“Well, now, give it up,” said California, “the joke’s gone far enough.”
“Joke, what joke?” the stranger asked.
“Why, we sent you up there just for a joke, because you were greenhorns. There ain’t no gold there, nor never was.”
“Well, if that’s so, the joke is on you,” was the reply, and the miner told of the good luck of his party.
The Californians devoted a few minutes to unincumbered profanity, and then went and staked out claims near those of the strangers. Thus they indirectly made something out of their practical joke. Thus was discovered one of the richest fields in the Bathurst district.
Profitable diggings are scattered all over the country, but are chiefly in New South Wales and Victoria. The gold was at first found in small lumps in the surface earth, but this was soon exhausted. Then deep excavations were made, and though the deposits were not so numerous, the lumps were found to be larger. At Ballarat, near Geelong, where the most valuable lumps were found, the shafts were sunk sometimes to a depth of more than a hundred feet. Masses of pure gold weighing many pounds were brought to light—one of them weighed no less than one hundred and thirty six pounds, and was valued at more than thirty thousand dollars.
Previous to the gold discovery, copper ore of great richness was found in South Australia, not far from Adelaide. Other deposits of copper have been found, and there are many fine veins of tin, lead, and silver. In fact, the mineral wealth of Australia is by no means fully known, and the opportunities for making fortunes are very far from exhaustion.
VAST BEDS OF COAL.
Coal exists in many localities, especially on the eastern coast, where it is found associated with beds of sandstone. The seams are large and of great extent; the coal is of good quality and easily mined; it has proved to be a source of great wealth to those engaged in putting it upon the market. By facilitating steam communication, it has done much toward the development of the colonies, especially that of Victoria.
The history of the gold discovery in Australia is no less romantic than the account of the finding of the treasure deposits in California.