Better and better. Richard was immediately engrossed in his process of mental calculation, and achieved a result of six thousand nine hundred and sixty pounds. What a fine sight it would be, all in sovereigns! But it was a pity it was not an even seven thousand pounds, he thought.
"Then there was the Welcome nugget--the biggest lump of gold found yet--found at Ballarat, nearly two hundred feet down. Weighed a hundred and eighty-four pounds."
A hundred and eighty-four pounds! Something like a nugget that! Richard quickly multiplied it by twelve; two thousand two hundred and eight ounces, at four pounds an ounce, eight thousand eight hundred and thirty-two pounds.
He said this aloud, "Eight thousand eight hundred and thirty-two pounds."
"They sold the nugget for ten thousand pounds," said the Welshman.
"Did they? That was glorious. And that was the largest nugget?"
"The largest nugget ever found."
He had obtained the information at last. The largest nugget! Ten thousand sovereigns for one piece of gold, discovered merely by a blow from a pick. The largest nugget ever found! Why they might find a larger! Three hundredweight, four hundredweight, a quarter of a ton, perhaps!
"Do you think that bigger nuggets will be discovered than those you speak of, Tom?"
"To be sure. There are some places where gold will be found in great lumps."