the year 1869 was brought to light. This was a lump of pure gold weighing 617oz., and it was found at a spot about 50 feet distant from the place where the "Lady Brassey" was discovered. When it was brought into Ballarat next day by Manager Robert Bryant and his men, and exhibited in Stoddart and Binnie's window at the Corner, the excitement was a moving reminder of the "good old days." Hundreds of sight-seers flocked to the Corner, and thus the ordinary hundreds of stock dealers were swollen for the time by the rush of as many hundreds more. Next day the nugget was sent to Melbourne, was exhibited at Government House, and there it was named the "Lady Loch," in honor of His Excellency's wife. Miss Cornwell had sailed some days before for London on a financial mission there, and it is understood at the "Lady Loch" nugget will be forwarded intact to London to serve as an illustration of the value of the mining grounds of the Ballarat gold field. The Midas claim is an area of close on 1000 acres; the company has never made a call, has won over 7300oz. of gold, and has two shafts and two well-appointed steam plants, on which £9670 has been spent up to date.
It will be easily imagined that the splendid fortunes of the Midas Company have given heart to the swarm of ventures around, as the Dowling Forest No. 1, Midas Consols, Midas Extended, Midas East, Midas North, Midas South, Midas King, Midas No. 1, Midas Revival, Midas Mount Cavern, and Madame Midas, and if but half of the mines turn out to be profitable, a great new alluvial field will be added to the wealth of the district and of the colony. On the Creswick side of the Divide the mines of Kingston and Smeaton and their vicinities occupy a high place in public estimation, and at the time of this writing the market is enlivened by the news of heavy gold from the famous Madame Berry mine's No. 2 shaft, where the first washings have just taken place. It is hardly necessary to state that all the mines shown on Mr. Allan's map are not actually now producing gold. Some are only in the initial stage of operations, and, whether on old ground or new, their future is all unknown. In a sense, as much may be
