A VISIT TO THE WESTERN GOLDFIELDS.
BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER
No. 2.
LEAVING Sofala and the Turon behind, I commenced the ascent of the table land to the
southward, a quarter of a mile along the Bathurst road, with a gentle ascent, which leads
to the top of the first plain or level; this has been appropriated for a race-course, and here
you observe a series of flat summits following the course of the river for three or four
miles, all of the same elevation, which, at the first view, will be taken for one continued
plain, but on closer observation will be found to be separated by several ravines or
water-courses, descending from the table-land, all of which have been found to contain heavy
deposits of the precious metal; were worked at a very early period after the discovery of
gold in the locality, and have been turned over several times since, always with profitable
results. Church-hill Creek, on the left, separates the Race-course hill from the long
sloping declivity which terminates the range forming the western bank of Little Oakey
Creek; at the foot of this declivity stands the wooden church of Sofala, with its
diminutive spire, and near it the parsonage and Denominational school-house -- both
remarkable for their simplicity and neatness; looking back upon the town you see its one
long street stretching along the south bank of the river from the base of Church-hill to the
ridge of rocks which have diverted the course of the stream, and turned it with a sharp
angle northwards for a mile, when it is again driven back by the mountains, and, making
a detour, passes the base of the same ridge on the opposite side, thus forming Lucky Point.
This point on its western slope has been much worked, and still affords profitable
occupation to several parties of Europeans and Chinese. The height of the ridge at its
narrowest point is about 100 feet above the level of the river, and the width at its base
180 yards, the distance from water to water not exceeding 200 yards. A tunnel through
the neck of this peninsula would bring the channel of the stream into a right line, and dry
about three miles of its present tortuous course. The bed of the river round Lucky Point is
said to be immensely rich in some places, but the depth of the detritus being from ten to
thirty feet, and the quantity of water that would accumulate from springs and leakage,
present obstacles almost insurmountable to the miner, except in a very dry season.
From the spot on which I now stood it was evident that the bed of the river had at no very
remote period occupied a much higher level than its present channel, higher even than the
site of the town, and that at some former time it has passed over the ridge now forming
Lucky Point: it is probable that the stream; that the vast accumulation of detritus brought
down by the various courses from the extensive table lands forming Wattle and Bullock
Flats have gradually pushed it to the base of the steep ranges on the opposite bank, where,
unable to retreat further. It has reduced its channel to a lower level by abrasion, and the
notion of the many heavy floods to which it must have been subjected in this
mountainous region. It will be seen that the workings from Ration Hill, passing through
Mundy's, Golden, Maitland, Lucky, Sheepstation, and Patterson's Points, are all on the
same level, or nearly so, and higher than that line payable ground has not been found on
the north side -- in fact, the formation of the ranges on the northern bank, with the short
and precipitate character of their water-courses, render it very impregnable, if not
impossible, what such large quantities of fine water-worn gold could have been produced
by them as have been taken from the points above specified. They must, therefore, have
been supplied from the table lands on the south side at a period when the bed of the river
was at least one hundred feet above its present level. There are also indications at various
points between the Gulf and Sofala that the bed of the stream has been many feet higher
than at present, particularly, in the straight reach, two miles in length, near the upper part
of Arthur's station. It is certain that the narrow basin at the bottom of which Sofala stands
has been at a recent date the bed of the Turon and that the gold now, procured from the
diggings on the slopes at the back of the main street has been deposited by that river. The
gravel and debris from the trappean rocks on the table land has filled up the basin to the
depth of twenty or thirty feet. and have covered it with a rich loam by their
decomposition, but the filling up has not been sufficient to prevent the town from being
submerged in the event of one of those floods which may reasonably be anticipated, in an
unusually rainy season, from the formation of the country. Sofala is built in a basin
within a basin, five main creeks and a thousand minor streams all pour their concentrated
waters into the Turon within three or four miles above the town, and are the only outlets
for the drainage of nearly 400 square miles of country below the gulf ranges, add to this
the immense body of water brought down from the broken preciptate ridges of the Upper
Turon, while to carry off this accumulation of waters there is but the one channel round
Lucky Point, until they rise on a level with the rocky ridge, at least 50 feet, above the roof
of the highest building in the main street, -- a steep continuous range forms the north
bank of the river from Gulf to the Crudine, several miles below Sofala, this range is a
spur from a higher and unbroken range, through which the Turon forms its chasm-like
passage at the Gulf, and running at a right, angle to the range on the northern bank for
many miles connects itself with the great main range running S.E. to Palmer's Oakey, and
the Willawa on the left, and to the right with the high table lands, forming Bullock and
Wattle Flats, a spur from the latter being the hill on which Sofala church is built, which
carries a considerable elevation to the bank of the river, thus enclosing an immense area
of a hill district, surrounded by a barrier from 800 to 1500 feet above the level of the river,
and for the collected waters of which there is no passage to the lower country but the
Narrow Turon.
