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a supply of provisions, has prevented it from being prospected. There are now four stores, two of which are at Preservation Inlet and two at Gates Bay, the latter place being about four miles to the eastward of Wilson's Eiver; and there are other buildings being erected at Kisbee, which is now known as the Township of Cromarty. The latter place is seven miles up Preservation Inlet, and the nearest and best landing for persons working at the reefs. The alluvial workings up to the time of my visit in January last were confined to the bed of Wilson's Eiver and banks of that stream; and also Sealer's Creek No. 1, and terraces. In all localities on the mainland where gold has been got in the alluvial drifts it appears to have come from a quartz-reef. Not only does this apply to the gold found in the bed of Wilson's Eiver, but also to Sealer's Creek and the adjoining terraces. The wash-drift contains a great deal of quartz stones, some of which are rich in gold. No quartz lode has yet been discovered in the vicinity of Sealer's Creek; but the character of the country, having dense scrub and undergrowth, and covered with soft peat, makes prospecting for lodes a difficult undertaking. Indeed, it may be said it is only by mere chance that lodes can be discovered. There are several places where large lodes are cropping out in different localities, but unless they show gold on the outcrop they have hitherto been passed over. Prospectors' Claim. —The recent discovery of a rich auriferous lode crossing the bed of Wilson's Eiver has given an impetus to prospecting for lodes. A large lode was seen in the bottom of the river, but the parties working in the bed had no idea it contained gold, although large blocks of quartz containing gold was found in the river-bed below the line of reef, and all the gold got in the wash-drift and crevices of the rock was greatly honeycombed, with quartz attached to it, and showed by the sharp edges that it had not travelled far. It was only when one of the men, James Smith, was felling a tree on the north bank of the river, when it struck another tree growing on the slope on the south side, tearing it up by the roots and displaying a large lode in the face of the bank, that attention was directed to it. This lode is from Bft. to 10ft. in width, and the solid quartz near the surface shows a considerable amount of gold through the stone. The exposed face of the lode at the time of my visit was about 16ft. high and about from 7ft. to Bft. in width of quartz, with a horse of mullock about 2ft. thick near the hanging-wall side of the lode; the quartz on the upper side of the face for 4ft. below the outcrop was all of good stone, but below this the gold seemed to be confined to the foot-wall side; which showed that, though tho rich gold-bearing stone will be found in ledges, a large portion of the lower face is of low grade ore. On the north side of the river there is a considerable quantity of loose material, which has at some previous period been brought there by a slip from the side of the range. A drive was put up for some 7ft. or Bft. in this stuff, and the lode found in the bottom of the drive, and also rising in tho face. On the hanging-wall side of this lode there is a band of stone about 2ft. in width, which contains a great deal of gold. A dishful of quartz was broken out from the bottom of this drive, and pounded up in a mortar during my visit : the quartz previous to crushing was 121b. in weight, and from this small quantity 4dwt. 4gr. of gold was obtained, which is equal to 360z. 16dwt. of gold to the ton. It must not, however, be inferred from this that the lode is all of this character, as the other portion showed to be of very low grade ore ; but even if the band referred to only runs a fair distance into the range, the yield of gold will be considerable. It must, however, be borne in mind that the shots of rich auriferous quartz do not, as a rule, run for a long distance —sometimes a shot will only be 60ft. or 70ft., while in other cases they run to 400 ft. in length ; but the latter is very rare in the quartz-lodes in this colony. Considering the width of the river-bed, which is here from 60ft. to 70ft., and that it has cut through a rich shot of gold, it becomes a question how far the lode will continue into the range, and also whether the rich quartz near the surface on the south side of the river is not the same ledge as that found in the bottom of the drive on the north side. If so, the strike of the lode will be northerly, and the best portion of the lode found in that direction. The direction of the lode is North 20 degrees West, or South 20 degrees East, and it is dipping at an angle of about 60 degrees to the eastward. The foot-wall where exposed on the south side is very smooth and well defined, but the hanging-wall is not so clearly shown. There appears to be a small vein of mullock and quartz-grit next to the hanging wall, and a horse of mullock about 2ft. wide between that and the quartz-lode. On the north side of the river, with the lode being in the bottom of the drive, the walls could not be seen, neither could the width be determined, the quartz extending on both sides of the drive. Notwithstanding the rich stone discovered, it would have been more satisfactory to have driven for some distance on both sides of the river, and proved the reef more, before thinking of erecting crushing-machinery ; but the prospectors having given a fourth part of their claim to get crushing machinery erected, they have everything to gain by its being erected quickly. The formation where this lode occurs is slate, of the Lower Carboniferous or Upper Devonian age, and, although very rich stone is sometimes got in this formation, it cuts out remarkably fast. The same formation exists in the Longwood Eange, where exceedingly rich stone was found, but on sinking on it the gold cut out. The prospectors must therefore be prepared for disappointment if a similar thing occurs at Wilson's Eiver. The rich shot of stone may continue for a considerable distance, or it may be only a small patch. The prospects are certainly tempting, especially to those who have not had much experience in quartz workings, but it would be more prudent on the part of the prospectors to open up and prospect their claim well before commencing to erect machinery. It may be said that they have no place to put their rich stone; but, if needs be, a building could be erected, and the rich stone stacked in the building. There is a possibility of the gold being found in the lode in ledges, and this should be proved to some extent before incurring the expense of erecting crushing-machinery on the ground. Should the gold continue in the lode the same as it shows on the north side for 200 ft. or 300 ft. it will prove a very rich property. The sides of the range rises very abruptly from the river, and there will be a difficulty in getting a good site for a crushing-battery. The only site in the locality is directly on the upper side of the