KIMBERLEY GOLDFIELDS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2307, 29 May 1886, Page 2

KIMBERLEY GOLDFIELDS.

Mr Hard man, the Government gooloi gist of Western Australia, in his final report and map, recently printed at Messrs Bands and McDotigall'a, indicates the position of the gold-bearing rocks examined by him on the, sources of the Margaret, the Maiy, and along the west bank of the Elvire River to .its junction with the Panton. Mr Hardman further states in Wb last report:—" 1 cannot do hotter than transoribo tho remarks on this subject published iu my preliminary report: "1. I am glad to be able to report that 1 have discovered a large area of country which I believe will prove to be auriferous to a payable degree, This country is traversed by the Margaret, Mary, Elvire, Panton, and Old Rivers, and comprises an area of at least 2,000 squaro miles bo far as observed, but it doubtless continues over a muchlargor extent of country. The formation is principally Lower Silurian slate and schist of various kinds, travorsed by an enormous number of quartz reefs. In Borne localities many of these occur in the space of a few hundred yards, and it was quite usual, to notice 25 or 30 large reofß while riding over a mile of ground, without taking into acoount the smaller reefs or veins. Tho quartz constituting these reefs is of / promising character. It is a dull yellowish and groy quartz; very cellular and vnggy, containing quantities of'black and"/other oxides ofirbn, together witH'oaßt's ? 6f 'aid''often crystals of iron pyrites.' from moßt of the surface quarts the enejosod minerals have been washed away, however, although their tracoß are still apparent. Minute specks of gold have been noticed in a few cases, audi have very little doubt that ipiy of these roefs, when properly examined and tested, will prove to be auriferous. ,2. Thoso quartz reefs have a general bearing of N. 10 Eto N.E. Many run due N. and S, Bome of them can be traced for several miles, 2- It ie must probable that these quartziferous rooks are a spur or continuation of the gold-bearing meta'morphic rocka of the Northern TWritoiyof South Australia, now being worked with some auocesß. 4. Alhwial Gold.—The rivers, valleys, and flats are in many places covered' with deposits! sometimes very extensive, of quartz gravel and drift, the quartz being derived from denudation of tho reefs referred to above, I have prospected these graveta over many miles of country,, and I have rarely failed to obtain good colors of gold"-in many localities of a very encouraging character.. Very often good colors were obtained in every pan washed,, in different trials in the same locality.' I have thus found gold to be distributed over about 140 miles along the Elvire, Panton, and Ord Rivers, &c, as well as on the Mary and Margaret Rivers, where the indications were very good, and the appearance of the country most favorable. 5; In several instances I. obtained good colore of gold in the quartz-bearing rooks and in the drifts immediately overlying thorn. (I. The gold-yietding eountry is well

watered by numerous rivers, creeks, I and gullies, whioh even in the driest part of the year are never wholly without water. And although durin» the dry season water is scarce, there would be no difficulty in conserving waternny where in sufficient quantity for all mining purposes. 7. On the whole,'tho indications I have met with point, as I believe, to the great probability of payable gold being obtained in this part of Kimborley, and are, I consider, sufficient to justify the expenditure, oither by the Government or private individuals, of a-reasonable sum of money in fitting out a party to thoroughly test the country, and 1 should stronply rec;'mmeiidsuchan undertaking. I would also suggest the advisability of parties going up fur thia purpose providing themselves with some simple apparatus for. crushing and washing some of tlio reef quartz, as in one very rudely conducted experiment of this kind I obtained a small quantity of gold." Wo only trust that the Kimberloy goldficld may turn out all that is expected of it, A gold country with a port opßn to the trade of the eastern archipelago will prove a godsend in the present depressed state of our neighbouring colonies,—Melbourne Argus,