Appendix 7.
Auriferous Reefs and Companies of the Carrick Range.

Besides the managers of the mines subsequently mentioned, the gentlemen who kindly afforded me informatian about the reefs were were—Mr. James Marshall, Mr. Charles Colclough, Mr. William Grant, and Mr. James Stuart, Progressing upward from the foot of the range, the reefs I visited are:—

New Royal Standard Company’s Reef.—This strikes N. 20[unclear: °] W., and dips easterly at an angle of about 75°, but runs very irregular and is not well defined. It cuts apparently through the disturbed looking country rock—a rather soft phyllite—both in strike and dip. In parts of the old workings, which consisted of an open cutting, and irregular short drives, extending over several chains in length, it was formed of nothing but leaders of quartziferous mullock, for 15 or 16 feet in width, which yielded on crushing from 6 to 12 dwts. of gold per ton. Several small crushings from narrow places produced, however, up to 2 ozs. per ton. As it may likely become more defined and perhaps richer in depth, it would be advisable to prospect it by an adit from the steep slope of the spur which it crosses.

Crown and Cross Claim.—This is owned by Watson, Herbert and Co. The reef (worked by a shaft 47 feet deep, which will soon be in connection with an adit, driven from the bottom of the adjoining gully), strikes N. 20° W. with an easterly underlay at 75-80°, cutting through much disturbed phyllite, and ranges in thicknes, from 6 inches to 3 feet, and 4 feet in bunches. Its hanging wall is defined and smooth, the foot wall rather uneven. It consists of quartziferous mullock, traversed by occasional small quartz veins with gold fairly distributed throughout. 200 tons crushed paid at the rate of about 1 oz. per ton. The prospects under foot and in strike South are very encouraging—a prospect of the mullock from page 211the bottom, washed in my presence, gave a fair quantity of very fine gold, besides several small quartz specimens. At the northern end of the workings which—small prospecting shafts included—extend about three chains along the reef, the latter was found faulted 10 feet eastward by a clay slide 15 feet in thickness. In a small claim, next adjoining the Crown and Cross on the south, owned by Robert Scott and John Meyers, the reef was just struck by a small adit, during the presence of our party on the ground.

This reef is considered to be the continuation of the "White Horse" or "Try Again" Reef, next to be mentioned; but as it runs some distance—about 1½ chains—sideways of the latter, this can only be the case on its representing a faulted portion of it—a supposition not unlikely to prove correct, judging from the identity in strike, dip, and character of the two reefs, and the frequency of faults in the district.

White Horse or Try Again Reef.—Worked by Saltoun, Campbell, McKersie, and Co. This reef strikes N. 20° W. and dips eastward at an angle of about 76°, cutting through alternating harder and softer beds of phyllite—a feature which renders its course rather irregular: strong turns, both in strike and dip, being very frequent. The walls are in places well, in others badly defined; where well defined, they mostly show polished and striated casings. Its thickness ranges from 9 inches to over 4 feet, and it consists of quartziferous mullock, traversed by broken quartz veins, generally rich in arsenical pyrites, and sometimes pretty thick, carrying good gold, though the latter occurs also finely impregnated throughout the mullock mass.

Touching the occurrence of the gold on the large scale, it seems to be accumulated in shoots, which have a decided dip in strike southward. The average yield of gold has hitherto been about 1 oz. per ton from several hundred tons crushed, and there is no sign of the reef becoming poorer under foot. The main workings consist of an adit, extending about three hundred feet along the reef, from which stoping is being extensively carried on—the height of Backs available up to the crown of the hill, amounting to nearly 100 feet. Another adit could be put in in the strike of the reef over 100 feet lower down the slope of the range; and this work it would be wise soon to enter upon.

