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went no further; but, the more effectually to allay the fermenting disquietude, a requisition was presented to the Mayor for the convening of a public meeting upon the subject. T h e gathering came off accordingly at the Mechanics' Institute, on the 9 th June, " to take into consideration th e propriety of offering a suitable reward to any person or persons w h o should be the means of making known the locality of a gold mine within 200 miles of Melbourne." T h e Mayor presided, and, after the conventional quantity of talking, the following resolutions were agreed to :— « L — T h a t this meeting is of opinion that gold in considerable quantities exists in close proximity to Melbourne, and that a subscription ought to be forthwith entered into, for affording a reward to any person or persons w h o shall disclose to a committee, to be appointed, a gold mine or deposit, capable of being profitably worked, within 200 miles of Melbourne. « 2 . — T h a t the Committee, hereafter appointed, be instructed to apply to the local Government to induce it to promise its influence in procuring a grant out of the Land Fund, to any person who may discover any gold mine capable of being profitably worked within this province. « 3.—That a Committee be appointed by this meeting for the purpose of receiving and disposing of the subscriptions; also for receiving all communications upon the subject, and instituting the necessary inquiries thereon; also for applying for the countenance and assistance of the local Government, and generally to carry out the immediate intention of the meeting. " 4.—That the following gentlemen be appointed a Committee for the above purpose :— The Mayor (Mr. W . Nicholson), Dr. A. F. Greeves, Messrs. Abel Thorpe, John O'Shanassy, Richard Heales, J. P. Fawkner, William Westgarth, Andrew Russell, J. A. Gumbinner, A. H . Hart, Thos. M'Combie, Peter Davis, Germain Nicholson, John H o o d , David Young, and Jno. Hodgson, with power to add to their number." A s u m of £$o was subscribed as the nucleus of a search fund. About this time Mr. Frank Stephen, the well-known Solicitor, as expert in his powers of conveyancing on legs as on parchment, m a d e one of a party of two to set out for the Plenty, with only a spade and small basket of provisions. In a few days they returned with ij^ oz. gold, found, as stated, about 45 miles from town. These specimens were submitted to Superintendent Latrobe, who requested Messrs. E. P. Sturt (the Superintendent of Police) and — White (a surveyor) to set forth on a tour of inquiry. In a few days there appeared in the town William Aberdeen, a hawker, w h o reported that he had on the 5 th of June camped in some ranges on the run of Dr. Ronald, at the Plenty, and next morning whilst walking along the banks of a creek he found two or three grains of a shining substance, which he took to be gold. H e then set to work in earnest, and by next morning had secured many particles, thirty of which were each nearly as big as a pea, and the remainder something smaller than grains of rice. All of them he obtained by the side of two creeks, and travelled four or five miles in so doing. H e had no pick or other instrument to help him. Whilst gold-hunting his dray was robbed of some ,£10 worth of stores; and he subsequently sold his treasure to a Mr. Johnstone for ^"17 18s. id. H e refused to specify more particularly the topography of the place where he met his good fortune. H e saw over 100 persons out gold-hunting about creeks and gullies. T h e soil in which he found the gold was of a reddish nature, and the country abounded in a flinty sort of stone, which, when broken, presented a yellowish hue. The place was about 30 miles from town. The enchantment lent by distance to the view did not satisfy the sensation-mongers who mischievously amused themselves by circulating false alarms of the most absurd character, by which the "enchantment" was brought momentarily into Melbourne only to turn to disenchantment and disappointment. Indications of gold, it was confidently reported, had been found at Emerald Hill and the Flagstaff, Studley Park, and Collingwood Flat, and as a consequence hundreds of " flats," men, women, and children, armed with spades, shovels, pitchforks, pokers, and even knives and forks, invaded the localities named, and dug and prodded out and hacked away until they were tired, returning h o m e atter their exciting work only to be laughed at. There was a pottery in operation at Richmond. T h e clay used there was brought from a distance in the country, and by some means