On the right of the Racecourse is Spring Creek, having its source also in the tablelands
from whence, after a course of four or five miles, cutting its deep channel through the
detritus forming the elevated plain immediately above the Turon; it empties itself into
that river. This creek has been worked and re-worked, and some of the, heaviest nuggets
that have been found in New South Wales have been taken from its bed, and there are
still, and always will be, men employed upon it, its source is under Mount Loose, and two
or three quartz reefs, either skirt or cross it near the head; it falls into the Turon opposite
Sheep Station Point, which, immediately below its junction, has been one of the richest
portions of the river. Above the opposite bank of spring Creek is Kearney's Flat, at the
bass of the broken descents from the table-land, which has produced, a large quantity of
gold; and further still Insolvent Hill, which, although it proved a failure in the first
instance, has latterly been productive.
The bench or plateau at the foot of the broken descents from the table land have been
formed, to a considerable extent by the debris of quartzose and trappean rocks from the
flats above which have sup- plied most of the gold to be found in it, and this debris is
usually from thirty to seventy feet deep, being deepest about half-way across the course,
the sinking is mainly through water-worn gravel and stones, with a little clay, resting
upon a schistose rock, a large a quartz reef crops out on the conical crest over Church hill,
can be traced down the western slope, and dips under the Racecourse, near the
Buryal-ground. Over this reef many shafts have been sunk, and a good deal of gold has been
taken out. The sinking has extended across the head of the Racecourse, nearly from creek
to creek. Beyond this is the Church of England Burial ground which has been honey-combed
by shafts and tunnels through its whole extent, men, in their thirst for gold not
even regarding the sanctity of the dead. In one corner of this cemetery, a few graves are
huddled together in the smallest possible space. Here begins the ascent of the ranges.
Along a good road on the left are two or three green conical summits, very similar in their
appearance, which fall into Little Oakey, and on your, right a deep valley, through which
Spring Creek finds its way, the mountains gradually rising one above another until they
are crowned by Mount Loose, on the verge of the table land, while to the westward are
piled mountain on mountain in a confused mass, broken by many water courses and
gullies these ranges fall into Bell's Creek, on their west side, with tremendous precipices;
that creek takes its rise on the table land, near M'Cabe's Flat, winds through a very wild
country, cutting deep chasms, in the schistose formation which here re-appears, and
precipitating itself over several ledges of rocks, some of which are upwards of 120 feet in
perpendicular height, falls into the Turon at Patterson's Point. The flat, where it has its
source, is auriferous, being to the westward of Wattle Flat, divided from it by a low range,
containing a number of quartz reefs with their leaders. All these reefs produce gold, the
slopes below them having invaluably proved to be rich surfacing, and are in many places
worked; the upper part of Bell's Creek has consequently been found productive by the
miner, and worked in places until it bursts from the mountains, below this the broken
country falls and precipices with the difficulty of access to its bed have been
unfavourable to prospecting; at its junction with the Turon, the quantity of water is also
against mining operations. As much as 200 ounces of gold have been found underneath a
boulder, where the streams from the creek and river come in contact, and these are good
reasons for believing that a large quantity of gold in this creek has yet to be discovered.
The road now continues scarped along the side of the range, and ascends over one
summit after another until you reach the table land about 1500 feet above the river. Here
it passes between the ridge, which falls with steep descent into Little Oakey on the left,
and Mount Loose on the right, and beyond the deep gorge which forms that watercourse
may be seen the long regular spur from the table land which separates the waters of Big
from Little Oakey, gradually declining in height until it sinks in Erskine Flat; further still
pursuing the same north and south course, may be seen the heavy gloomy ranges forming
the basins of Pennyweight, and Big Oakey Creeks, and as you now and again rise over
the top of some green knoll gently swelling from the plain, you find yourself on the verge
of a deep gulf with overhanging cliffs, stunted shrubs, and patches of green sward,
interspersed with detached masses through which the mountain torrents, rushing from the
dark recesses of the forest, leap from rock to rock, and fling themselves into the stream.
Here and there white spots, on some projecting bank of verdure, are visible deep in the
gulf below; there are clusters of diggers' tents, and that bird half way down, largely
skimming the air is an eagle watching his opportunity to pounce upon a hen and her
young brood, or to feed upon the refuse from the camp. In the distance the lofty summits
of the gulf range overtop the intermediate hills and bound the prospect.
