BRITISH COLONIES—NEW SOUTH WALES—SYDNEY.
107
The Bingeka Gold Field, Gwvmn Kivek.— Specimens furnished by R. Bligh, Esq., C.C.L.
Name
and LocalityDiggings.
Surface Rock
Washing Stuff
Gold
Rock below theWashing Stuff.
“ Thompson’sSurface Diggingson the Table Landbetween theheads of Bingaraand CourowngouraCreeks.
At highest point,white iron-stainedSerpentine Clay(No. 26) ; on theDividing Ridge paleSerpentine with su-perficial coating ofgreen Carbonate ofCopper. (No. 25.See also No. 284 ofGeneral Collection,p. 48) ; and QuartzS.S.E. to N.N.W.in black alluvium.(No. Î.)
Fragments of Serpen-tine in clay about2 feet thick, restingon white clay whichoverlies fragmentarySerpentine. (No. 2.)
Brightand small nug-gety, semi-crystal-lised, with traces ofQuartz. (No. 3.)
Fragmentary Serpen-tine without Gold.(No. 4.)
“ Black SurfaceDiggings”
30 Chains from A,separatedby an
Auriferous Gully.
Serpentine on a lowridge under from6 inches to 2 feetof black alluvialsoil. (No. 5.)
Decomposed Ser-pentine over frag-mentary Serpen-tine. (No. 6.)
Similar to No. 3.Plentifully ob-tained by hoeingthe upperstratumto 2 or 3 inches,and washing theearth andj grass.(No. 7.)
Fragmentary Ser-pentine, with as-bestiform frag-ments, apparentlylike wood. (No. 8.)
C.
" Little BendigoGully,”head of CouroungouraCreek.
Mottled green Ser-pentine, covered byfragmentary Quartzand Gold in equalproportion. Speci-mens of Gold Quartzweigh from 10 to 100ounces. (No. 9.)
In old bed of theGully 3 feet belowthe surface, consist-ing of clay, concreteof Serpentine, andTrap. (No. 10.)
No Gold now pro-curable, owing towant of water. (4Dec., 1854.)
Quartz veins in Ser-pentine. Gold wasfound downwards to20 feet from surfaceof bed of rock, in avein dipping N.W.45 deg. No Gold at40 feet.
Chromnate of Iron,in modules scat-tered on the sur-face. (No. 12.)
D.
** Markham’sSwamp,” head ofBingera Creek.
Black alluvial soilof the swampwhich forms onehead of the Creek.
Plentiful at adepth of 2 feet6 inches.
E.
“ Red SurfaceDiggings,”at “ Blacksmith'sGully.”
Hard Serpentine,with white metaland blocks of fer-ruginous Quartz,fragments of veinsbroken up andabundantly spread.(Nos. 14, 15, 16.)
Reddish fragment-1 ary clay. (No.13.) All the sur-rounding surfaceis full of Gold ;but none now-procurable, owingdrought. 4 De-cember, 1854.
Large nuggets,dirty and tar-nished.
Class £.
Mining andMetals.
F.
“ BingeraCreek:” Length ofCourse 14 Miles,running North to theGwydir.
Hard QuartziferousSerpentine on bankof Creek. Red Jas-
S eroid Quartz to.E., extending tothe Gwydir. (Nos.17 and 18.)
Decomposed Serpen-tine and Trap belowboulders of the Creekbed. (No. 19.) Goldmost plentiful atabout 2 inches belowthe Table Land, andnear junction withthe Gwydir, butfound all along theCreek.
Solid, bright, yellownuggets, or with in-terior richlv frostedin small hollows. Butlittle Quartz. Onespecimen w eighed 26ounces. (No. 20 .)
Jasperoid Rock, andhard QuartziferousSerpentine, formingprecipitous falls.
(Nos. 21 and 22.)
N.B.—The numbers in this Table refer to the Specimens exhibited by R. Bligh, Esq., C.C.L. A general description of this Gold Field andits geological relations, is given in Rev. VV. B. Clarke's Report to the Government, dated 7th May, 1853.
The following Table has been compiled partly from returns obligingly supplied by the Gold Commissioners, and partlyfrom information obtained at the Treasury and Audit Offices.
Number of Digging
Quantity of Gold
Estimated Quantityconveyed away byother modes duringthe same Month.
Estimated Earnings
Name of Gold Field .
Licenses issued duringOctober, 1854.
Remitted by Escort duringthat Month.
per' Man during theMonth.
Ounces.
Turon River . . • •
894
1940
About 800 ounces.
£14 or £15, calculated
from the rate of wages.
Tambaroora ....
319
919
Very little ; but no
About £12.
correct data.
Meroo River ....
1236
2569. (Including Gold
Ditto.
£12 to £15, deduced
from LouisaCreek and
Mudgee.)
from the rate of wages.
llurrendong and Ophir . .
133
None.
400 ounces.
£12.
Hanging Rock . • . .
375
No Escort.
800 ounces.
£8
Bingera .
33.
The number of Diggers
There is no Escort at
£15 is probably below
is limited by the sup-ply of water, whichis never abundant,and in summer isvery scarce.
present from any of theNorthern Diggings.
the average earningsof those who worksteadily.
No Escort.
Adclong Creek ....
187
400 ounces. This repre-
£36.
sents simply what theDiggers expend in thepurchase of necessaries.They prefer to keeptheir savings in the
Aral uen.
681
About 2000 ounces.
shape of gold.
About 1000 ounces.
£16.