NORTH-EAST COOLGARDIE GOLD

FIELD.

The North-East Coolgardie goldfield was proclaimed on February 19, 1896. Its boundaries were altered on November 13, 1896, and it has now an area of 21,542 square miles. The field is divided into three districts for administrative purposes, namely-Kanowna, Bulong, and Kurnalpi. No other goldfield of the State has proved so rich in alluvial gold as North-East Coolgardie, and it was when the alluvial workings were in full swing that it reached the height of its prosperity. In and around Kanowna alone, shortly after the discovery of the alluvial leads, there was a population of 12,000 people. The quantity of alluvial gold produced at Kanowna must have been enormous, but as most of it found its way to Kalgoorlie, and was incorporated with the yields from the East Coolgardie goldfield, it is impossible to form any estimate of the amount. The principal of the Kanowna leads, the North Lead, was thus referred to in an official geological report: "The North Lead lies in an old watercourse carved out of the older rocks, and has been proved to be not merely a simple isolated run of auriferous gravel, but part of a series of old stream deposits which took their rise in the comparatively elevated ground to the east and flowed in a general westerly direction . . The width of the old stream varies from 2 ft. to 80 ft., having an average, according to departmental observations, of about 15 ft. The thickness of the deposit in the old channel varies from a few inches up to as much as 90 ft. The fall of the lead is about at the rate of 40 ft. to the mile. The deposits filling the old watercourse naturally vary somewhat in different portions. They consist first of a variable thickness of surface loam, etc., succeeded by ironstone gravels partially cemented in places by kaolin and oxide of iron into solid rock. Beneath this lies a bed, or beds, of practically pure kaolin ("pug"), and a varying thickness of a pebbly quartz wash. ultimate derivation of gold in North Lead is from the quartz veins and lodes." Other alluvial leads at Kanowna from which handsome returns were obtained

The

were the South, Fitzroy, the Q.E.D., and Golden Valley; while other alluvial workings at Wilson's Gully, Shepherdess Flat, All Nations, Kangaroo Gully, Golden Cement, and Salvation Flat also yielded good profits. Regarding alluvial mining on the field, the Warden, in his last annual report, states: "The known alluvial workings at Kanowna, Bulong, Mt. Monger, Taurus, Kurnalpi, and Mulgabbie appear to be almost worked out, but at some of these places good reefs have been found, and a lot of low-grade material remains. With cheap means of extracting the gold, it is said, this material would pay handsomely. The satisfactory treatment of auriferous clay (or pug) has not been achieved. New methods are being constantly tried."

According to H. P. Woodward, the Consulting Government Geologist, "a large quartz reef from 3 ft. to 6 ft. in width, and running for miles in a more or less north and south direction, forms a prominent feature in the district. Several other parallel quartz reefs and cross reefs occur, and they are all situated to the east of the main reef. The gold shoots in the main reef contain the metal in a coarse form, and carry, besides, a considerable quantity of fine gold not visible in the stone. In the lower levels the gold is associated with pyrites (especially chalcopyrite) and mispickel."

We again quote the Warden's report for 1900:

"Although the yield of gold from this

field has been receding since 1899, and anticipations of a revival of mining have not been realised, yet there does not appear to be any ground for fearing that there is not a prosperous future for those who have invested their money here, or wish to invest it. That the field is rich in auriferous deposits is proved by the large quantities of the precious metal which have been found in localities situated long distances apart-such as Kanowna, Bulong, Kurnalpi, Mt. Monger, Taurus, Mulgabbie, the Six Mile, Vosperton, Mulgarrie, White Heads Find, the Jubilee, Gordon, Camelia, and other places, and the whole of the land which has been prospected or worked for gold is almost as nothing compared with the enormous area of country which remains in its virgin state. Capital and labour, if wisely employed, should have a perfectly fair field here for mining enterprise.

The White Feather Main Reef, Ltd.. maintains its position of premier and only dividend-paying mine on the goldfield owned by a company. Other properties owned by companies, on which useful development and exploratory work has been carried on during the year, are the Queen Margaret and a few others at Bulong, the White Feather Reward Claims, the North White Feather Gold Mines, Ltd., the Last Chance, the Kanowna Consolidated, the Kanowna Champion Lode Gold Mining Co., the Robinson Gold Mines, Ltd., the Bonnie Charlie Gold-mining Co., the Jubilee Gold Mines, South Gippsland Leases, the Vosperton Gold Mines, Ltd., etc.

"The rainfall was very good for the year. The rain-gauges at the Kanowna, Bulong, and Kurnalpi post-offices reccrded 10.22, 9.96, and 11.18 inches respectively. The rain fell on 71, 89, and 62 days; the average fall at the three places named being 10.4 inches, and the average number of days on which rain occurred being 74. Grass, flowers, weeds, etc., grew abundantly, and this fact, together with the success of a few persons who planted wheat, cabbages, peas, lettuce, radish, and mushrooms, proved that, given a sufficient rainfall or proper artificial irrigation, the productiveness of the soil is all that could be desired, and that the country could be made the home of the agriculturist and pastoralist as well as of the miner."

