Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 581

Shafts sunk in the Victorian mines vary in depths from ten to one hundred & eighty foot. At these [various] depths the washing soil is found immediately above the bed rock, and varies in thickness from [six] to twenty two inches, the best gold being got in washing stuff at from two to six inches thickness.

Shafts are sunk through various false bottoms, sometimes consisting of quantities [can't read] of slate, these in sinking are sounded with the crow bar, which indicates when bed rock has been reached, when this is come upon, the tunnelling or drifting from the bottom of the shaft takes place, & is made in various directions, say in the form of a star.
There driftings are from three to four foot high which allows the miner room to take out the working soil.

In the Colony of Victoria, the greatest quantity of gold, the heaviest deposits and largest nuggets have been discovered in localities where Geologists did not hesitate to say it could not be deposited according to the all received & known [can't read] of their science, and it has been justly remarked that the gold diggers pick & shovel have proved more truths regarding the deposits of gold in the Australian Colonies than all the theories laid down by the learned.

Latitude and Longitude of the Principal Gold Fields in Victoria

The following are the principal gold fields in the Colony of Victoria in which diggers are at present at work. To mark the locality they are placed in regular succession according to Longitude from west to east.

	Latitude	Longitude		Latitude	Longitude
Mount William, Grampians	37º 15’	142º 35'	Mc [Can't read]	37º	145º
Noosa, Pyrenees	37º	143º 10'	Andersons Creek	37º 40'	145º 10'
Maryborough Simpsons Range	37º 5'	143º 40	Plenty Ranges	37º 35'	145º 10'
Balaraat	37º 35'	143º 58'	Goulbourn	37º 5'	145º 50
[Fassengower]	37º 5'	144º	Ovens, Australian Alps	36º 36'	146º 40'
Ballan	37º 33'	144º 15'	Omeo, Australian Alps	36º 35'	147º 30
Mount Alexander	37º	144º 20'
Bendigo	36º 20'	144º 20'

[can't read] the discoveries of gold in New South Wales have been principally confined to surpassing the great Cordillera, the great [can't read] situated to the westward of this great range have remained untouched by the gold finders. In the colony of Victoria these basins are nearer to the settled districts & are of easier access. The immense deposits of gold which have been come upon in that colony have been [can't read] in the undulating ranges & low country of these basins. Similar discoveries of deposits of gold are anticipated by me in the basins & range country situated to the westward of the great Cordillera in New South Wales, & these [can't read] in the following [can't read].

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Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 581

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Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 581

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