previously issued; and though no person must be permitted to search for gold without permission the enforcement of the Regulations to their full extent, as regards the license fee, was to be guided by the circumstances of each particular case, and at the Commissioner's discretion. For his guidance, however, principal rules were laid down to the following effect :—Mere searchers for metal were to receive a card signed by the Commissioner, dated, inscribed with the names of the persons to whom issued, and the words " Permitted to Search." T h e permit was not to run for any specified period, and the recipients were to be made clearly to understand that unless they had paid for a license they were not entitled to anything of value they m a y find, nor have any claim to work any other particular spot of ground; and should any person take out a license for the locality occupied by those using permits, the former would be put in possession. As to the issue of the license, the utmost discretion was enjoined, so as to guard against the payment of a fee by those whose gold finding m a y not afford it, through the inadequacy of their results, and be so deterred from further search; and on the other hand to protect the revenue in the case of those able to pay, but not doing so. Considerable difficulty was apprehended in acting as instructed, from the desire of people to conceal the real extent of their "takes;" but every possible means were to be used to ascertain the truth, and full report was to be made upon every particular, accompanied by the expression of an opinion respecting the license fee. The most desirable mode of obtaining payment for licenses was cash, but if this could not be done, gold was to be accepted, and the quantity to be given for a license was to be calculated according to the rate at which discoveries dispose of it on the spot, or in the neighbourhood. All gold so received was to be transmitted to the Colonial Treasury. This did not allay the ferment, for on the 30th a public meeting was held at the Mechanics' Institute, to consider the situation. T h e Mayor presided, and resolutions to the following purport were unanimously adopted :—(a.) Affirming the inexpediency of imposing any charge for a monthly license, as no goldfield had as yet been profitably worked, or gold found to render profit probable, (b.) That the development of gold and other minerals existing in the colony was of vital importance, and that steps be taken to discover such, (c.) That the Government ought to appoint two officers (same as in Sydney), whose special duties should be to develop the mineral resources of Victoria. (d.) An expression of sympathy with the Buninyong miners, (e.) T h e presentation to the Lieutenant-Governor of a Memorial embodying the resolutions. T h e Mayor, Messrs. A. Thorpe, A. H . Hart, J. S. Johnston, Connor, J. Coate, J. A. Gumbinner, and James Montgomery were appointed a Committee to give effect to the wishes of the meeting. The imposition of a fee and the inclemency of the weather caused a dispersion at Buninyong, and the gold-hunters struck out in search of " freshfields" in the neighbouring ranges, which had the natural effect of leading to further discoveries. Rich finds were stumbled on at Yuille's station, near the Buninyong Gully. This watercourse took a serpentine direction to a place known as Greenhill, through dense stringy-bark ranges, alternating inflats,and gathering several tributaries to swell its current, until it assumed the form of a river at the new goldfield. Passing on through Yuille's and Winter's stations, it commingled with, or more correctly, became the Leigh; and here, at the bases of several undulating hills, were the evidences of the new diggings found. fragments of quartz were scattered along the hills, which in some places looked like mounds of snow. The surface was black earth, the sub-surface yellow gravel mixed with clay and quartz, and occasionally huge conglomerates of both. Several parties fell in with immense good fortune here, and one of them was reported to have dug 2% lbs. of gold out of a claim just after marking it one Saturday evening. Another party netted 23 ounces in a short time, and the valuable deposits were supposed to run along the Leigh. Gold was purchased for from £3 IS. to £3 4 s. per ounce.
THE BALLARAT GOLDFIELDS.
Warrenheip was next reached, and by the middle of September Ballarat was found, and the Clunes diggers were on the move there. Various finds were reported, such as four persons obtaining
