declared to be about thirty miles from Clunes, where the gold found was honeycombed or spongy, whilst the Buninyong metal was solid, bright, and in some cases burnished. THE FIRST GOLD BUYER
Who advertised himself as such was Mr. John Hood, and on the 13th August he announced his readiness to purchase gold, or "would make cash advances on the same consigned to Messrs. Langton Bros, and Scott, London." H e had not the field long to himself, for the newspapers soon teemed with similar business notices. One day a child named Williams picked up a small gold specimen in Lonsdale street, opposite the present Wesley Church, and on this becoming known there was a rush to the Lonsdale diggings, which terminated as unprofitably as have many rushes since. N o second "find" occurred, and it came to be believed that the little nugget had been accidentally dropped or lost where found by some returned diggers, probably some one of those who were beginning to drop into the new colony from California. From what has been already stated it may be inferred that mineralogy as a science, theoretically and practically, was not widely diffused amongst the public, who stood in much need to be educated on the subject. T o remedy this want in some degree a series of lectures was delivered at the Mechanics' Institute by Dr. Bruhn and Dr. Webb-Richmond; whilst to aid in providing proper appliances for gold extraction Mr. J. A. Manton, a Civil Engineer, designed an improved pattern of cradle for deposit washing—guaranteed to produce three-fold the result of the ordinary cradle work, and a model was submitted for the inspection of the Lieutenant-Governor. O n the 15th August gold was found on the property of Mr. Joseph Hawdon, of Heidelberg. Hawdon had returned from Twofold Bay, where some gold indications were discovered; and whilst strolling along the bank of the Yarra, observing geological formations similar to those of Twofold Bay, he dished some of the earth, and obtained 3 grains, but a fourth never turned up. Bruhn paid a visit to Anderson's Creek, and on the same day as the Hawdon find left 150 persons working there. He entertained a strong opinion as to the auriferous quality of the Dandenong Ranges. Meanwhile encouraging accounts continued to arrive from the Clunes, to which place the Burnbank storekeepers had moved, and sold spades for 15s. each—cradles were now manufactured on the spot. THE FIRST GOLD PROCLAMATION.
In consequence of the information from Buninyong, the Executive broke silence in the following warning voice :— PROCLAMATION. By His Excellency Sir Charles Joseph Latrobe, Esquire, Lieutenant-Governor of the colony of Victoria and its Dependencies, etc., etc., etc. Whereas, by law, all mines of gold and all gold in its natural place of deposit within the colony of Victoria, whether on the lands of the Queen or of any of Her Majesty's subjects, belong to the Crown. A n d whereas information has been received by the Government that gold exists upon and in the soil of the colony, and that certain persons have commenced, or are about to commence, searching and digging for the same for their o w n use without leave or other authority from H e r Majesty. N o w I, Charles Joseph Latrobe, Esquire, the Lieutenant-Governor aforesaid, on behalf of H e r Majesty, do hereby publicly notify and declare that all persons w h o shall take from any lands within the said colony any gold, metal, or ore containing gold, or who within any of the waste lands which have not yet been alienated by the Crown shall dig for and disturb the soil in search for such gold, metal, or ore without having been duly authorized in that behalf by H e r Majesty's Colonial Government, will be prosecuted both criminally and civilly as the law allows. A n d I further notify and declare that such regulations as upon further information m a y be found expedient, will be speedily prepared and published, setting forth the terms on which licenses will be issued for this purpose on the payment of a reasonable fee. T , r f " v! Und6,r m l h a , n d , a ^ Seal . at t h e G o v e r n m e n t °ffi<*> Melbourne, thisfifteenthday of August, in the year of our Lord O n e thousand eight hundred andfifty-one,and in thefifteenthyear of H e r Majesty's reign. (L.S.)
C. J.
LATROBE.
By His Excellency's c o m m a n d , GOD
SAVE T H E Q U E E N !
w , LONSDALE.
