PROSPECTING 199 



In the morning the cradle was conveyed 

 down the valley to where the water was sup- 

 posed to be. Sure enough, the hole was as 

 described; we found it full to the brim of 

 muddy water. Although only a few feet in 

 width it was deep. Probably it held four hun- 

 dred gallons. Work was started at once, all 

 my followers, male as well as female, carrying 

 down the loosened gravel in their skin gar- 

 ments which, to my embarrassment, they dis- 

 carded (as clothing) for the occasion. The 

 cradle stood at the side of the pool, so that the 

 water, after it had passed through the sieve 

 and over the trays, could run back. One of the 

 men lifted the water in a bucket and poured 

 it slowly into the top of the cradle, while I 

 rocked. After running through the equivalent 

 of a few barrow-loads I removed the top tray 

 and examined what lay behind the lip. Yes, 

 veritably there were a few tiny specks of gold. 



This was what gold diggers call " a pay 

 prospect," for the gold was rough and not 

 water-worn. It was quite evident that this 

 gold had never been under the influence of 

 water at all, but had lain in situ where the 

 decomposing matrix had deposited it. I kept 

 the cradle going until the water in the pool had 

 the consistency of pea-soup; then I perforce 