Caledonian Company.—Managed by Mr. G. T. Stephenson.—This company is at present engaged in driving from the bottom of a deep gully an adit, which is intended to open the Caledonian Reef 180-200 feet beneath the level of the first adit, in which work has been stopped, on account of what was considered payable of the available Backs—about 70 feet high—having been worked out, According to the direction of this upper adit, which followed the eef southward a length of 400 feet, the latter runs in a wavy line at a mean strike of S. 30-35° W., whilst several shafts sunk on it page 212from the adit show it to dip very close upon vertical. Its walls seem very well defined, and show thin clay casings. Touching the behaviour of the reef in the old workings, yields, &c, Mr. Stephenson kindly afforded me the following information:—"The reef ranged in thickness from 1-7 feet, but was in places pinched to a mere casing; and there were also shelves of hard rock, which frequently altered its course in dip, throwing it, step-like, several feet eastward. At the end of adit it runs thin, but still looks promising enough to induce a party of miners to drive a deep adit from the opposite slope of the spur, for the purpose of opening it in depth beyond the company’s ground. Above the stopes, towards the surface of the spur, a considerable extent of ground is still unproved. The reef was of a mullocky character, but contained frequently broken veins and bunches of quartz, richer in gold than the rest. There have been close upon 800 tons crashed, at an average yield of about 1 oz. of gold per ton. Along and from the adit five shafts have been sunk on the reef, ranging from 12 to 100 feet in depth, in all of which it (the reef) has proved to be auriferous, though, with the exception of one, not so rich as in the old workings. In the two deepest ones (70 feet and 100 feet) the reef was rather irregular towards the bottom. Outside the adit there is a sixth shaft of 80 feet in depth, in which the reef has also proved not unpromising. The new deep adit, which is about 170 feet in, is driven in the direction of this latter shaft, and will soon reach the reef, provided the latter has not suffered any change in strike and dip. Considering, however, the frequent occurrences of this kind, viz., the eastward jumps in the worked-out ground, it must be apprehended that they exist likewise in depth, and it would therefore have been wise to cross-cut eastward for the reef before proceeding much farther with the adit. Mr. Stephenson is very sanguine of the reef proving payable down to the level of the latter, and, if so, looking at the height of available Backs to rise upon, the company would be in a prosperous condition for a considerable time to come.

Proposed Long Tunnel Company. — On the high spur—the "Long Ridge"—between two branches of Smith’s Creek, west, opposite the Caledonian Company’s mine, a number of small mullock reefs have been superficially worked. One of these, the so-called "Border Chief Reef," strikes, according to Mr. Buchan, E.S.E., and dips northward at an angle of about 20°; thickness, about 6 inches; country very hard. A small patch of stone found just under the grass would have gone 30 ozs. of gold per ton, but it was mixed with a lot of mullock, and averaged on crushing only 6 ozs. per ton. The patch was small, and wedged out about 20 feet from the surface. The topographical features being very favourable, a company is projected, so Mr. Colclough informed me, for driving a deep adit from the bottom of the spur, to test this and the page 213other reefs, including the Caledonian Reef in depth, perhaps at 5 to 600 feet, and also to extend it towards the group of rich reefs, lying at more than 1000 yards horizontal distance, and about 1000 feet higher up the range; the stretch of ground intermediate, though no reefs as yet have been discovered in it, presenting also rather favourable indications of their existence. All I can say about this expensive project is, that it is a legitimate one, but it seems considerably more risky than the Bendigo Deep Level, irrespective of its not having the the advantages of the latter—touching a ready supply of water for crushing purposes.

