Zunaed ebooks

Increasing numbers of farmers immigrated, squatters
were pushed toward the interior, and a state of social organization
began. Up to 1850, however, this nucleus of a new commonwealth had
reached no great development.
As in the case of California, long before the great discovery of gold in
Australia there had been rumors of its existence in that country. Most
of the early stories told by persons said to have found specimens of the
metal were scouted. In 1844 the distinguished geologist, Sir Roderick
Impey Murchison, having compared specimens of Australian rocks brought
to him with other specimens from gold-bearing lands, declared that he
found in the former no trace of gold. Two years later, however, Sir
Roderick declared his belief in the existence of gold in Australia, and
in 1848 he announced that he had seen specimens of gold from New South
Wales, and recommended a government mineral survey there. Little
attention might have been given to the matter then but for the discovery
of gold in California.


Pages:
508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532