8 
extraordinary accounts of its richness which have reached the other colonies from time to time. It has been 
called the Mount BiseliofF of Australia; but there is no resemblance between the two mines. The Mount 
Biscliofl' is an exceptional deposit of tin ore, not conforming to previous experience in tin mining; Mount 
Wells, on the contrary, is a tin mine of the usual character, very much resembling the tin mines of Cornwall, 
both in the country and in the occurrence of ore in the veins. But the tin itsclfis of excellent quality, sur¬ 
passing anything ever found in Europe or anywhere, except in Australia. The mine is situated in the best 
part of the mineral country of the Northern Territory, between Yam creek and the McKinlay river. The 
whole country between these two points is one large network of quartz reefs, porphyry dykes, and dioritic 
eruptions. Mount Wells is the culminating point of the ranges, or the highest summit. It is about 600ft. 
above the plain, and, say, 95Oft. above the sea level. It consists of stratified quartzose slates, with a little 
—very little—mica, not differing much from the rest of the country hereabouts. 
But the surprising thing about Mount Wells is the number of tin, and I should say copper, lodes with 
which it is injected, .and all within a comparatively small area. No doubt many of these are mere leaders, 
and will he found to join the main lodes ; but their number is considerable, and they all contain some tin ore. 
There are two main lodes from which the ore is being taken, and on them a shaft has been sunk and an adit 
driven below for 100ft. These are only a short distance from the battery. By means of a tramway and an 
endless wire the crushing stuff can he easily and cheaply brought down, and this work is about to be com¬ 
menced forthwith. A dam has been constructed close to the engine-house, on a creek which comes from a 
gully on the side of the mountain. Thus a considerable quantity of water has been stored, but, possibly, 
net equal to the requirements of the place. But another dam is in course of erection higher up the creek, 
which will give a very large storage of water. The machinery erected is of a very complete and first-class 
description, with a sufficient battery, elaborate contrivances for separating the iron ore, of which there is a 
good deal, and dealing with the tin slime. This is also in working order; but at present nothing can be done 
for want of water, and this must continue until the rainy season sets in. 
In a tunnel driven into the hill on the side of the creek, to catch another lode, there is a small 
copper lode ; hut all the sides of this adit have been covered with infiltrations of copper sulphate from the 
joints of the rock, showing that there must be an extensive vein, or a scries of veins, of copper at no great 
distance. There have been some hitches in the management of this mine, which have led to much delay and 
expense, and kept the work from giving returns to the shareholders, as it ought reasonably to have been doing 
by this time. Whatever may be the causes, it is not the fault of the mine. That is good enough if skilfully 
and economically managed. In character the ore is like that of the Iierberton mines, in Queensland. The 
appearance of some of the stone is very good. Taking them all round, the ores may not yield a high per¬ 
centage, but then there is a large quantity, and easily accessible. When the railway is opened the Mount 
Wells mine ought to pay good dividends. 
McKinlay, Mines .—These mines occur on a range lying about a mile and a half south by west of Burrundie. 
It is one of the series of detached north and south ridges which cover, in parallel lines, much of the country 
between the coast and the tableland in the Northern Territory. It is exceedingly steep, very stony, with an 
uneven outline, rounded into a series of camel-hump elevations. The bed rock crops out in irregular 
angular fragments, slaty in structure, but not finely fissile. The rock is crystalline, showing mica in. 
minute crystals and quartz in a very hard felspathic paste. In spite of the marked crystalline structure, there 
are distinct marks of stratification, the strike corresponding with the range, and the dip varying in incli¬ 
nation and direction. Besides the stratification there is a series of joints, five or six in number; two are almost 
perpendicular to the plane of stratification, one almost parallel with it, and the rest inclined at various angles 
so as to break the rock into wedge-shaped masses. The color of the rock, where not weathered, is dark blue- 
black, but where the influence of water and carbonaceous matter has affected it on the surface, it is stained 
in various shades of red and brown. There are two parallel ridges on this range, the eastern one a third 
lower, say 400ft. above the plain, and the higher about 600ft., or 1,150ft. and 1,350ft. respectively above 
the sea-level. These ridges command a good view of the surrounding country. Mount Wells bearing north 
ten degrees east four miles, with a remarkable conical bill named Piccaninny Mount Wells on the western 
slope. On both the ridges there are conspicuous outcrops of quartz and ironstone near the summit which, 
running parallel with the range, show the lines of the lodes. 
At the summit of the eastern or lower ridge a few shafts have been sunk, and clearings made on the 
cap of the lodes, lliese workings have been made by the Mount Wells (Northern Territory) Tin Mining 
Company, Limited, who are at present under suspension from working by Government, as I am informed. 
The company is represented on the ground by Mr. Deane. The mine is commonly known as No. 1 
company. The first shaft one meets with is called No. 3. It has been sunk on the ‘lode for 30ft., and, 
then a drive made *for 35ft. This has uncovered the lode about 2ft. wide, with very clean cut parallel walls 
and a slight northerly dip. Several other leaders were uncovered at the same time, not all tin-bearing. The 
main lode shows exceedingly well. The tin is in fine crystals in quartz, or disseminated in chlorite of 
massive character, and little or no iron. Some of the leaders uncovered in this shaft were of mica slate, 
with aggregations of plumose green mica, probably muscovite. There was also, at No. 3 shaft, hard 
casing to the lode composed of a pink and green granite of very pretty appearance. The felspar was orange 
pink orthoclase, and the mica a yellowish green, quartz scanty. The fact of this granite near the lodes is 
significant, and seems to indicate that a more complete state of metamorphism would convert the whole of 
the stratified slates into granite. No. 2 shaft, a little further up the hill, is on ;i different lode. It has been 
followed for about 60ft., getting good ore right through. Mr. Deane states that picked ore sent to England 
produces oyer 50 per cent, of tin of the finest quality. The ore is in chlorite and quartz, but not so much 
chlorite as in the No. 3 shaft, and more of quartz. On the ridge of this hill there are many quartz reefs 
cropping out, indicating lodes. No. 1 shaft has been sunk for 70ft. on a 3ft. lode with a casing of pink 
felspar and mica with chlorite. The stone on the ore heap shows very good tin of high percentage. There 
are also faint traces of copper in this lode. A peculiar white friable stone on the foot and hanging wall may 
be found to contain other minerals. 
In the gullies leading from these hills prospecting for stream tin has led to good results. There must 
he a considerable amount of detritus from the reefs, which has collected in the course of ages from the 
weathering of such steep mountain slopes. A large amount of good ore remains untouched in these localities. 
At the south-west base of the range whereon the shafts have been sunk, a drive has been made for 100ft. 
into the hill to catch the lodes above mentioned. This gives a very interesting section, revealing many 
leaders and some lodes not seen above. It is from this section also that a correct idea may be obtained of 
the 