The Star of the East Company—Managed by Mr. Arch. Cameron. The Star of the East Reef strikes E. 20 to 25° S., and dips northward at 50 to 56°. It was opened by an adit in strike of 480 feet, which rendered a height of 108 feet of Backs available beneath the top of the hill, into which the adit penetrates. These Backs have been worked out for 250 feet in length to near the boundary of the Company’s ground, whilst also a large portion of the reef has been removed from underfoot, between two shafts, 60 feet apart and 60 feet deep on the underlay, which workings produced about 1200 tons of crushing stuff—all quartziferous mullock—which yielded in the average 12 dwts. of gold per ton, the reef becoming more solid and improving in depth. In the Backs the reef ranged in thickness from 2 to 8 feet, average 4 feet, and paid 14 dwts. per ton. As its further working underfoot from the upper adit proved too expensive, the company started a deeper adit from the other slope of the range, at nearly right angles towards the reef. This adit had at the time of my visit advanced a length of 440 feet, and Mr. Cameron expected to strike the reef at another 40 to 50 feet, provided it preserved the same underlay as where last worked underfoot from the upper adit. The height of Backs to rise to these old workings would be about 250 feet. At a distance of 386 feet from the adit mouth the Company had, however, the luck of intersecting a new mullock reef, which proved payably auriferous, and was at once opened up, and has been extensively and properly worked since. A main drive along its strike is 230 feet in length, and the stopes extend on the west side of the adit for about 70 feet in length, and 10 feet in height, on the east side respectively 60 feet and 80 feet, and prospecting rises are opened some 80 feet higher either side. The height of Backs still available for stoping is estimated at 250 feet. Two prospecting winzes, 30 feet apart, have also been suuk from the drive on the underlay of the reef—one 40 feet deep, on the east, the other, 60 feet deep, on the west side of the adit. The reef strikes, according to these workings, E. 15° to 20° S., and dips northward at an angle of 50° to 56°, a course nearly parallel to that of the oid reef. It was found to range from a mere string to, in places, over 3 feet in thickness, the mean being about 2 feet. It twists and turns, in strike and dip, in places, in a most perplexing page 214manner, and Mr. Cameron deserves great credit for having persevered and succeeded in following it in its tortuous course. The average yield of the crushings has hitherto been 28 dwts of gold per ton, and there is at present no apprehension of a falling off. Both in strike—at the two faces of the main drive—and in dip—in the winzes under-foot; the thickness of the reef was, however, below the average. As far as Mr Cameron has observed, the best paying stuff dips at a rather sharp angle in strike eastward. Of further particulars about this reef, I learned that its existence was long ago surmised, and it was originally searched for by the Black Horse Company, by two deep shafts, sunk in a mullock slide on top of the range, in about the line of the present adit, and which would have struck it, if continued not many feet deeper. There is a possibility, though by no means a strong one, of this reef and the old reef being identical, i.e., that the latter represents a faulted portion of the former, in which case it would of course be found suddenly cut off in depth. The deep adit will, for the sake of the company I hope, soon dispel any apprehensions in this respect, by striking it at the calculated distance. As regards the crushing machine of which this company and the Heart of Oak Company, next adjoining, are co-proprietors, it is managed by Mr. W. Menzies, and consists of ten heads of revolving stamps in two batteries, driven by a steam engine—brown coal serving as fuel. Hot water is introduced into the stamper boxes. As gold-saving appliances, are used amalgamating tables and blanket strakes of 14 feet in length, laid at an inclination of 1½ inch per foot. The blanket sand is treated in the barrel, and a shaking table serves for concentration of the amalgam. Mr. Menzies, who evidently understands his work well, is aware of a loss of fine gold, which is frequently increased by a too limited supply of water. This serious want, which affected all the companies on top of the range from the commencement, will shortly, however, be removed, and the gold mining interests of the district generally will be greatly benefited by the completion of an extensive race, carrying a powerful stream of water, constructed by the Carrick Range Water Supply Company.

The Heart of Oak Company.—Managed by Mr. Thomas Scott.—The prospects of this company are of a high order; for its ground, which is west adjoining that of the Star of the East Company, encloses three proved auriferous reefs, viz., the Old Star of the East Reef, the Old Heart of Oak Reef, and the so-called North Reef, whilst a fourth, viz., the new reef of the Star of the East Company, just described, is worked up to within a short distance of its boundary. The Old Star of the East Reef has been worked with good results from the old adit of the Star Company up to and a good distance along the surface, and looks promising ahead; and, besides, what appears like a continuation of it, though called the New Reef, has a short distance higher up the range been taken out page 215for about 30 feet in length and 30 feet in depth, and proved payable, though only six inches thick. The Old Heart of Oak Reef, one of if not the richest in the district, strikes W. 25° S., and dips northward at an angle of 56. It joins the Old Star of the East Reef, and has been worked, both from the upper adit of the Star Company and from the surface, a length of about 120 feet, and 160 feet in depth on the underlay. Its thickness varied from a few inches to over three feet; average, about two and a half feet. There have been from 2000 to 3000 tons of stuff raised and crushed from these workings, which realised at the rate of 1¾ oz. of gold per ton. Prospects where left off working still very good.

The North Reef, which has been opened on top of the spur several chains west of the previously mentioned workings, strikes W. 15° S., and underlays southward at an angle of 70°; but frequent jumps render the underlay much flatter in the average. From its outcrop at the surface it shows an endlong dip in strike westward. It has been opened by a shaft 100 feet deep, and worked to a depth of 70 feet and 70 feet in length, proving from six to eighteen inches in thickness, and yielding from 1¾ to 4 oz of gold per ton. Pressure of water in the shaft prevented farther working. As the same difficulty attached also to the deeper working of the other reefs, the company have lately started on the same slope as, but considerably lower than, that of the Star of the East Company, a deep adit, which, according to Mr Scott’s survey and calculation, would intersect the reef farthest off, viz., the Old Heart of Oak, in dip, at a distance of 800 feet in, and at about 300 feet vertical, or 500 feet depth on the underlay.