Proceeding along the road the plain becomes more and more extended; cottages with
their cultivated enclosures line the way side, and are to be seen in every direction
scattered over the flat. On the right, a long ridge from Mount Loose runs north and south,
and falls generally with an easy undulating slope to the heights overhanging Big Oakey.
Many quartz reefs, having a north-west and south-east course, with countless leaders,
cross these slopes through their whole length, beginning at the crest of the ridge and
continuing, at irregular distances to the range over the heights before stated, below these
reefs are numerous depressions which become deeper as they wind through the flat, and
uniting form small ravines which fall into Big Oakey; all these depressions and ravines
have been worked for miles, and all have been found rich -- in fact, the whole flat is a
payable gold-field, and every portion of it will remunerate the gold-digger for his labour,
mining operations being limited only by the supply of water. The surface is a compound
of decomposed trap and quartz, with small nodules of iron, with occasional blocks of an
intensely hard ferruginous cement, containing quartz pebbles; in one particular locality,
bearing evidence of great igneous action, the whole mass being vitrified. This appearance
of the rocks and the vitrifaction of the conglomerate with the abundance of iron, is
greatest in the flat at the southern base of Mount Loose, and where it most abounds, gold
is found in the largest quantities.
As you leave this flat and proceed to the southward, the appearance of igneous action
becomes abated, the vitrified ferruginous conglomerate disappears, and the quartz reefs
become larger and contain less iron. The surface has been worked extensively to the
depth of from six to eighteen inches below the quarfz reefs, wherever water was available.
On the flats, below this whitish gravelly surface, is a stiff tenacious, reddish, brown clay,
having a very, small proportion of grit and fragmentary quartz intermixed, and differs
from anything to be found on the lower levels around Sofala, or on the Turon; this clay
rests upon a greyish trap in some places and in others upon altered schistose rocks. It is of
irregular depths, varying from five to ten feet; and universally contains gold, varying in
quantity according to the contiguity of a quartz reef and other local circumstances. Its
tenacity is such that there is no leakage or soakage from reservoirs, constructed either by
excavation or dams, which are numerous through the flat, every available spot being
converted into a water hole, the primary object of miners here being to obtain a supply of
water, as they knew that they can hardly go wrong for finding gold. The yield of this clay
on choice claims has been as much as an ounce to the tub, and half an ounce is not
uncommon; but the present average yield is between 2 and 3 dwts per load. The gullies
and ravines were much richer, but they may now be said to be exhausted; the ground in
these is what diggers call, rotten and unsafe, which renders the working of the pillars, an
operation attended with, much danger it is therefore seldom attempted -- in these gullies
the gold was usually found on the rock, from whence it rose into the clay, and at some
distance from the slope of the bank into the surface, through which it could be followed
to a reef or leader.
From the tenacity of the clay and the extreme difficulty in washing it, the tub and cradle
are generally unsuitable, and by means of these primitive implements, it is possible that a
man could make but a meagre subsistence, even on average ground, in the flats; but the
same ground is admirably suited for puddling machines, of which about fifteen are now
in active operation, and about twelve others are in the course of erection. These machines
employ from four to five hands each, and usually wash from twenty to thirty loads daily,
to do which two horses are necessary, one to draw the stuff and the other to work the
machine. Most of the companies have availed themselves of the clause in the new
regulations, to obtain a lease of one or more acres, and it is said that several applications
were refused by the authorities, as they will only grant leases of abandoned ground for
puddling purposes, and are indisposed to alienate auriferous lands that can be made to
pay by the ordinary method of working: be that as it may, on Wattle Flat alone there is
ample space for one hundred additional machines.
A company consisting of four industrious sober men, by means of one of these machines,
can make remunerative wages for years on this table-land; it is one of the few modes by
which a man with a small capital can make a sure and certain subsistence, and has the
chance of doing better.
Having prospected and leased your claim of one or more acres, the first object is to select
a suitable spot for a reservoir. Either build a dam across the bed of a dry watercourse or
excavate on the fall of the ground to the depth of three or four feet, the clay thrown out
will afterwards, by puddling, more than pay the cost of excavation, and you can extend
the waterhole by working from either end of it. Advantage is then to be taken of the
ground to cut small drains or feeders, and the probability is that the first day's rain or a
thunder shower will fill your reservoir to the brim, and that it will never again be empty.
