232 DISCOVERIES OF THE ENGLISH* 
with several wedges. To this he added three bar* 
rels of beef, ten gammons of bacon, salt, both for 
use and trade ; biscuit, rice, gunpowder, strong 
waters, " and a deal of such like stuff." These 
supplies^ however, though they conduced greatly 
to the bodily comfort of the expedition, were 
found to have laden the boat to such a degree, as 
proved a serious obstacle, when they came to 
ascend the flats. 
Having thus amply provided himself, our author 
begins abruptly by describing the situation of the 
principal mine* You come first, he says, to a 
broad collection of waters, not much inferior to 
Winander Meer, in Lancashire. There, after 
beating about for a week, and trying many creeks 
and infalls, he at length fixed upon the channel 
coming from the E. S. E. " Up the buffing stream, 
" with sad labour they wrought," and found no- 
thing to reward their toil till they came to the 
first fall. Here 47 grains of gold were drawn 
from 10 pounds of sand. On passing the upper 
fall, an operation attended with much difficulty, 
matters assumed a still more flattering aspect. 
Not only did the sand, when washed, yield gold 
in abundance ; but, on reaching the top of a rock, 
they discovered, at a little distance, " the very 
" mouth of the mine itself;" and he is convinced, 
that those who are provided with proper instru- 
ments, could not desire a richer vein* It is im- 
7 