The Elizabeth Company.—Managed by Mr. John Towan. This company is, like the previous ones, engaged in driving an adit for the purpose of opening the Elizabeth Reef in depth, the Backs from an upper adit towards the surface having been worked out. The lower adit, which runs nearly at right angles towards the reef, had, when I saw it, according to Mr. Towan’s measurements, advanced to within about 100 feet of the point of intersection with the reef, from where a main level in the strike of the latter would render a height of Backs of about 215 feet available for rising upon towards the main drive from the upper adit. The reef, which consists of quartziferous mullock, strikes S, 20° E., and dips eastward at an angle of about 40°. In the worked-out portion, which is about 270 feet long, and extends from the surface down to the level—a depth of about 180 feet beneath the highest point of the hill which the reef crosses—the thickness of the latter has ranged from eighteen inches to, in places, three and four feet—average, about two feet—and its walls were well defined. The yields have been from 8 dwts. up to 25 dwts., or close upon 13 dwts. of gold per ton in the average. About three and a half chains from the point where the main drive starts from the adit, which latter page 216has been driven at nearly right angles towards the reef, a shaft has been sunk on the underlay of the latter to a depth of 65 feet, and a level extends southward from the bottom a length of 90 feet, all along which distance and down the shaft the reef has proved highly payable—a point which augurs very well for the prospects of the deep adit. In fact, judging from the mode of occurrence of the best stuff in the old workings, as shown on a small plan prepared by Mr. Towan, there can hardly be a doubt that it forms a pretty wide shoot, which, whilst passing the just mentioned shaft and level, dips steep southward in strike, and would be struck by the adit pretty near the centre of its width. In its course northward the reef—being two feet thick—is suddenly cut off by a mullocky cross reef, striking W. 15[unclear: °] S., and dipping southward at an angle of 65°. The line of the unmistakable fault runs across the upper main drive about 40 feet southward from the upper adit, which has been continued about 200 feet farther westward in search of the faulted portion of the reef, but intersected only the faulting cross reef and a thin gold-bearing leader; whilst a cross-cut northward from near the end penetrated the former a second time, without any sign of the reef being apparent beyond. If these workings, in view of the distance driven, furnish already nearly certain proof that the reef has not faulted in that direction (westward), the mode of fault itself (angles and line of intersection of the two reefs) would also, according to an old mining rule, indicate that the throw has been the reverse way or eastward; and as the adit has, within about 70 feet eastward from the line of the reef, intersected a thin mullock reef, showing apparently the same strike and underlay as the latter, I think it highly probable that this represents the faulted portion. A drive on it southward in strike to its point of intersection with the cross reef would, whilst proving its auriferous character, soon dispel any doubts on the question. The cross reef, which is from one to one and a half feet thick, and looks much like the main reef in character, would also, in my opinion, deserve a trial crushing. Mr. Towan came across a second fault in the reef in its line of dip during sinking the underlay shaft from the main drive; but in this instance he soon recovered the faulted portion by intelligently applying and working according to the main mining rule, viz., that the part of the country with the enclosed lode, forming the hanging wall of the faulter, slid down in the line of dip of the latter.

The crushing machine of the Elizabeth Co. consists of two batteries, each of four heads of revolving stamps, of about 4 cwt. each, driven by a steam engine and having front and Back escapes. The front escape of each battery passes in succession a large amalgamated copper-plate, an improved amalgamated copper-plate table, (similar in construction to that described of the machine at the Saddle Hill Reef) and 10 feet of blanket strakes, having an inclination of 1½ inches per foot. The Back-escape of both batteries runs page 217over a common amalgamating table, and 14 feet of blanket strakes, laid at the same inclination as the others. For the treatment of the blanket sand, serves a small Berdan machine. This elaborate system of appliances is carefully superintended by Mr. Towan, but having to use the frequently limited supply of rather muddy water leaving the United Star and Oak Battery, he has no doubt of a great deal of fine gold being lost in the tailings.

