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O n the 25th July it was reported that gold-washing had c o m m e n c e d at Strath Loddon (as it was termed), 60 persons were hard at work there, and a Mr. Davis, from Avoca, arrived via Geelong in Melbourne, bringing some samples of gold-dust found on Donald Cameron's station, n o w known as " T h e Clunes Diggings." About 16s. worth of gold was got in a dish out of a gallon of earth, hand-washed in the roughest manner by pouring in water, stirring with the fingers, and then pouring out. As m u c h gold was lost as got. For four miles the country had been turned up at intervals, and every spadeful of earth showed indications and particles. Esmonds and his partner (Pugh) had got their cradles at work on the 24th. T h e place was within eight miles of the spot where the shepherd lad (Chapman) found the gold which created the sensation of 1849. During the last week of July Mr. Henry Frencham and Dr. Fleming had their attention called to a certain variety of rock in the eastern part of Bourke Street, near Spring Street. They went to the spot, and found some specimens, which Messrs. Crate and Lewis analysed. T h e veins in one were formed of oxide and sulphuret of iron; and from another a minute particle of gold was seen to project. M a n y deemed this a clumsy ruse, got up to secure notoriety; it caused the place to be thronged for a day, and was never more thought of. O n 26th July Michael and Habberlin revisited the scene of their previous success; and on the 4th August further discoveries were communicated to the Secretary of the Reward Committee. They were said to have, with only spade and tin dish, found amongst the alluvial deposits gold in minute particles, but tolerably abundant. T h e place was an agglomeration of quartz rock, and every spadeful of soil washed over the quartz by the rains and floods contained from 7 to 10 grains of gold. They did not go more than 24 inches below the service. S o m e of their samples had been tested by Dr. Greeves, whose certificate was forwarded. T h e place was 16 miles from town on the Yarra, near Major Newman's station. Consequent upon the information, official and otherwise, received by the Government, Mr. Latrobe, then a Lieutenant-Governor, with an Executive Council of his own, took measures to authenticate matters as they were really going on out of town ; and by his directions Captain Dana was again despatched as an observation emissary. H e proceeded accordingly to the Pyrenees, and on 3rd August a despatch was received from him stating amongst other facts " that there were about 60 m e n employed at the diggings, w h o on an average were making an ounce of gold per day." The implements used in washing were the ordinary tin pot and dish : and he thought gold abundant as at Bathurst would be obtained there when the primitive operating appurtenances were replaced by quicksilver and cradle apparatus. Early on the morning of the 6th, M r . N . A. Fenwick, Crown Land Commissioner, with Messrs. H . J. Hart, J. Hodgson, D. Young, J. Hood, — Reid, and H . Walsh, started from town for the Yarra, or Anderson's Creek diggings. After a 16-mile ride they arrived and began operations; but as they were not provided with proper implements, they could operate only with tin dishes. Every dishful of earth showed some particles of gold, in size about a pin's head. O n e dish yielded 10, another 6, some 4, and others less, of such encouraging atoms. T h e whole take was handed to Fenwick for the inspection of the Lieutenant-Governor. O n the 4th Mr. G. H . Wathen wrote from Mr. Callum's station, 5 miles west of the mines, to a Geelong paper, informing the public in effect that the Clunes diggings were on the Deep Creek, a tributary of the River Loddon, 500 yards from Cameron's—not at the Pyrenees, but 15 miles distant. T h e existence of gold there had been known for 18 months, Cameron declared that he had conducted Dr. Bruhn to the spot, and pointed out to him the gold imbedded in the quartz vein. There was no tract of auriferous alluvium; the gold was obtained from the quartz vein itself, and consequently it was more mining than digging. Drays and tents and covered carts commenced to arrive at Clunes, until the valley took the appearance of an encampment. Fires blazed around a wooded spur on the opposite side of the valley, advancing towards the creek, which twisted like a silver ribbon through a grassy flat, where the horses were for the time provided with pasturage. B y the 1st August a regular "diggings" was formed there, and a scene of busy animation set in. Cradles and tin dishes were plied by some, others used the pick and crowbar, whilst more, not the least useful, were providently seeing to the