Canadian Paper - The Indicator Vein, Ballarat, Australia

In " The Genesis of Certain Auriferous Lodes "* Dr. Don makes a reference to a curious vein-formation known as the "Indicator," which characterizes a portion of the Ballarat mining district,, in Victoria, Australia. During 1890 and again in 1898 I had an opportunity of making a few notes, which, although somewhat belated,t may be worth adding to the observations recorded in the Transactions of the Institute. The country of the Ballarat gold-field consists of the Lower Silurian slates and sandstones, which also enclose the reefs of Bendigo; but it is noteworthy that the successive anticlinal folds, and accompanying saddles of quartz, which distinguish Bendigo are not characteristic of Ballarat, the geological structure of which presents greater complexity. That part of the district known as Ballarat East became famous early in its history on account of the large nuggets which were found in the alluvium, and subsequently it became further known because of a peculiar persistent black seam, traversing the bed-rock underlying the alluvial deposits, which was found to be associated with rich bunches of gold-ore, not only in the gravel that capped it at the surface but also in the quartz-veins which crossed it underground. The name of " Indicator " was early given. In 1871 Mr. Morgan Llewellyn directed attention to it as influencing the distribution of the gold. In the government quarterly report for December, 1888,