9 
tlie stratification, the true mineral character of the rock, and the system of joints. At the further end is a 
lode of graphite about 8ins. wide ; it is the laminated variety, but at this part of the lode of poor quality. 
It is largely mixed with peroxide of iron so as to give a brownish streak under the microscope ; this is seen 
to contain only a small proportion of graphite particles. 
Springhill. —The road between Deane’s and Springhill, about six miles, passes over the anticlinal and 
synclinal folds of a very fissile slates. The low outcrops bristle like spikes on all sides, difficult and 
dangerous for travellers and of most peculiar appearance. The road also passes along the eastern base of a 
range 400ft. above the plain. The sides of this ridge are exceedingly steep and covered with loose stones. 
Half way between the township of Burrundie and Springhill there is a conspicuous outcrop of rock in pale 
green flags weathering into yellow and red. It is remarkably hard, fine grained, and of a paler green than 
the diorite of the country, and finely crystal line. This whinstone dyke is stated to be traceable for over 
forty miles of country, or beyond the Adelaide. It may be described provisionally as a hornblende porphyry. 
At Snadden’s creek there is an engine and battery of stamps, with buddies, &c., and altogether a 
complete and very excellent crushing plant. The road from this proceeds westward, and soon ascends the 
range by a steep path ; the mine is on the very summit, 400ft. above the plain. Close by the shaft B 300ft., 
there is a timber shoot of 400ft. giving a fall of 276ft. for carrying the ore into the valley. The quartz is 
ferruginous and so are the strata, mottled red and purplish brown, variegated in almost every pattern and 
color, especially in the joints and stratification lines. The natural color of these slates, however, is a 
beautiful glossy black, and this is found at moderate depths and a short distance from the lodes. These 
details are mentioned so that the real nature of the formation may be understood. When not weathered or 
decomposed it is a fine-grained black slate of excellent quality; it is jointed in five or six systems, lines cross¬ 
ing generally at acute angles ; the stratification is always traceable. The lode has been followed for about 
300ft. hor the first 200ft. there was little difficulty, but then the country became confused and full of faults 
with much mullock (hydrated iron oxides principally) for 30ft., then another body of stone like the surface 
was found, only it was faulted 100ft. to the northwards. This stone gradually thinned and ran out at 250ft.; 
then the country became confused again for 25ft., at which depth another body of stone was found, but 
again 70ft. or 80ft to the northwards. 'They sunk on this for 25ft. and it was 4ft. thick when the work was 
discontinued. The stone then averaged about 12dwts. of gold to the ton. About 8,000ozs. of gold were 
taken from this claim. The gold was very fine and worth about £3 17s. 3d. The gullies around have been 
worked for alluvial gold, where it has a character quite different from the reefs, having been generally 
found m coarse grains. The range is full of quartz reefs and leaders, none of which have been properly 
tested at all. 1 r 1 
I he Clifton mine is a claim close by the Springhill. It has been worked for some short time, and some 
600ozs. ot gold were got out, but the stone was not rich enough to pay wages and expenses in the Northern 
lerntoi) . It is a remarkable fact connected with the Springhill mine, though not an exceptional one, that 
whenevei good gold was reached, the strata on each side of the lode were much disturbed, and unless where 
the strata and joints were disturbed, gold was not found. 
Nwar/f/m s Creek.— Snadden’s creek mine lies a little east of south of Mount Wells, say ten or twelve miles, 
in r ° • t( i lt: ’ yhich is very circuitous, runs by succession of low stony ridges with curious drainage 
hollows in the soil; that is to say that, in places where there is no regular drainage valley, the rain causes pits 
wi .! fT' S JT .h form water holes or the heads of gullies. Outcrops of quartz are met with continually. 
\\ heie ic alluvial has been worked the creek flows across the edges of the strata, which form continual 
natural barriers of hard blue quartz rock, with much white quartz and crystals of felspar. The stream tin 
has been cau ght by these barriers and lies in deep depressions on the upper side. The ore is a coarse tin 
sane wi 1 l.igments of beautiful wood tin about an inch or so in diameter; most of tills was taken out in the 
rainy season, and with, it is said, some small quantity of gold, but as the miners employed were Chinese, it 
'was s o en. ihe amount of tin got out from this portion of the mine was sufficient to pay expenses, but 
there is still a good deal of tin sand visible in the wash. The mine could only be worked in the rainy 
season as there does not appear to be any favorable site for the storage of water. From the size of the 
traginen s it is evident that the tin ore in the creek came from veins at no great distance, and must be 
erive. rom. t le quartz lodes at each side, which are in the highest degree worthy of further exploration, 
any inc i cm ions and leaders have been found. The only lode which has been at all explored is one on the 
sumnn o a ow range about a mile from the camp. The ground has been uncovered for a few yards on 
ic cap 0 ie lode. This is a quartz lode lying almost horizontally with excellent specimens of tin on the 
sm ace. n ications of nickel ore have been spoken of as occurring in this locality, but the local manager 
was no g o find the precise spot from which the specimens were taken. They were said to be much 
like the light green Gamierite of Noumea, New Caledonia. 
'1 , woof ree '' hi proceeding northwards from Burrundie to Yam creek, which is distant about twelve 
J? c •' man y low but wide ranges of diorite were crossed; the stone is coarsely crystalline, and much 
• ° nlloll v C £ rac * er as diosites of Queensland, notably those about the Gympie diggings. The color 
I s ration r f 1 aar k green, and decomposes into a chocolate soil of excellent quality. No more favorable 
1UC nrrl tins v a *^ lne ral country could be had than this outcrop of rock. Some few geologists are inclined to 
lock as similar to granite, and that it will be found at great depths at the same width or wider 
. l ‘J n -I U1S 0T1 the surface. It is more probable that it is a rock of volcanic character, and that when it 
J? ? U ,i; nr *J Crm ® Wl , areas ground it has overspread them much as lavas do at the present day: if so, 
t lose 1 ic areas may cover many valuable and extensive mineral deposits. Apart from its mineral indi¬ 
cations, ie soil is excellent, and the occurrence of the rock may be known by the farms that are always 
taken ou upon it. lam creek is an extensive mineral or gold-bearing area, including the Margaret, 
btuai s, ement, N eate s, and many other creeks and gullies too numerous to mention. The description of 
a fe^ ma), lowever, be given. Since silver has taken such an important position in the mineral products of 
the colonies many reefs and rocks which were passed by with contempt because they did not contain gold 
arc now reprospected with much interest. Thus, an outcrop of dark haematite at Grove Hill, which forms a 
conspicuous rock mass, has been taken up as a silver lode by Messrs. Wilson k Cruikshank, and now has 
been jumped as a gold mine. The mineral lode is a remarkable one, and eventually will reward its workers 
m one way 01 another. At present the only show is haematite and carbonate of copper, the latter pre¬ 
vailing; but tbe sinking is only down 40ft. Here water was reached, but this is merely local; the main 
water level of this country is probably much deeper. It is stated that some of the stone from this capping 
produced upon assay as much as 800ozs. to the ton. There are many other outcrops of ironstone visible 
along the ranges here, which look much like heaps of furnace clinker. No doubt they indicate mineral 
deposits, probably silver, copper, and some gold. They go by the name of “ ironstone blows.” The word 
blow 
B—No. 122. 
