The man, apparently unconnected with any of the party, was at once called up; and was told, that the dirt was to be sold; and that the intending purchaser wished to see a “prospect” washed, by some person not interested in the sale. He was then asked, if he had any objections to wash a dish or two from the heap.
Of course he had not—not the slightest—anything to oblige them.
“Take a little from everywhere,” said one of the owners, “and that will show what the average will yield.”
The confederate did as requested; and obtained a “prospect” that proclaimed the dirt probably to contain about four ounces to the load.
The doctor was in a great hurry to give the diggers their price—and in less than ten minutes became the owner of the heap.
The dirt had been, what the diggers call, “salted,” and, as was afterwards proved, the speculating doctor did not get from it enough gold to pay the expenses of washing!
At Ballarat my partners and I were successful in our attempts at gold hunting; and yet we were not satisfied with the place. Very few diggers are ever contented with the spot upon which they happen to be. Rumours of richer fields elsewhere are always floating about on the air; and these are too easily credited.
In the latter part of the year 1853, a report reached the diggings of Victoria: that very rich “placers” had been discovered in Peru.
There is now good reason for believing, that these stories were originated in Melbourne; that they were set afoot, and propagated by ship agents and skippers, who wished to send their ships to Callao, and wanted passengers to take in them—or, rather, wanted the money which these passengers would have to pay.
Private letters were shown—purporting to have come from Peru—that gave glowing descriptions of the abundance of gold glittering among the “barrancas” of the Andes.