From the excitement caused by that the "gold
fever" spread over the world. Nothing was done in the way of discovery
of the metal in Australia until many months had elapsed; but finally
results of the utmost importance were obtained.
The story of the great Australian gold discovery is here told in an
authentic and highly interesting manner by the historian of the
Australasian colonies.
In the year 1851 Edmund Hammond Hargraves, an old settler in New South
Wales, returned thither from California, where he had spent about
eighteen months in the search for gold. His efforts in California
resulted in no immediate prosperity, but he gained much useful practical
experience. More than this, as he looked at the natural features of the
California gold-fields, a great idea grew up in his mind. Though not a
geologist, he appears to have had a quick eye for stratiform
resemblances; and the more he studied the peculiarities of rocks and
soil in California, the more he became convinced that he knew, in his
own colony, a district which presented the same features and which,
therefore, might be expected to produce the same results.
Pages:
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533