainy season there are always plenty of the same miners, for in the dry months 
there is no surface water, but this would be easily overcome, for at a depth of 20ft. there is abundance. 
The appearance of this field from the top of the hill is very peculiar with its miles of gravel heaps on a wide, 
stony plain. It may yet be an important mining centre. At the Wulwonga diggings, a short distance 
north-cast of h ountain^ Head, there are some flat leaders, yielding in a trial crushing about an ounce of gold 
to the ton. North of Glencoe station, about six miles, there are some likely-looking patches of country ; it is 
close to the granite junction. 
Extended Union .—These gold mines lie about three miles S.E. of Springhill. Between them there is a 
dyke of porphyry of the same character as that already described. It is very hard, and stands up in con¬ 
spicuous flag stones like tombstones, with the edges set iu a N. and S. direction. The range on which the 
mines lie is rugged and broken—that is to say, it is broken into low conical hills about 300ft. above the 
plain, and connected with each other by low saddles. The lower ground is one mass of the usual turned-up 
slates, whose jagged leaves bristle out of the ground like the « quills upon the fretful porcupine.” In the 
midst of this sort of country are the mines. 
First of all, there is a good deal of turned-up ground in the gullies hereabouts, and the nature of the country 
shows that the whole of it might, nay, perhaps will, be in a similar condition, for the gold is not half 
prospected, and it is impossible for such masses of quartz rock not to have had shoots of gold which have 
weathered into the plains below. There are shoots of gold in the hills, too, as yet untouched. It is mere 
chancework finding them. A prospector sees a quartz reef and gives it here and there a few blows with his 
pick or hammer, broni this he pounds a few specimens in a mortar. If no gold is found, henceforth the reef 
has a bad name as hungry quartz, or it may be, as at Pine creek, a good show is found, and though there are 
many barren ones prospecting and working goes on. At the Extended Union a great mass of stone has been 
taken out, and the cap of the lode looks like an empty quarry. It was formerly a tangled mass of leaders, 
going in every direction. These were very rich, giving as much as 80oz. of gold to the ton. By and bye the 
reef was found; of poorer stone, but still good ; very good in any country but this. It was worked—bungled 
and mismanaged—in a way that need not be chronicled here. The first owners sold out, and their successors 
put down a shaft farther out to catch the lode. This was sunk until the money was exhausted, but the reef 
was not reached. Ihen the mine was let on tribute to Chinamen, who are working it now. They have sunk 
a new shaft nearer to the first, but have not caught the lode at 100ft. The property is a good one, and, 
with good management, will yield large returns. 
South of this mine is the Isabel, worked formerly by Messrs. McIntyre and Dalmer. It is a fine reef of stone, 
nowhere less than 6ft. wide, and in some places much more. The owners got from 209 tons of quartz 268oz. 
of 