The tub has now to be constructed. This is a circular trough, formed in the ground, from
20 to 24 feet in diameter, 36 to 48 inches wide, and 3 feet deep On the bottom a stout
plank flooring is laid, well jointed, the sides are lined with plank, and the true circle
carefully preserved, on one side is a small trough, connecting the reservoir with the tub
through which water is introduced over the top either by a sluice gate when it can be
raised sufficiently high, or by a pump, on the other side is another trough with a sluice
gate entering the tub at the bottom for the purpose of drawing off the refuse water, and in
the bottom of this trough a small box about half an inch deep should be inserted
containing quicksilver, with two or three ripples below to catch any that might escape by
the first rush of the water, this is for the purpose of saving the flour gold of which there is
a large proportion in the washing stuff, which would otherwise be lost, a post is now
inserted in the centre of the circle, resting on the rock if possible, and cut off on a level
with the edge of the tub, the inner circle must now be well rammed and made as solid as
possible, a strong piece of seasoned timber must be then placed across the centre
extending three feet on either side beyond the outer edge of the tub, and raised 7 feet high
on two strong posts, one on either end, a similar piece crosses it at right angles, and a
perpendicular spindle working on iron gudgeons is placed in the centre, and from, this a
long arm to which the horse is attached, and two or three shorter arms to which triangular
harrows are fastened by chains. The machine is now complete. 'The tub is two thirds
filled with washing stuff -- say twenty or thirty loads, water is admitted, and the horse
turning the spindle drags the harrows round and round for a couple of hours; the water is
now converted to a thick mud, the surface drawn off and the operation repeated until the
whole is reduced to two or three load, and all the lumps broken and dissolved. The
remainder is then cradled in the ordinary manner. A novice may make some blunders at
the commencement, but practice will soon make him master of his work.
The sludge or refuse from these machines is very great and, besides inundating payable
grounds, it is anticipated that much dissension will be created between the various parties,
when they are all at work; as those on the higher ground must overflow those below,
unless they take precautions attended with labour and expense to prevent it. The refuse
from these machines would make tiles, jars, and every description of pottery of the best
quality, but then we have as yet no market in the interior.
Returning to the road, which is crossed by several small and shallow dry watercourses, all
of which have been exhausted both of water and gold by the miner you arrive at
Atkinson's Creek every part of which has been worked. It follows the southern base of
Mount Loose, which on this side slopes gently to the plain and is connected with the
ridge formerly referred to by a low gap. This creek commences with a wide depression
under the gap; the watercourse narrows as it proceeds down the slope, where it receives
two or three smaller streams, becomes then ravine, and falls over the rooks into the main
stream. This water-course has been extremely rich, and has been worked from the mouth
to the top of the gap; there are now several puddling machines re-working the old claims,
and a few erecting on the flat, to try their fortune on the new ground. Ascending the gap,
you find that the miner has followed the gold to the crest which here presents all the
indications of great igneous action, blocks of ferruginous quarz and the vitrified
quartzose conglomerate are frequent amidst fragmentary, or trap and silicified rocks. The
large quartz reef which crops out under the crest of Mount Loose, and may be traced on
its southern side, dips before it reaches the gap, and will in all probability be found a few
feet under the surface; in the vicinity of this gap and the fall from it fragments of quartz
having gold in the matrix are frequently picked up, in fact of daily occurrence. In going
over the ground, a gentleman with me picked up a piece which, if crushed, would average
30 ounces to the ton. The side of Mount Loose is also auriferous, but has not been
worked. Crossing the gold mining operations house, following the N.W. base of Mount
Loose through Piper's Flat and Piper's Creek, across M'Cabe's Flat, until it forms a
junction with Bell's Creek, in point of fact, Piper's Creek is the head of Bell's Creek,
having its source in the gap, immediately below which the number of claims worked by
puddling machines and cradles, denote a rich deposit, and are most extensive. Here the
tub and cradle can make good wages, as the gravel on the surface is deeper and more
easily wasted; a break at the base of Mount Loose separates it from the flat a little below
the gap, thus cutting off any supply from the mountain, and is a strong evidence that the
deposit in the upper part of the flat is derived from it. The fact of two rich water courses,
payable to the summit, proceeding at opposite sides from this part of the road, renders it
clear that the quartz reef, with its leaders, covered with the debris of the mountain at its
lowest point of junction with the range, must be rich in gold; the workings on either
declivity are now separated 200 yards, and somewhere within these 200 yards will the
reef be found. Solitary Creek has its source, or rather its depression, under this reef,
which reappears two miles further along the range in a S.E. direction; and, from the reef
downwards it has been enormously rich, until it falls over the heights into the Oakey, as
much as 200 or 300 ounces having been taken out of single claims; this, with its leaders,
appears to have been the reef which has supplied most of the gold on the flat.