THE GOLDFIELDS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT 5 



encouraging. Hiscock had got a reef, but it required time, capital 

 and machinery to make its working profitable ; the alluvial deposits 

 were thinly scattered and soon exhausted. A goodly number gave 

 up the quest after a week or two of severe but unproductive labour, 

 and made for their homes. The more hopeful and energetic pushed 

 on, following up the creeks and gullies for a dozen miles round. 

 The result was to throw all previous discoveries into the shade. On 

 the 26th of August a prospecting party of six, led by a man named 

 Connor, unearthed the riches of Golden Point Ballaarat, and washed 

 out 30 oz. for the first day's work. There were of course rival claim- 

 ants for the honour of this important discovery, one party claiming 

 to have tested the ground on the 24th, and another to have begun 

 operations on the 25th. But the Commissioner, when that office 

 was established, after investigations, acknowledged the priority of 

 Connor by granting his party a double area in consideration thereof. 

 None of the claimants were eligible for participation in the subse- 

 quently distributed Government rewards, because this was not looked 

 upon as a new field, merely an extension of the recognised " Bunin- 

 yong Goldfield," as it was officially known. The name afterwards 

 given, that was to echo round the world as the symbol of auriferous 

 wealth, had not yet been adopted. Mr. Latrobe, in advising the 

 Secretary of State of the discovery, said on 10th October : " Early 

 in September I obtained most conclusive information that a very 

 considerable amount of gold began to find its way into the towns, 

 from the vicinity of Buninyong. It was ascertained that the origi- 

 nal working near the town had been abandoned on the discovery of 

 another locality producing the precious metal in far greater abun- 

 dance, in the valley of the River Leigh, about seven miles to the 

 northward, and a large conflux of adventurers was pouring into the 

 district." Within a week of the discovery the dissatisfied miners 

 from Clunes, led by Esmond himself, began to arrive, and many who 

 had set out on their return to Geelong were once more flocking 

 northward. The digging was shallow and very productive, and 

 when the news reached Melbourne that Esmond and a mate had 

 got 30 Ib. weight of gold in two days, the trouble in the Metropolis 

 took on an acute form. The musical native name of Ballaarat, 

 signifying a place of rest, was soon singularly inappropriate. The 



