about 2½ grains of gold. This would yield a very large per centage to a company furnished with every requisite, such as stamping-mills, crushing-rollers, quicksilver-machine, & c , but it is not an attractive kind of mining to the generality of gold-seekers, w h o work generally singly or in small parties. T h e 5th July was a remarkable day in the quest for gold in Port Phillip, as it was the date of the appearance in Geelong of Mr. James Esmonds, w h o had some two months previously returned from California. In company with three others named Pugh, Kelly, and Burns, he went gold-hunting at the Pyrenees, and obtained gold in some quartz rocks near the station of Mr. Donald Cameron. H e n o w exhibited them (quartz and dust) at Geelong to a Mr. Patterson and the Geelong Advertiser, and the discovery was published by that journal on the 7th in the following announcement :—
GOLD IN THE PYRENEES.
" The long sought treasure is at length found! Victoria is a gold country, and from Geelong goes forth thefirstglad tidings of the discovery. * * * W e have been backward in publishing rumours of mineralogical discoveries, but w e are satisfied n o w with the indubitable testimony before us. W e announce that the existence of a goldfield in the Pyrenees is a great fact fraught with the greatest importance, and a preface to a glorious run of prosperity to Victoria." The precise locale was not given until the 22nd, when it was m a d e public with Esmonds' consent. It was afterwards known as the Clunes Diggings, and the precise spot where Esmonds made the discovery was on the banks of Creswick Creek, opposite where the Port Phillip Company's battery was working in 1884. O n the same 5th the existence of gold in quartz rocks at the Yarra Range (Anderson's Creek) was announced by Mr. Louis J. Michel, on behalf of himself and a party consisting of W . Habberlin, James Furnival, James Melville, J. Headon, and B. Greenig. They made their discovery on the last day of June, and the place was shown on the dayfirstnamed to Dr. Webb-Richmond, as the representative of the Gold Committee. O n the same 5 th Mr. William Campbell (the well-known ex-member of the Legislative Council) wrote from Strath Loddon to Mr. (now the hon.) James Graham, of Melbourne, authorizing an announcement that Mr. Campbell had discovered gold at the Pyrenees, but through a recent family bereavement, Mr. Graham overlooked the matter until the 8th July, when he communicated the fact to the Committee, which met on the 16th to deal with several applications for rewards. Mr. Graham's letter claimed priority over Dr. Bruhn, on behalf of Mr. Campbell, of the discovery of gold at a place known as the Deep Creek, laid down in Ham's map, as " between Mount Cole and Mount Alexander." A second letter was enclosed from Mr. Campbell on the subject, in which the writer remarked— "Could I have separated the merit of the discovery of the gold from the reward, I would never have claimed it; and as I do so only with the view of dividing it equally with those who assisted in the discovery, m y share I will appropriate to public charitable purposes. I have no pretensions to be a geologist, though I knew that gold was generally found in quartz; and observing a large dyke of quartz at the Cragoir ' Diggings,' I was induced to look for it there, after having expressed an opinion that it would be found there to many persons before I went to look for it. Although I consider it unnecessary to send m y samples, the reward being offered for the discovery of a mine that can be profitably worked, I send a few small samples enclosed, both of the gold and grey ore. There are a few m e n at work at Cragoir—the name I have given to the Pyrenees Diggings; they are washing the soil, procuring gold-dust in small quantities, and a very short time will test whether it will become profitable to work. T h e most satisfactory way would be for the Mining Committee to send a practical person to report progress." A communication, accompanying specimens, was aiso read from the Michel party; also some others of little or no importance. Dr. Bruhn was in attendance, and opening a small package handed in several pieces of quartz and marl, some of which were declared to contain gold, and others not. O n e or two appeared to be very rich, and Mr. H o o d estimated that a ton weight of such would realize ^1000.
