QUEENSLAND.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 594, 6 November 1869, Page 4

QUEENSLAND.

THE GILBERT. The following report addressed to the Secretary for Lands by Mr Daintree, Government Geologist of North Queensland, has been laid before Parliament : — Taking a general view of the physical outline of the Gilbert watershed, the observer; speedily arrives at the conclusion that the entire area is one of denudation, and that a vast plain of conglomerate and sandstone, such as now occupies the main watersheds, was once the sole feature in the landscape. Anything more uninviting and useless could hardly have beenpresented to the eye of man, than this sterile area when it formed the sole surface rock of the country. M'Kinlay's expressed opinion of such country, wheii he passed over it, was very emphatic. He.says :— '•' Nothing but towers and pinnacles of sandstone conglomerate, fit for nothing but wallaby and euro ; and if it is for a thousand years from this time it can be used by no other animals but them and the natives, as it is at present." To what geologioai period this "desert conglomerate" belongs is as yet uncertain; no distinct fossils have been found in it, and it will not lie until its relation to the fossiliferous mesozoic rocks of the Flinders is ascertained that its relative strategraphical positions can be determined. The thickness of its formation, as developed on the Gilbert, rarely exceeds three hundred feet : ; and whenever the watercourses haye 1 cut deeper than this limit' other rocks are exposed. The upper beds are coarse conglomerate. The rounded, water-worn pebbles embedded are quartz and quartz rock for the most part, though ffagriierits of all the rocks on which they rest are represented. The lower beds are more sandstone than conglomerate, the stratification is regular near the base!, but riiuch false bedding in the upper por tion of the series would indicate a deposit in shallow seas, with fierce running tides. They contain the elements of their own destruction in the shape of deliquescent salts, such' as sulphate of magnesia and chloride of sodium ; and, as they weather away, form caves and a surface fretwork of the most fantastic character. Photujgraphs accompany this report to illustrate these peculiarities, and sectional views of the entire thickness pf the formation. The amount of drift gold collected in the shallow ground constituting the Upper Gilbert Diggings would, however, bear put the assertion that relatively to the amount pf auriferous material operated on by nature, such material was rich, and wou,ld afford, a well grounded hope. £.>r the

ultimate discovery of abimdant matrix for permanent and lucrative reef-mining. ] On the possible extension of this same tract of axiriferous slates to the westward, they may be found clear altogether of conglomerate, and deop payable depths may be. associated with them. There is plenty of totally unexplored country hi that direction. The nearest chance for the prospectors would be to follow up the , Langdon River, which joins the Gilbert thirtyfive niiles below the junction of the Robertson with that stream. Should its upper branches be found clear of conglomerate, the wished-for deep leads would then probably be met with, As experience is acquired in Northern Queensland, it becomes evident that the lack of deep drifts is the great obstacle to alluvial mining of a permanent character, and that rushes of large numbers of men to one spot is rarely advisable. Had the ordinary denudation, which took place in Victoria during the tertiary period, been repeated here, we should probably have equalled that splendid colony in her alluvial gold production, As it is, even large surface areas are soon worked out, when "gully-raking" is the principal employment, and it will require to have a continuous supply of new fields open to keep tlie present number of miners in lucrative employment ; although each field, as developed, will always afford more or less permanent work, in the shape of quartz mining. To the north-eas sand west of the Gilbert lie these possible new fields, and it is to these directions I would draw attention. GYMPIE. (From the Oym-pie Times, Oct. 9.) Heavy gold was again struck in two shafts on last Wednesday in No. I north, California. The holders of No. 3 south, Jones' Reef, have been taking out first-class stone since last Wednesday. We saw some exceedingly fine specimens yesterday, obtained from the same level at which the party in No. 4 south struck heavy gold last week. In No. 4 south, London Reef, a rich patch was struck on Thursday. We have not seen any of the specimens, but we have good authority for stating that they are as good as any that have been found on this line. • • We have received the following crushings : Enterprise. — 3| tons from the prospectors' claim, Oro Reef, gave 7^oz. 70 tons from No. 1 north, One-mile Reef, yielded 460z. Parcels of stone from No. 1a north, Monckland, and No. 2 north Onemile were going through. Victoria. — 200 tons from No. 4 south, Monckland, gave a yield of 1800oz of amalgam, which was being retorted when jwe went to press. .Parcels from the | prospect claims, Lone Star and Dawn Reefs were going through. The Caledonian Hill is asserting its old reputation. 1 -A. sample of stone containing, at the lowesVcompufatidn, 300 ounces of gold, was obtained in No. 2 north, on the Caledonian line. The holders of the claim are now stripping the reef, which shows gold all over the face of it, as far as it lias been laid bare. A golden leader was struck yesterday morning in No. 7 sjuth Caledonian, and j No. 8 south, Lady Mary, (amalgamated). We saw some pieces of the stone, which appear to be very rich. The leader was ■ cut in a new shaft on the Lady Mary line, at a depth of 18 feet. The party in No. 4 south, Jones, Reef, has also been fortunate this week. Within the last few 'days a quantity of tine specimens was taken out of the main shaft from a depth of 30 feet. We noticed several lumps of bluestoue rich in gold amongst the specimens shown to' us. Gold has been obtained during the week in No. 4 south, Smithfield, in the tunnel leading into the Deep Creek. Good fortune still attends the prospectors of the Warren Hastings. Last evening we were shown a third bucket of very good specimens from their claim. The reef, it is true, is not very wide at prese'it, but what it wants in quantity is more than compensated for in quality. The holders of No. 1 south, Californian, struck gold in their southern shaft last evening. The reef is about 15 inches thick, and the stone, we understand, is quite as rich as any which has hitherto . been obtained in the claim. We saw a magnificent specimen last night from No. 3 south, Monckland, the property of Mr Lillis. It is part of a huge block of quartz which was shown, as a curiosity, to his Excellency the Governor when he visited the claim. The stone is pure white crystallised quartz, and is as full of gold as it can possibly be. We have seldom seen anything like it. It weighs 2\ pounds, and is estimated to contain LSO worth of gold. To conclude our list of recent " finds," a gold-bearing leader was discovered in the If ope Reef prospecting claim on Wednesday last. A share arid a half in No. 1 north, New Zealand Reef, the interest of Mr P; Lillis, was sold yesterday for. LSOO. Chatswortli— -prospect claim.-— Todd and party are sinking three shafts, the deepest being 60 feet. They haye 1 not got the reef yet, and no gold has been obtained since the last " patch," some months ago. The party in No. 1 south are sinking for the reef. No. 1 north-; Shaw, Pengelly, and party — are working three shafts, and driving at 40 and 90 feet levels. They have about 50 tons of stone in their paddock, iv which a little gold isdiscernible., No. 2 south— Silver and party (Silver hunting for gold).— The reef has not yet been struck in this claim. They have driven 100 feet for it, at the levels of 60 and 40 feet. The holders of No. 3 north are also driving for the reef. In No. 1 2 west, they are down 40 feet, siuking on a golcUbearhig leader.