The following is the number of gold

mining leases in force on the goldfields, and their area: Kanowna 133, 1,625 acres; Bulong, 38, 509 acres; Kurnalpi 8, 133 acres. There are 215 stamps erected on the goldfield, 175 being at Kanowna. The number of miners employed at the end of 1900 was 1,635. In his report on the Bulong district for 1900, the Mining Registrar states: "From personal obscrvation and the general expressions of opinion, there appears to be an excellent future before Bulong, and I feel sure that very few places in the colony afford better indications for prospectors than Bulong, and the recent discoveries made, notably at Balagundi, have all been made in developing old workings; and I do not think that this fact would be confined to the Balagundi centre if other 'shows' were properly worked. The great drawback, as in most outside centres, is the want of capital, most of the leases being held by working miners or companies whose finances are not sufficient to enable them to vigorously develop their properties. Deep sinking would, I feel sure, if persevered in, be rewarded with satisfactory results. The past year has been exceptional for the amount of rainfall."

from new shafts, the former at a depth of 185 ft., and the latter at 160 ft. and 260 ft. There is a well-equipped 20-stamp mill of 1,000-lb. stamps and powerful driving machinery. The company has also lately purchased the "Lily Australis" mine of 36 acres, about two miles southward on the same line of reef, and has constructed a horse tramway along which ore from the Lily Australis is drawn for treatment at the North White Feather battery.

The prospects of the mines are decidedly good, and the company has every prospect of being a steady gold-producer for years to come. The mill was only started in April, 1901, and already the company has won 2,550 oz. of gold from 2,700 tons treated.

KANOWNA CONSOLIDATED.

The property of the Kanowna Consolidated Gold Mines Ltd. is situated about one mile north of Kanowna, and comprises two leases. These two leases were originally known as the Pride and Waldon's Find, respectively, and the total area comprised in them is sixty acres altogether. Immediately the Kanowna Consolidated Gold Mines Ltd. acquired them, active development work proceeded, and steps were taken to properly equip the mine with machinery. The main shaft goes down on the underlay 175 feet, in well-defined diorite walis, the reef being a free milling white quartz. At the 140 ft. level a drive is being put in, and here the reef averages 2 ft. in width, and is worth an ounce to the ton. The trend of this reef is north and south, and it dips east at about 60 to 65 degrees. A 10-head stamper battery has been erected, and has put through a large quantity of stone. Unfortunately, during last year (1900), owing to an insufficient water supply, the battery was only kept running a portion of the time. There is a complete up-to-date winding gear; and a cyanide plant, which consists of four vats, two of them with a capacity of 40 tons each, and the other two of 60 tons capacity respectively. The cyanide plant is capable of treating 600 tons per month. The mine looks well, and so soon as sufficient backs are opened up, crushing will be in active operation, and the number of men employed will be doubled. The mine is under the management of Mr. Alec. Roberts, who is also attorney for the company.

QUEEN MARGARET.

The premier mine at Bulong is the Queen Margaret, which started operaticns in July, 1896. The limited liability company which owns it has a nominal capital of £100,000, in 100,000 shares of 20s. each, and leases thirteen blocks with an area of 204 acres. The mine is equipped with a first-class plant, which includes a 20-head mill, two air-compressors, pumps, winding-engines, condensers, a Wilfley table for the concentrates, four Berdan pans, lathes, and saw-bench. The output of the mine to August, 1901, was 34,252 tons, for 39,610 oz. 11 dwt., an average of 1 oz. 3 dwt. 3 gr. per ton, and two dividends of 6d. per share have been paid.

The lode occurs in a country occupied by crystalline and metamorphic rocks of probably pre-Cambrian age. The ore body consists of kaolinised and partly kaolinised diorite, flanked by a hanging wall of graphitic schist, on which occurs a band of oxide of iron. The hanging wall is for the most part well defined. The footwall, however, does not show the same good definition, and at times the width of the ore body may run to 6 ft. or 8 ft., being determined by simply how much is payable. In the kaolinised material, numerous quartz veins occur, running at right angles to the strike of the walls, and standing more or less vertical, gold occurring both in the quartz veins and in the kaolin. Where these veins inter

sect the oxide of iron vein on the wall heavy pockets of gold, as a rule, are met with. The strike of the lode is north 7 deg. east, dipping at an angle of 52 deg. to the west. The general pitch Assoof the ore shoots is to the south. ciated with the gold are to be found pyrite, marcasite, galena, and occasionally bunches of sylvanite (telluride of gold and silver). The sulphides do not account for more than 3 per cent. of the ore, which is of a particularly free milling character, the gold in it being readily amenable to amalgamation in the mill, the tailings from which average under 2 dwt. per ton. Water level is found at a depth of 200 ft.

shaft. The east crosscut is now out

a distance of 1,300 ft. from the main shaft, and during the progress of this work three ore bodies have been intersected; but upon these, so far, no work Las yet been done, so that it is impossible to say what reserves the company may yet have in this direction. One of the ore bodies presents a highly favourable appearance, gold having been seen on both walls.

An ample supply of water for all purposes has been cut in extending the crosscut. Reverting to the underlay shaft from the 600 ft. level, the object is to prove the main lode below that level; and with this in view this shaft will be sunk to the 700 't. level, and levels put in north and south, and the sinking of the shaft also continued. So far, the lode maintains every appearance