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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at http : //books . google . com/ o£ffY Op J2 *^S " Hafoft v** 3ff fpMJJT an* t jtxjhdbLtnv of SumnverJull Qvek Creek, Sea/ SECTION OF CREEK t^jjto+f. AUSTRALIA AS IT IS ITS SETTLEMENTS, FARMS, GOLD FIELDS. BY if LANCELOTT, ESQ. MINERALOGICAL SUKTEYOE IN THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: COLBUEN AND CO., PUBLISHERS, GEEAT MAELBOEOUGH STREET. 1852. 2DU Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street. Thtcp CONTENTS THE SECOND VOLUME. CHAPTER I. Page Bell's Point—The diggings in general—The yield of gold—Range of gold-fields 1 CHAPTER II. Geology of the gold-fields—Situation of deposits in both hemispheres 11 CHAPTER III. Mode of working for gold—The cradle—Methods of assay 28 IV CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. Page Colony of Victoria — Geelong — Aspect of the country—Melbourne—Character of the popu­ lation—Bush-fires—Religious denominations— Revenue 46 CHAPTER V. Melbourne—Demoralized condition of the citizens —Australian pic-nics—Fashions and dress— Dwellings—Meat, vegetables and fruit—Sup• plies—Commerce—Manners and habits of the people 71 CHAPTER VI. The gold-fields of Victoria—Description of the diggings—Drought—Rates of wages and prices 119 CHAPTER VII. Qualifications required in a settler — Advice to emigrants—Requisites for the voyage . 144 CHAPTER VIII. Colony of South Australia—Discoveries of Captain Sturt and Barker—The mountain ranges—Cha­ racter of the formations—Rivers, lakes, and creeks 165 CONTENTS. V p»ge CHAPTER IX. Page | Adelaide—The aborigines—The port—The coun- ! ties of South Australia 194 CHAPTER X. Geology and Mineralogy 258 CHAPTER XI. Capabilities of the soil—The Burra-Burra mine— The mines in general 292 VOL. II. b AUSTRALIA AS IT IS. CHAPTER I. Bell's Point—The diggings in general—The yield of gold—Range of gold-fields. HAVING briefly detailed the discovery and progress of the New South Wales gold-fields, we will now glance at the chief localities where, up to the present time, gold has been discovered in sufficient quantities to pay for working. Bell's Point.—These diggings are on the river Bell and some of its tributary creeks. The river itself borders the western portion of VOL. II. B AUSTRALIA AS IT IS. CHAPTER I. Bell's Point—The diggings in general—The yield of gold—Range of gold-fields. HAVING briefly detailed the discovery and progress of the New South Wales gold-fields, we will now glance at the chief localities where, up to the present time, gold has been discovered in sufficient quantities to pay for working. Bell's Point.—These diggings are on the river Bell and some of its tributary creeks. The river itself borders the western portion of VOL. II. B 2 AUSTRALIA the county of Wellington, and falls into the Macquarie in Wellington valley. In November, 1851, there were about 300 persons at these mines. All who laboured were doing well, and somfe were realizing fortunes. Braidwood. — These diggings are in the county of St. Vincent, 16 miles from the town of Braidwood. Arabian Creek, a tributary of the Duah and the Bronlee Mounyas, is the chief seat of the mines, although gold has also been found in considerable quantities on the Little river, at Major's Creek and Bell's Creek, and small nuggets have been found at Mount Ebrington, six miles from Araluen. The gold is nuggetty, and often found in the schist rocks. The deposits are irregular in quantity, but all who work the cradle get more or less. Bungonia, or Shoalhaven.—These gold mines are in the vicinity of the Shoalhaven river, in Argyle county, about 125 miles from Sydney. Carraway Flat and Black Swamp are quietly worked but productive mines, in the vicinity of Lake George, in Murray county. AS IT IS. 3 Hanging Rock.—These diggings are pro­ gressing on a small creek below the precipitous part of the Liverpool range, known as the Hanging Rock. This creek flows into Dun- gowan Creek, a tributary of the Peel. Several other streams that flow into the Peel in this neighbourhood have lately been examined, and found to be auriferous. Louisa Creek, 30 miles from Mudgee, is situate on a flat table-land, somewhat marshy, and abounding in quartz boulders and pebbles, The auriferous soil is nuggetty, and but 9 inches beneath the surface. Major's Creek are productive diggings, in the; vicinity of the Shoalhaven river. Many of the miners are reported to procure from 2 to 3 oz. of gold a day per man. Maneero.—These new diggings are on the Snowey river, and some of its tributaries. They promise to be highly remunerative. Meroo, or World's End.—These diggings are on the Meroo Creek, 18 miles southward of Mudgee. The gold is found in an alluvial B 2 4 AUSTRALIA deposit, from 4 to 6 inches thick, lying upon a bed of yellow greasy clay. In and below the clay no gold occurs. The gold of the table-land through which the Meroo flows, instead of being in scales, like the Turon gold, or in water-worn nuggets, like that of Ophir, is in nuggets of all sizes, from 4 oz. to a pin's- head, with exactly the appearance of gold broken carefully out of the quartz. The diggers have been earning on the average 305. a day per man. Mookerra.—This auriferous creek is a tribu­ tary of the Macquarie, in Wellington county. Although productive, it is frequently so dry that the diggers have to cart the earth several miles in order to obtain water to wash out the gold. Moruya.—These diggings are on the banks of a river of the same name, which extends along the western boundary of St. Vincent's county. They are situate about 20 miles from Bateman's Bay, and 100 from Sydney, Oakey Creek.—A stream in the Liverpool AS IT IS. 5 Plains' district, whose banks are so highly auri­ ferous, that a man in six days found 8 oz. of gold in seme of the miners' refuse earth. Ophir includes the Summer Hill Creek, Lewis Ponds, and Frederick's Valley diggings in the county of Bathurst, and excepting those of the Turon, are the richest gold-fields in the colony. In Frederick's Valley lies Mr. Wentworth's estate of 6000 acres, all believed to be rich in gold. The land around is well watered, and exceedingly fertile. Basaltic rock is abundant, and, in many places, the soil is a mixture of red clay and quartz. The roads here may truly be said to be paved with gold, as the rocks with which they are metalled are auriferous.

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