take no action in either granting or refusing the request of the
prospectors to be allowed to work the ground until after personal
inspection of the spot. Meanwhile the story of the discovery has been
given us from quite another point of view. A labouring man called upon
us on Wednesday and stated that about three years ago he started
fossicking in districts around Brisbane and as far north as Bundaberg.
He accumulated a quantity of specimens, which he brought with him on his
return. Living near the spot of the reported discovery, he went there in
June last with a "dolly" in order to crush his specimens, and obtain
what gold he could from them. The stones when treated in this way, flies
about a good deal, and on Sunday morning last our informant was at this
place looking among the remains of his former experiment, when some men,
believed to be the prospectors, came along and asked him what he was
looking for. He replied " for something I have lost ". They then said
there must be something in the quartz, and picking up some of the stones
they went away.
Between 3 and 4 in the afternoon, when our informant returned, he found
one of his former visitors with two other men fossicking about the
place. He believes therefore, that the specimens found are only those
which he had himself brought to the spot from various places.
The Trustees of the Victoria Park on Thursday visited the place where
the alleged discovery of gold took place, and the result of their
inspection strengthened the impression previously existing that the
precious metal is not to be obtained in payable quantities in the field.
With regard to granting the request of the prospectors to be allowed to
work the ground, grave legal difficulties exist and no permission has
been up to the present given.
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