Silver Lodes and Salt Lakes

Abstract

SINCE the discovery, some five or six years ago, of the extraordinary Broken Hill lode of silver-bearing ores, the public excitement on the subject in this part of the world has been attended with comparatively little scientific interest in regard to the geological features of the argentiferous country and the probable origin of deposits so vast and so remarkable in character; yet I believe that an examination of the main topographical and geological features of the eastern parts of South Australia and the western parts of New South Wales will probably throw more light upon the interesting subject of the origin of argentiferous lodes than the study of any other now known part of the globe; and, as I have had an opportunity of going closely into the matter during a recent visit to Broken Hill, I propose to lay briefly before your readers a few facts which seem to afford presumptive evidence in favour of the supposition that salt lakes and silver lodes are causally connected.