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contained a small piece of cotton fabric. This cloth is discoloured with an
as-yet undiagnosed substance, and is almost certainly associated with the
use of opium.
A number of the ferrous items from the site are pieces of fencing wire
which have been shaped for use as hooks, perhaps to suspend items from
rafters. Other pieces appear to have been used to bind bush timbers
together for hut construction or fencing purposes.
Other items of immediate interest were Chinese 'cash', the rim from an
opium pipe bowl, nails, lead seals from liquor and stout bottles. and a
fragment of a perforated zinc sheet. The zinc sheet is too fine to have
been used in a dry blower, and is perhaps from a meat-safe.
Glass from Chinaman's Garden Well included numerous fragments of
European 'patent' medicine bottles. a ground glass stopper as used by
pharmacists and two Chinese medicine vials.
Artefacts classified as architectural were found several quadrats. Analysis
of their distribution produces definite patterns, demonstrated in map 21.
The map shows these to represent two structures, or at least two clearly
separate areas of concentration. The artefacts included window glass,
nails. a keyhole escutcheon, twisted fencing wire, nuts, bolts and washers.
Most tableware and kitchenware items came from quadrats 50 to 59
south, 5 to 12 west of the survey origin; and from quadrats 70 to 75 south
of the survey origin and 4 to 9 meters west, constituting areas of 9 meters
by 7 meters and 5 meters by 5 meters respectively. These quadrats have
been shaded on map 22, and again the two separate concentrations are
apparent. Also in these quadrats were a very large number of ferrous items
with an unidentifiable function, but which could relate to tin cans. Some
bowl and platter fragments were found in quadrats 51 south, 24 and 25
west.
Glass items with medicinal associations came almost exclusively from
quadrats 54-59 south, 8,9 & 10 west, and from 70 to 74 south, 4-10 west.
These are shown on map 23. Personal items such as buttons, cuff-links,
and buckles, and opium-related artefacts came from a similar split of
quadrats, as demonstrated by map 24..
Analysis of the quadrats from which various classes of artefacts were
recovered suggests that two scatters, very similar in general content are
present in the southern part of the Chinaman's Garden Well site. Both
contain opium-related artefacts, both contain kitchenware, tablewares, and
clothing items. In each instance there is an absence of tools or other
artefact which relate to wood or metal-working. On the basis that kitchenand
table-wares, together with clothing items are present, I consider the
scatters are associated with residential occupancy. The presence of
opium-related artefacts, Chinese 'cash', and ceramic material of Chinese
origin, suggests the scatters have associations with the Chinese reputed to