ABORIGINAL PROSPECTING 735 



obtained 40 oz. 1 The total for 191 2 is given at 1,50002. (3 I2s. 6d. 

 per ounce) in the Departmental Report. Forty-seven men were 

 working on the field. 



In 1913, Warden Power reported that the population had fallen 

 to twelve or fifteen, and estimated the output of gold at 859$- oz. 

 The largest NUGGET found was I2iy oz. ; another was 98 oz. and 

 five others ran into double figures. 



Writing on i$tk August, 1913, Dick informed me that he had 

 ascertained that a NUGGET of 112 oz. had recently been found 

 (probably the 1 213- oz. nugget mentioned by the Warden), and 

 that previously others weighing 72, 46, 20, 15, 10, 65 and 33 oz. 

 had been found. 



For 1914, the official return of alluvial gold is only 135^ oz., 

 at 3 los. per ounce. 



In March and April, 1915, the Warden reports a recovery of 

 176 oz. 12 dwt. from a gutty near DOWNS' GULLY. The greatest 

 part of this appears to have been a single NUGGET weighing 130 oz. 9 

 Later returns are not available. 



A peculiarity of this field is that the gold occurs almost exclu- 

 sively in the form of nuggets, with very little which could be 

 described as " fine." 



Pluto's death, which occurred at the Coen township in January, 

 1916, is recorded by Mr. James Dick, s who adds that up to that 

 date Plutoville had produced gold to the value of more than 

 20,000. He mentions that at this time there were twenty miners 

 at Plutoville and two stores kept by Messrs. Dehn and Sheppard. 



In the earlier days of his prospecting, Pluto was indebted for 

 assistance and equipment to H. WADE ROBINSON/ Officer-in-Charge 

 of the Cape York Telegraph Station for about twenty years prior 

 to 1917, who had previously been from time to time Telegraph 

 and Post Master at Mein and other stations on the line. Mr. 

 Robinson could always be counted on by the prospector not only 

 for material assistance, but also for gratuitous advice and guidance, 

 rendered doubly valuable by his accumulated local knowledge. 

 His presence in the Peninsula was an example of the indirect 

 benefits which resulted from the construction of the Telegraph 

 line. Mr. Robinson was a native of Norfolk Island and descended 

 from one of the mutineers of the " Bounty." He died in Sydney 

 late in the year 1917. 



1 A nnual Report, Department of Mings, for IQII, p. 59, and 1912, p. 58. See also Dick's 

 pamphlet, A Geological and Prospecting Expedition which filled many Blank Spaces, etc., 

 p. 17. 



J Warden's Monthly Report in Q.G.M.J. of I5th May. 1915. 



* " A Short Account of Travel from Thursday Island, along the Line to the Mein 

 Telegraph Station, and to the East and West Coast of the Peninsula," Northern Herald, 

 Cairns, aist January, 1916. 



* Sydney Bulletin, 8th November, 1917. 



