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With reference to Gippsland, the Report proceeded— " Economical mineralogists m a y derive from the examination of the rocks of the dividing ranges, traces of ores hidden by still unexplored chains from the eye of the traveller." Further on there is this intimation : — " A n auriferous sulphuret of iron, yielding a small quantity of gold, sufficient to attest its presence, but insufficient to repay its extraction, as existing generally throughout N e w South Wales." This Report was concurred in by Sir Roderick Murchison, the eminent geologist, w h o referred to it in a lecture delivered before the Royal Institute of Great Britain. In 1847, Sir Roderick, in a letter to Sir C. L e m o n , printed in the Philosophical Magazine, expresses a belief " that auriferous alluvia would be found at the base of the Western flanks of the dividing ranges." It appears, from the evidence given by the Rev. W . B. Clarke, before a Select Committee of the Legislative Council of N e w South Wales, that as far back as 1841, he discovered gold in the mountainous country to the west of the Vale of Clwyd; that in 1843, he spoke to m a n y persons of the abundance of gold likely to be found in Australia; that in 1844, he exhibited a sample of gold in quartz to the then Governor, Sir George Gipps, to Mr. J. P. Robinson, then m e m b e r of the Legislative Council for Melbourne, to M r . Justice Therry, and to several other persons; but, that the subject was not followed up, " as m u c h from the considerations of the penal character of the colony, as from the general ignorance of the value of such an indication." It is difficult to assign with certainty, anything like a precise date to the period when the Melbournians had thefirstintimation of the probability of the existence of the precious metal in Port Phillip. In 1851, M r . Jackson, for years resident at St. Kilda, met in Hobart Town, William Buckley, the "Wild White Man," the runaway convict from the Collins' Convict Expedition of 1803, w h o consorted for over thirty years with the Aborigines, and it was asserted by Buckley that gold abounded in the Cape Otway Ranges, and he could point out where it was to be found; but little attention was paid to the statement, for at the time the air was darkened by rumours of the existence of gold in several places. In 1841, two persons, named Armstrong and Sharp, were reported to have discovered small quantities of gold, both at the Plenty Ranges and the Pyrenees, which they had forwarded for testing and sale to Launceston, and receiving no return, they were discouraged from further searchings. In 1842, it was communicated to Captain Lonsdale, the Sub-Treasurer, that an old fellow known as " G u m " was mysteriously engaged in supposed gold workings in a secluded nook of the Plenty Ranges. S o m e troopers were despatched to beat up his quarters, as gold-hunting without proper authorization was then an offence punishable both criminally and civilly. " G u m " was found at home, taking his ease, but no gold was found on him, though the hut contained an old pair of bellows and two dilapidated crucibles—strong circumstantial evidence in themselves, but of no account when uncorroborated by collateral testimony. " G u m " was rather surprised, but not m u c h disconcerted by the visit. H e quietly told the police he was an honest man, w h o earned a livelihood by doing odd jobs of fencing, and hunting for lyre birds and other saleable live stock to be procured in the adjacent forests. T h e recluse of the Plenty came to be known as " G u m , the Gold-hunter," though the manner in which he carried on his craft as a gold-worker could never be found out. His den was at the head of the river, primitive in construction and unique in design. A huge g u m tree came to grief from the combined effects of bush fires and tempests. A portion of the trunk remained standing, and the burnt part was scooped out by the aid of adze and axe, the space between it and some boughs was covered in with bark, and two apartments were formed, one to serve as kitchen and residence, the second as cubiculum, store-room, and laboratory. O n c e a quarter the solitary inhabitant, with a small wallet slung on his back, journeyed into Melbourne, got rid of his burden, and returned with a stock of supplies. H e had come to Port Phillip from V a n Diemen's Land, was a quiet, steady-going, taciturn individual, w h o minded his business (whatever it was), and spoke little with anyone. His wallet was supposed to be a golden one, and whoever was the recipient of his smelted wares, kept the secret well.