Mr. Hay’s Lecture on Minerals.—In Saturday’s issue a summary was published
of Mr. J. G. Hay’s lecture delivered recently at the Museum, on “Minerals,
and How to Tell Them.” Under yesterday’s date a correspondent writes :—“A
wayside traveller at a station on the Midland line begging a paper to read
lit upon this report, and starting off with a few others, investigated
some country about 200 miles from Perth. Taking Mr. Hay’s directions ‘How
to Find Gold,’ he struck an outcrop which the practical miners, who
accompained [sic] him, condemned, but the original prospector following up
the indications struck a piece actually showing the precious metal. Other
samples were taken for the purpose of free assay by the State
mineralogist, which gave the appearance of reef-casing, etc. Again the
practical miners stated he could not get an assay carried out by the
Government officers free of cost, but relying on Mr. Hay’s statement he
brought to Perth to-day several samples which he has left with the State
mineralogist for his judgment.
