5th.
That, owing to the nature of the mountainous mining regions, a much
greater number of gold-bearing lodes were exposed at the surface in
California than in this country, though this circumstance would be, to
some extent, counterbalanced by the greater regularity, continuity in
the lines of strike, and easier-working country observed with our
Victorian quartz reefs.
6th.
That the Oalifornians, in order to overcome all difficulties, and also
the equally great question of treating their crushed quartz, which
contains certain ingredients detrimental to perfect gold extraction,
have adopted and are continually perfecting a very superior method for
treatment of such quartz, which latter, I submit, serves the purposes
intended admirably.
The
ledges located and worked in the more southern counties of
California—viz., Calaveras (part only visited), Tuolumne, and
Mariposa—proved on investigation to be similar to those already
described; but as in all these mining regions the term "mother lode of California'''' is
much used, it may be as well for me to explain that phrase, as it means
simply a characteristic succession of strongly developed outcrops of
auriferous quartz, of more or less value, frequently rising above the
surface in ponderous masses to a height approaching 60 or 80 feet, and
invariably almost stained green from carbonates of copper. And as these
masses of quartz are of considerable thickness, and, besides, surmount
the more prominent mountain peaks, their appearance for many miles has
found what may be considered a very appropriate appellation. We, in
Victoria, would be justified, I think, on nearly as good grounds, if we
were to term the continuation of the Bendigo lodes throughout the
Castlemaine, Taradale, Daylesford, and Blackwood districts the " mother
lode of Victoria."
The
country rocks in the Californian gold districts differ unmistakably
from those found in contiguity with our Victorian reefs. Near Grass
Valley they are mostly highly metamorphosed schists or sandstones,
passing into diorite or greenstone syenite, all of which are charged
with pyrites of iron ; and in other districts the country rocks belong
to the chlorite, talc, and hornblende groups of schists. The marked
difference thus exhibited does not, however, in any one case extend to
the gold-bearing lodes, which, as already stated, resemble very closely
indeed those worked in Victoria. Many times, underground, I could not
see any difference between our reefs on Bendigo, Clunes, and Stawell,
though I well knew I was examining Californian ledges all the time. The
only place where I observed true Silurian slates and sandstones, with
faint traces of " graptolites " and allied petrifactions in the wall
rocks, was at Tuttletown, Calaveras County. In these slates,
&c, a very similar formation to that worked at Snob's Hill,
Eaglehawk, was visible; but, instead of the heavy gold generally found
in the spurs worked near Eaglehawk, this Californian quartz contained
that very peculiar kind of " leaf gold" which fills the crystallized
cavities of their quartz, and is of course very light, and therefore
difficult to collect. (Marks and Durrow mines.)
In
the Mariposa County, adjoining, near Coulterville City, the Merced
River has, during the process of its erosion, disclosed many valuable
quartz lodes where that river intersects the " mother lode" with its
numerous parallel ledges. Amongst these, the following deserve notice,
viz.:—Pine Tree, Anderson, Crown Peak, Adelaide, Midas, Balston, and
others. All these have, time after time, given excellent returns to
considerable depths from
