A VISIT TO THE WESTERN GOLDFIELDS.
BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER
No. 35.
The plains of Merrindee, bounded to the southward by the forehills which terminate the
steep descents from the table-land, extend to that point where the waters of the Meroo
mingle with those of the Cudgegong; from thence the united streams, following the
windings of a deep but narrow valley, pursue a north-westerly course for about
twenty-five miles, whence they form a junction with the Macquarie in such a manner as
to create a doubt whether the Macquarie receives the Cudgegong or the Cudgegong receives the
Macquarie. On the southern banks contracted undulating flats stretch from the margin of
the river to the base of the plateau, which presents the appearance of a continuous range
of lofty mountains broken here and there by some deep gorge, through which the streams,
swollen by one of those thunderstorms which are of such frequent occurrence in these
Alpine regions, come rushing from the heights with short-lived but resistless force, until
they reach the flats, across which they glide to the main stream. On the northern bank
lower ranges descend more gently from their dome like crests, on whose broad slopes the
sombre hues of an Australian forest contrast with occasional patches of bright green
sward. The dray road to Burrendong follows the sinuosities of the valley -- here passing
under shady clumps of oak along the margin of the stream, and there winding over some
rocky spur which, stretching from the mountains to the river, diverts its course. These
elevations are of the usual schistose character, but the schists have become less
argillaceous, and more arenaceous, and consequently coarser. Porphyritic dykes are now
and then exhibited by denudation at the base of the slopes, and in their neighbourhood
outbursts, or bosses, of quartz rock are of frequent occurrence, covering the surrounding
surface with their fragments. These rocks are not auriferous; they contain little or no iron,
either in the form of an oxide or pyrites, and are possibly nothing more than a transmuted
sand-stone. However, true veins are also to be found descending the hills and following
the crown of the ridges until they dip into the stream; these can easily be distinguished by
their casing, their crystallisation, and the presence of sulphuret of iron on either side of
the quartz, but more generally on the lower side of the dip in auriferous reefs usually
accompanied with particles of gold. Where these reefs or veins occur the points of the
elevations are thickly scattered with their debris. Particles of gold have been picked up on
the surface, and the bed of the river in their vicinity has been worked by the Chinese,
with indifferent success; at prcsent, one small party are located near an abandoned sheep
station, about five miles below Merrendee, and are the last to be found on the Cudgegong.
Having been informed that a path over the mountains would shorten the journey to
Burrendong by fifteen miles, leaving the road, I directed my course up a valley, and
following a beaten track, ascended the great range with difficulty. On the summit I
observed that a dozen different paths led off in as many directions. In vain I sought for
the print of a horse's hoof, or a human foot, nothing was to be seen but cattle-tracks, and
these were on all sides. Selecting one a little east of south, and believing that it would
conduct me to the Macquarie, I pursued it for hours through scrub, across valleys, over
mountains, and along the margin of deep ravines which became more intricate as I
proceeded: at last the track terminated at a cattle camp, pleasantly situated, no doubt, for
one of the bovine species, but not by any means the place in which one of the genus
homo would desire to pass the long cold hours of a winter's night. Marking the path, I
ascended one of the highest hills in the neighbourhood, and from the summit nothing met
my view but a wilderness of mountain tops. On the opposite side a fearful ravine,
stretching away to the south-west, impeded further progress. Following its course
upwards, in the hopes of finding a crossing-place, I traversed many creeks and gullies
falling into it, some of considerable length, in all of which were deep waterholes full to
the brim. Herds of wild cattle were frequent, which generally scampered off at my
approach to the side of some hill, where they stood staring at the intruder: the country
here was crossed by immense quartz dykes and reefs, and the entire surface was strewn
with their fragments. There is no part of the plateau where this formation occurs in
greater abundance; large veins were to be seen on all sides descending the slopes to the
watercourses. Having arrived over a perpendicular fall of three or four hundred feet into
the ravine, I found the main channel above it rocky, but of easy access, and well supplied
with water-holes, but there was then no running stream; the auriferous indications
continued in full force, the country more open; and the watercourses, being of more
gradual descent, contained a deep body of detritus in their channel. Here, lighting a fire, I
made myself at home for the night -- not in solitude, for the wild bulls made the hills
re-echo with their bellowings until nearly daylight. Rising with the sun, I continued on the
trail along the margin of the creek, which I began to hope would terminate at some out-station.