The Young Australian Reef.—This lies close upon 1000 feet higher up the range than Carricktown, near the head of Adam’s Gully, and the claim worked on it is owned by Messrs. Williams and Edwards. It strikes about S.E. and N.W., and dips N. E into the hill at the very small angle of 18°. Walls pretty well defined. Its thickness ranges from 1½ to 6 feet, in places, and it consists of quartziferous mullock, so fine in grain, that on washing prospects, pieces of quartz the size of a bean, are very rarely observed. An adit of 150 feet in length cut it about 85 feet from the surface, on its underlay, and it has at this level been followed by a drive a distance of 250 feet, and worked out about 140 feet in length, by 30 feet high; its flat dip, combined with the soft nature of the hanging wall, having given Mr. Williams some trouble, and taxed his ingenuity in securing the workings in an economic manner, by timbering and walling up with waste, combined. From the drive two shafts have been sunk 33 feet on the underlay of the reef to the water level, and proved it to be down to that depth of the same character as in the upper workings. About 160 feet S.E. from the end of the latter, the reef has also been struck, of a very promising character, by a shaft at a depth of 60 feet from the surface. The quantity of stuff hitherto crushed from all parts of the mine, amouunts to between 800 and 900 tons, which realized at the rate of 21½ to nearly 25 dwts. of gold per ton. The gold which, judging from a good prospect washed in my presence from a tin dishful of the mullock is indeed very fine, seems to be pretty evenly distributed throughout the latter, Mr. Williams having observed neither shoots nor patches throughout the extent of the above workings. There have also been two other reefs discovered in the claim, viz., one of about two feet in thikness, running parallel to, and at a distance of 40 feet from, the one described. This has been opened for some distance, and the stuff obtained from it—none of which has yet been crushed—would, according to prospects washed, yield about 10 to 12 dwts. per ton. The second new reef is a cross reef, striking N. and S., and dipping E. at an angle of about 18°. It is from a half to two feet thick, and would, according to Mr. Williams’ trial washings, pay from 1 to 1½ oz. of gold per ton. From all I have seen of this mine, and considering that the ground lower down the gully offers facility for putting in an adit at a considerably lower level than the present workings, and more in the direction of the strike of the main reef, I think it represents one of the most promising page 218ones in the district. In anticipation of obtaining the necessary supply of water from the large race of the Carrick Range Water Supply Company, the proprietors had a fine crushing plant (purchased from the Conroy’s Gully Reef Company) in course of erection by Mr. Reid, the well-known mining engineer. The plant consists of two batteries, each of five heads of revolving stamps, to be driven by an iron water-wheel, common amalgamating tables, and 14 feet of blanket-strakes. On my representation, they seemed inclined to add deep quicksilver troughs, or to substitute them for the amalgamating tables.

The Leader.—This is a mullock reef worked by E. Jones and Company, a short distance from the Young Australian, higher up the gully. It has been opened by adit, and proved for about 150 feet in length, showing a rather irregular course at a mean strike of S. 15° W., and an eastward dip at 35-40°, whilst its thickness varied from a few inches to several feet. The yields from three crushings have been at the rate of 11 dwts., 28 dwts., and from the last 22 dwts. of gold per ton. The gold is very fine, and hardly ever visible in the mullock. Prospects of the reef still good.

The Stanley Reef.—This crosses the range a short distance west of the Leader, and is being opened by Buchan and Company. It strikes W. 15-20° S., and dips northward at an angle of 60-65°. According to Mr. Buchan, it has been traced in an unbroken line for over 1,200 feet in length, i.e., much farther than any other reef on the Carrick Range. In most of the places, where it has been opened on the surface, it is small and contains a little gold all through, but where the adit is in, its thickness is 2 to 2½ feet, and it gives prospects at the rate of 14 dwts. of gold per ton. In the shaft which is being put down on the underlay of the reef, the latter is pinched to a few inches, but is now making again, and the stone of the "new make" is good-looking and differs from that on the surface, which was like that of the generality of the reefs on the Range, mullocky.

The Royal Standard Reef.—Mr. Buchan supplied me about this reef with the following information: —It is situated about 600 yards north of the Stanley Reef, and is the one first discovered on the Carrick Range, and also the richest, having yielded at one time 7 ozs. of gold per ton. Its strike is nearly due N. and S., and its dip east at an angle of about 20°. It was abandoned on account of its small size, but another company has just taken it up again, and it will now be tested in depth.

The Kohinoor Reef.—Mr. Buchan states about this as follows: It lies about 1¼ mile N.E. of the Royal Standard Reef. Its strike is about N.W. and S.E., and it dips very flat towards N.E. It is large, well-defined, but very poor, only giving about 5 dwts. of gold per ton. The workings extend only to a depth of about 100 feet. There page 219was a patch of good stone on the surface. The claim was ruined through bad management.

