Give me ten tons, only ten cartloads such stone as that, and I would buy a principality." Every one crowded round the stone open-mouthed, and James said: "Are you sure it is gold, Doctor ?" "He asks me if I know gold, when I see it,--me, you understand, who have scientifically examined all the best mines in Peru, not to mention the Minas Geraes in the Brazils! My dear fellow, to a man who has once seen it, native gold is unmistakeable, utterly so; there is nothing at all like it." "But this is a remarkable discovery, sir," said Owen.

"What are you going to do ?" "I shall go to the Government," said he, "and make the best bargain I can." I had better mention here that he afterwards did go to the Government, and announce his discovery.

Rather to the Doctor's disgust, however, though he acknowledged the wisdom of the thing, the courteous and able gentleman who then represented his Majesty informed him that he was perfectly aware of the existence of gold, but that he for one should assert the prerogative of the Crown, and prevent any one mining on Crown-lands: as he considered that, were the gold abundant, the effects on the convict population would be eminently disastrous.

To which obvious piece of good sense the Doctor bowed his head, and the whole thing passed into oblivion--so much so, that when I heard of Hargreave's discovery in 1851, I had nearly forgotten the Doctor's gold adventure; and I may here state my belief that the knowledge of its existence was confined to very few, and those well-educated men, who never guessed (how could they without considerable workings ?) how abundant it was.

As for the stories of shepherds finding gold and selling it to the Jews in Sydney, they are very mythical, and I for one entirely disbelieve them.
In time we had collected about 250 head of cattle from various points into the fork of the river, which lay further down, some seven miles, than his house.