1873. A.Trollope, `Australia and New Zealand,' c. xix. p. 286:
"Here we found about a dozen Chinamen `fossicking' after gold amidst the dirt of the river, which had already been washed by the first gold-seekers."
1880. G. Sutherland, `Tales of Goldfields,' p. 22:
"He commenced working along with several companions at surface digging and fossicking."
1894. `The Argus,' March 14, p. 4, col. 6:
"The easiest and simplest of all methods is `fossicking.' An old diggings is the place for this work, because there you will learn the kind of country, formation, and spots to look for gold when you want to break new ground. `Fossicking' means going over old workings, turning up boulders, and taking the clay from beneath them, exploring fissures in the rock, and scraping out the stuff with your table knife, using your pick to help matters. Pulling up of trees, and clearing all soil from the roots, scraping the bottoms of deserted holes, and generally keeping your eye about for little bits of ground left between workings by earlier miners who were in too great a hurry looking after the big fish to attend much to small fry."
(3) To search for gold generally, even by stealing.
1861. T. McCombie, `Australian Sketches,' p. 60:
"A number of idle and disorderly fellows had introduced a practice which was termed `fossicking.' . . . In the dead hours of midnight they issued forth, provided with wax tapers, and, entering upon the ground, stole the auriferous earth."
(4) To search about for anything, to rummage.