The Marquis of Lorne Reef.—According to Mr. Buchan, this lies a few hundred yards farther north and nearly adjoining the John Bull Reef, mentioned further on. It strikes about E. 20° N., and dips southward at an angle of about 30°. The reef is small and consists of very hard, white quartz. A crushing was taken out which yielded over one ounce of gold per ton. It was not tried at a greater depth than 60 feet when it was abandoned.

The All Nations Reef.—According to Mr. Buchan, this is an isolated reef lying ¾ mile south of the Stanley Reef, and the same distance west of the Young Australian. It is also a flat reef of good size, and has averaged over one ounce of gold per ton. The expense in working it is very great on account of the distance, everything has to be carted. Only lately a road has been made to it, previously, everything had to be packed. The strike of the reef is about N.W., S.E., and it is almost horizontal, at least much flatter than the Young Australian. The stuff is crushed at Logan’s machine, which lies about 3 miles from the claim,

The Colleen Bawn Reef.—Mr. Buchan states that this is another abandoned reef, which was once worked by a Joint Stock Company, whose shares were at one time selling at a high rigure. The strike of the reef is about due N. and S., and its dip E. at a very slight angle. A good number of crushings were taken out and averaged about one ounce of gold per ton. The reef is small and in no place more than 18 inches; it would not average more than 9 inches in thickness, The top and bottom walls are exceedingly hard. Were it not so, the reef could be profitably worked, as it is adjoining the Elizabeth and Heart of Oak, and within a few yards of a battery.

The Vale of Avoca Reef.^*—This lies according to Mr. Buchan, at the north end of the same spur, as the Colleen Bawn is on. It is a large mullock reef running N. and S. with a very slight dip towards the east. The last crushing gave 14 dwts. of gold per ton, and were it not in a very awkward place to get to, it could be worked profitably. The quartz had to be packed a part of the way, sledged another part and carted the remainder of the way to the crushing machine. A little capital would make a road which might make the reef pay handsomely. Several adits are put in on this reef at different levels. It was taken up a short time ago, and another adit is being driven which will give about 200 feet overhead. At the lowest level the prospects are better than on the surface.

The Robert Burns Reef.—This lies about a mile west of Carricktown, low down the north slope of a steep spur, near the head of Pipeclay Gully. It is about 2 feet thick, strikes E. 20° S., and page 220dips northward at 55°. Its walls appear pretty well defined. Crushings have yielded 25 dwts. of gold per ton. The gold ran out in depth, but may likely have dipped eastward in strike.

The Nil Desperandum Reef.—It lies nearly in a line with, and only a few chains S.E, from the former, but strikes S.E. and dips vertically. Some satisfactory returns have been obtained from it, but it became also unpayable in depth.

The John Bull Reef.—This runs about 9 chains higher up the slope, near the top of the spur, south abreast of, and parallel to to the Nil Desperandum, and dips N.E., i.e., towards it at an angle of 45°. According to Mr. Buchan, it is one of the most extensively worked reefs on the range, and has proved to a depth of over 200 feet. Down to that depth it was very small and averaged about 15 dwts. of gold per ton. These last three reefs which have been deserted for some time, ought, according to their strikes and dips and mutual position, to unite not far up the range; and to test the junction of the John Bull and Robert Burns reefs in depth, Griffiths and party are at present engaged in continuing the adit of the Old Golden Gate Company (who originally worked the reefs[gap — reason: illegible] in the calculated direction. This is no doubt a very promising undertaking, for the junction of the reefs may likely prove richer than each reef proved by itself. That one reef should have faulted the other, I see no reason to apprehend.

Not far from the Robert Burns Reef, in the gully, stands a small public crushing machine, owned by Logan and Company. This consists of a battery of 5 heads of revolving stamps, about 6 cwt. each, driven by a steam-engine, with arrangement for introducing hot water into the coffers. The saving of the gold is effected on a common amalgamating table, and 14 feet of blanket strakes, with 2-inch fall per foot. For the treatment of the blanket-sand, serve a revolving barrel and a shaking table. I have also to notice another public crushing machine, viz., that of the Old Royal Standard Company, standing near Quartzville, at the foot of the Carrick Range. This consists of two batteries, each of 4 heads of revolving stamps, fed by hand and driven by a steam-engine. As gold saving appliances are used, common amalgamating tables and 10 feet of blanket strakes, laid at an inclination of about 2 inches per foot. From what I could see, there seemed to be danger of grease from the stampers dropping into the coffers. This should most carefully be guarded against; for grease not only prevents the quicksilver from acting upon the gold, but has also a strong tendency of flouring it.