WHO DISCOVERED THE BATHURST GOLDFIELD? [From the "Sydney Morning Herald," May 15.]

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 543, 28 June 1851, Page 3

WHO DISCOVERED THE BATHURST GOLDFIELD? [From the " Sydney Morning Herald," May 15.]

Many months ago, we published various articles upon the subject of gold mining and exploration, promising to return to it upon a future occasion. Such an occasion ssems pointed out by tbc piesent excitement r'«pecting the existence of gold, as alleged at a late meeting in B.ithurst, of the particulars of which we give an account in another part of the paper. As, however, from correipondence a few days since, to which we have aiven pi tee, a question has anseu at to il c claim of discovery, we think it may serve the ends of justice in a mattei which seems to have been taken up wity some enrnestnes*, to state here what are the rt'Btilti of our enquiries upon that hesd. And as it may serve another purpose, that of exhibiting the value of scientific investigations inlo the composition and geological itrucurc of th s country, we the more leaciiiy enter upon it. It seems then, from all account?, that the following is it correct history of the progress made from time to time in the investigation of the auriterous rocks of the colony. The first published statement we find in an inclO" sure of a despatch of Sir George Gipps to the Secretary of State, bearing date 28 h S ptember, 1840. The inclosure alluded to it a Report by Count Strezlecki of his explorations of New South Wales, and in that report we find mention, under the head of " G.)ld," of " an auriferous sulphuret of iron, partly decomposed, yielding a very small quantity or proportion of gold, sufficient to attest its presence, insufficient to repay its extraction," and he quotes " the Vale of Clwydd" as the locality. But this is not an ore of gold, hut an ore of iron, and therefore it may be laid Strezlecki does not mention gold itself; for it is well known that " auriferous sulphuret of iron* is merely a variety of iron pyrites. In the beginning of the year 1841, the first actual discovery of " native gold," of which there are no other ores, was made by a geoh ■ gist no.v amongst us, who has long been enga°eJ, without fee or reward, in the laborious woik of elucidating the struc ure and phenomena of Australia ; we mean the Rev. W. B. Clarke, who found the metal in the Dividing Ranges separating the eastern and wesetrn waters of the Macquaiie. This facias well a the existence of particles of gold derived horn the c raniKts, m the alluvia bed of Winburndale rivulet, was then announced by him to many persons now in the colony, who c«u beur testimony to iLis statement. As a matter of geological interest, the subject w, s notwithstanding, communicated to his icitntinc liieiidi in England, «nd finding that it was made kno» n ly them, he then published the fact, as well as his furthei disiovery, that the gold was in small quantities, in various poilions of the schistose formations, wh<se stiike is parallel with the meridian, as well as in the district of Argyle, where he had also detected it. We find the lact announced by him in communications to the Geological Society, and again in the Tasmauian Journal, us well as in the pages of the Annal* of Natural History, at various limes from 1842 to 1847

During this period Mr. Icelj's explorations led to the finding of gold in the quartz rocks traversing the schistose formation;, of the Belubula, thus confirming Mr. Clarkes allegation that gold is extensively deve« loped. A similar confirmation was made "by the presence of gold in similar strata near Gundagai. Classifying these facts, the geologist above mentioned, after careful study of large collections of rocks from an enormous area in the colony, announced unhesitingly to scientific persons in Europe and America, that the same "constants" which marked the presence of goli in Russia and California, as well as in Europe, are found in Australia ; and that the localities where it may be expected to occur are just tho&e in which he had found it were mendian-dnected strata of hchist highly iuclined, and traversed by quaitz dykes, or met by diagonal intrusions of trap or porpbyritic rocks, and that at such points only the metal would be abundant. As evidence of this, we may here quote a passage from the Quartet Jy Review, published in Loudon in September, 1850. The important point for Englishmen now to consider is, the extent to which our own great Australian colonies aro likely to become k{ g«ld-beai ing regions. The works of Count Strezlec , and others, having made known the (acts that the c'lief or eastern ridge of that continent consists of palaeozoic rocks, cut through by syenites granites, and porphyries, and that quartzose rocks occasionally prevail in this long meridian chain. Sir Roderick MurcLison announced first to the Geogiapbical Society, and afterwards to the Geological Society of Cornwall, his belief that where* ever such constants occurred, gold aught be expected to be found. Colonel Hi-Imersen suggested the same idea at St. Petersburg. Very shortly afterwards, not only were leveral specimen 1 ! of gold in fragments of quartz veins found in the B'ue Mountains north of Sydney, but one of the BritUh Chaplain, himself a good geologist, in writing home recently, thus ex* presses hinnelf: "This colony is becoming a mining count) y, as well as South Australia. Copper, lend, and gold are in considerable abundance m the schists and quarlzites of the Coidillem {blue Mountains, <J-c). Vast numbers of the population are going to California, but some day I think we shall have to recall them." Nothing can be dearar than this testimony to the claim which the gentlemen we have alluded to lias a right to prefer to the discovery and announcement of the existence of gold io. this colony, and in the basin of the Macquarrie River. And now we have annoua* ced to us the confirmation of tin's discovery by Mr. Harjiraves, who \hb found the predictions of geological inductions verified to the letter, he himself having taken a lessoo in California. Whatever value, then, maybe attached to the abundance of gold alleged to exi^t in the valleys of that nrer basin, of which we bhall knuw more when the field has been surveyed, and whatever praiie may be awarded to Mr. Hargraves for his diligence and pei severance and public spirit, we ought not to pass over the consideration of the fact, that his announcement is only the confirmation of a discovery made long before in another part of the same field, by one who hati no object but the venfication of scientific principles, the investigation of the structure of the colony for the benefit of others, and who, we have reason to believe, is rejoiced upon those grounds only, that his predictions have been found true. We in'end to return to the question of auriferous indications, and the comparison of this couutry with, other gold-bearing regions. Eut we deemed it merely an act of justice to one, who is still engaged in maturing a geologicrtl account of Australia, to state what we believe to bs part of his s>hare in the deve'opement of its mineral wealth. In conclusion, we remark that the gold-field announced in the Bath ui it paper, occuis in the vicinity of rocks indicated in the other poition of the Macquarie basin, and it wa3 to be expected, that in the valleys falling from the dividing range between the southern heads of the Macquarie and the Belubula, on which gold has been detected, that auriferous alluvia would abound. It is really a very interesting testimony in favour of modern geology.

Mr. Robert Stephenson in Egypt.— Oa the 9th. November, Mr. Stephonson, the celebrated engineer, arrived at Alexandria from Italy. He left Alexandria for Upper Egypt, and after his return, it is said he purposes visiting Uia Islhraus of Suez, in order to examine penonally into the practicability of forming the long-talked of canal between Pelusmm and the Ited Sea. The Alexandrian correspondent of the Morning Herald says, " He (Mr. Stephenson) seems impressed with the advantages Egypt and the trade with our Indian and Eastern possessions would derive from the establishment ot lailway communication between the two gieat trading cities of Alexandria and Cairo. The cumbrous navigation ot the Nile at the best seasons, and impracticability at oihers, for laden boats, render the advantages of su<h a highway so palpable, that men of less discernment have been recently agitating the question, and urging it on the Viceroy's attention. Produce of ihe value of 150,000,000 of piastres is annually brought down the river in native craft, subject to the delays of navigation, the danger and neglecc of those charged <wrli it, and the uncertainty of arrival to meet the engagements or the wants of the trader. It is to be hoped that this subject will deiive an impulse fiom the recommenda* tion of so competent an authority."