Here kangaroos might be seen in flocks, bounding across the little flats; they were
so numerous that a couple of good rifles would bring down a dray load in a few hours.
The path along the creek conducted me not to a hut but to an old horse-trap, which did
not appear to have been used for many years, as both posts and rails were mouldering and
decayed. Here, deeming discretion the better part of valour, I determined to retrace my
route, and, on my re- turn, with a knife and pint-pot, prospected several of the ravines and
gullies I had passed the day previous; in every instance I obtained grains of gold. All
these watercourses are auriferous, and many of them would remunerate the labour of the
digger. Water is to be found in the numerous water holes, and, from the formation of the
country, intersected by the deep ravine, it is probable that it would be found to contain
accumulations of the precious metal in places favourable for its deposit. That I was not
many miles distant from the Macquarie was evident from the broken character of the
country. With the exception of quartz, there were none of the usual igneous formations
exhibited on my route, and the arenaceous schists were uniform in their stratification,
with the prevailing dip of the district. Towards the afternoon I was again overlooking the
plains of Merrendee, and, upon descending to the encampment, could find no person that
knew anything of the district that had been the scene of my wanderings, nor any person
who was willing to venture so far from the stores in, search of that gold which all
professed so much anxiety to obtain: from what I could learn, I had been on the western
extremity of the Kangaroo Ground.
Having found a gentleman about to visit Burrendong, we started the next morning, and
this time struck the right trail, which took a direction at a right angle with my previous
track. The crown of a long spur conducted us to the summit of a lofty narrow range
trending to the north-west, and here ten miles of a track over a succession of ascents,
descents, rocks, and sidelings, leads you to a gap where a beaten path down the southern
face of the mountain points out the road to the diggings. On the right hand the narrow
basin of the Cudgegong lays far beneath -- its tortuous windings may be traced for miles,
and the sheen of its bright waters can be distinguished at intervals glittering like a streak
of molton silver through the dense foliage of the forest. On the left, the eye wanders over
the broad valley through which the Macquarie pursues its long and lonely journey to the
regions of the far west. The view is bounded to the S.W. by the Mullion range, above
which the distant Canobolas raise their heads, and to the N.W. by the Cunombeyna Hills
and the ranges beyond the Bell River. Nearer hand, in the valley, wide openings in the
forest, and bald hills, and grassy plains, present an appearance of cultivation that does not
exist, and I afterwards found that three publicans, a solitary stockman, and a few diggers,
comprised almost the entire population of a large portion of the lovely district that lay
spread out before me. The descent from the summit of the range for one-third of the
distance is somewhat too steep to be agreeable to cither man or horse; but below that long
spurs shoot out from the forehills and benches, and gradually subside into the plains that
border the river.
About half way down the range you arrive at a broad bench or steppe, intersected by the
Devil's Hole Creek, which, having its source in the range to the eastward, follows the
base of the main chain for a short distance, and then, sweeping round and forcing a
passage through the lower hills and ridges, enters the plains. A few hundred yards from
the point where it breaks from the ridges several strata of a compact calcareous schist are
exhibited on the northern bank: their dip to the west is scarcely perceptible, and they
appear to have been but little disturbed. On the opposite bank a low ridge of arenaceous
schist, covered with fragments of quartz, sinks into the stream. From the source to this
spot the creek has been much worked, and has yielded a vast quantity of gold, but lower
down its auriferous character ceases. It may also be remarked that no gold has been found
in the country between the northern bank and the main range: this stream may therefore
be said to form the north-western boundary of the Burrendong mining district. The
highest portion of the creek on the bench is known as the upper diggings. This locality
has been very productive: now, with the exception of two parties profitably employed
puddling the old ground, the whole creek is deserted. It was originally worked by
Europeans, but the traces of recent Chinese encampments are to be observed scattered
along the banks, and the fact of these people having departed is a conclusive evidence
that the gold has departed also.