EXPLORATION OF THE WESTERN COAST OF AUSTRALIA.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 62, 22 October 1864, Page 5

EXPLORATION OF THE WESTERN COAST OF AUSTRALIA.

We, (Melbourne Age) have received the following report on the exploration of the Western coast for publication :— Gorangamite, Turner's Station, 26th September, 1864 Sir, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th inst., enclosing a tr&cinp of the coastline from Cape Otway to Warrnambool. lam happy to inform you that wo gafely arrived at Colac on Friday night, alter crossing the ranges from Cape Otway to the Colac and WaxTZuunhool roai. Accompanied, by Mi-. Murray and Mr. Chappie, of the Cape Otway station, I left our camp on the Aire river on Monday, 19th inst., and taking our swaga and provisions, proceeded for about ten miles up the river, to the creek we reached on 31st July, of ■which I gave a description inmylast report. Here ■we arrived just in time to construct a mia-mia of ferntree leaves, and camp for the night. Next morning started from the junction of the creek with the Aire. and took a direction about N. 20 ° W., keeping the river on our right till it turned j round, and we crossed in about two miles ; about half a mile further we again crossed the river, when it turned off in a N.E; direction. The Aire at this point is about one-third the suse of the Yarra at Dight's Falls, near Melbourne. We then crossed the watershed between the Aire and Ford rivers, and in three and a half miles crossed the latter about two mileß below its source. We again made on to this dividing range, and capped for the night at the head of a creek running into the Ford, having only travelled about four and three quarter miles, owing to the dense Bcrubby nature of the country. Started early next morning keeping the came course as yesterday (about 20 ° W.), and crossed a creek about one and half miles below its head, being one of the sources of the Aire. I believe this river divides about ei^ht or ten miles north-east of where we last crossed it, the main branch taking an easterly course, and running for some distance nearly paralt I with the Main Dividing or Black Bange.' ln about half a mile we^amyed on the Main -Dividing Range, the top of which at this point is about,2oo.. yards wide .and strewn with a ffreat quantiiy of fallen timber, and covered with thick scrub of mountain ash about 15 feet high. Hera we blazed some trees; and marked one (arrow over W), ' which HHurkl have pu^pxjinj^nT twes along our ceuwK This range 1 have <jahe«.

to fall tpwardß,the,north to the jfrelh'brand River. After crossing" several;, small creeks flowing W. by N ., we came, ih'^ four : miles and" a halfi: to : - a large creek flowing into the Gtellibrand ; from the place ' -Tre^ crossed, ; ' r -a£- AzniisiH ■bo - : ' J ao'oUfc eleverif Avlee^ to its head. ;We .then ; kept On idr.about lialf a mile, and camped for the night in the dense", almost ihpenetrabie, scrub ; fortunately ■we had not much ; of: this scrub,; for it took us nearly : an.hourto make about 150 yards through it. The range here is covered * with rounded \ quartz peeble drift. Next day (22nd September) niade an cany start and crossed three small creeks, with carbonaceous sandstones arid shales in their bedsj arid in' one mile and a half- we ; suddenly emerged from the thick forest and came on! to an open.hill,- capped with rounded quartz pebble -drift, "'and ferruginous cement, and covered with low heath and grass-tree. This hilMhave named Mount Murray, and from it may be obtained a magnificent view along the valley of the G-elli-brand for twenty miles or more in a S. W. direction, over low undulating, hills, covered with different varieties of scrub, heath and grass-trees. About eight miles distant, bearing W.Siideg. 15min., ik i seen a very remarkable and conspicuous eomea.l hill.; rising out of the . valley like, a pyramid ,- this •J ihave taken the liberty to name Mount Alpin. Promhere we passed over low, heathy country fpr two and a half miles, and came to a large boggy .creek, coming from the S.E.; we then crossed over a range covered with' quartz-pebblo drift, and ironstone cement, and in. about two miles came upon the : Gellibrand River, which, here, is about as large as the Aire. In the bed of the river occur brown carbariaceous shales. We next passed over a low, heathy range, : and came to a small creek, running S.W., and camped for the night, having made about five and a half miles. 23rd September : Crossed several small creeks and low ranges, covered with thick heath, and in two and a half miles came on . to a large creek, coming : from the jU/E:, which' evidently flows into the G-ellibrancL Prom this creek the country gradually rises and becomes more open, being timbered with stringy bark trees and light gum scrub ; the formation consists of p oc ;ne tertiary ferruginous sandy clay and cement, in about five and a half miles we arrived at the back of Mr. R. Calvert's runnearto alarge swamp, locally known as the Swan Marsh, and after calling at Mr. Calvert's homestead, we made on to the Colac and Warnambool road, ten miles from Colae, which township we arrived at late in the evening, in by no means an enviable state, as regards the condition of vestments. From the coast to about twelve miles inland, the ranges are more or less capped with tertiary rounded quartz-pebble drift ; we then saw no more of it until we got about five miles north of the main dividing range, from whence it continues to the settled districts. It is worthy of observation that I haveno where throughout these ranges observed this quartz drift to occupy a greater elevation than about 900 or 1000 feet above the level of the sea. From the coast to the Gellibrand River the country consists entirely of the carbonaceous formation, the sandstones and shales containing characteristic fossil leaves and stems, and small fragments of carbonised wood. Besides these I havefound nofurther indications of coal. From the Gellibrand to the recent basaltic plains of the settled districts, on older rocks than the pliocene tertiary are visible, though there is no doubt the coal rocks continue under the ' tertiary deposits. In the alluvial drifts in the i beds of the creek; T could find no sijrns of silui-ian rocks ; therefore, although there is aprobability of gold being found in very small quantities, which has been derived from the rounded quartz -pebble drift I believe I may safely assert that no payable goldfield will ever be discovered in these ranges to the eastward of the line we just traversed. The ranges westward remain yet to be examined. The bed of lignite, four feet in thickness, which is seen cropping out of the cliffs on the coast between the Parker River and the Cape, and which you refer ! to in your letter, is of too limited extent to be of ! any economic value. It appears to be of very recent tertiary age, and the thick deposit of irregularly laminated calcareous sandstone which overlies it I believe to be consolidated blown sand. The stratification of this sandstone is remarkable. In one cliff section may be seen about ten feet of horizontally deposited laminae, above which twenty feet of the same description of rock, dipping at various angles up to as high as 28 ° or 30 ° , I hare never observed a higher angle, and always | dipping to the east-ward. Above this the beds again repose horizontally. Near the mouth of the Aire River may be seen some very interesting, blown sandhills, showing the formation of Band dunes at the present day. The i-and, which is washed up on the beach near the mouth of the river, the south-westerly gales carry along up a gradual, but irregular, incline, for about threequarters of a mile, when it suddenly rolls over a steep bank about fifty feet high. From the trees, which arc gradually becoming buried, this bank of loose sand has been observed to encroach inland at the rate of about ono foot ii a year. I will endeavor to forward you a tracing of our route through the ranges. After calling for letters tomorrow at Birrcgurra. I intend the next day returning to the camp. lam now writing this »' Gorangamite, and b. fore concluding, I desire to express my sincere thanks to Mr. Turner, Messrs. Lawrv and Chappie, and Mr. Ford, of Cape Otway, * for the kind assistance they have always rendered us since we have been in this district. — 1 have the honor to be, Sir, your most obedient servant, (Signed) C. S. Wilkiksos, AssistantField O eologist —To C. DOyly H. Aplin, Esq., Acting Director of the Geological Survey, Melbourne.