36 
newspapers of the north of Scotland—those of Wick 
and Inverness—but those also of Edinburgh and 
Glasgow, and even of London, have teemed with 
reports, paragraphs, letters, or articles, relating to the 
discovery, and subsequent development, of a Gold 
field in Helmsdale. If we eliminate from these 
newspaper narratives the ob\fious fiction from the 
actu^ fact, it would appear that gold has been 
found in the valley just mentioned by a considerable 
body of persons, including experienced diggers from 
Australia, or other indubitable El Dorados ; and 
that, moreover, it has been found in such amount 
as to render its collection remunerative under cir* 
cumstances highly unfavourable. There can be no 
doubt, moreover, that iocal excitement has been in¬ 
tense—and that interest in the reality of the alleged 
richness of the gold field extends not only throughout 
Scotland, but to Scotchmen in other lands. Con¬ 
sidering this general interest regarding the Suther¬ 
land gold field, it may not be inopportune to inquire 
how far our own beautiful County is possessed of 
those native golden attractions that give such an 
impetus in all lands in which they occur to the pro¬ 
gress of civilisation ! 
It may perhaps be regarded as of good omen that 
at Perth the first Act of Parliament was passed 
relating to Gold and Silver Mines in Scotland—by 
James I in 1424. If, however, we seek assistance in 
our inquiry from the exhibits of the only public 
Museum in Perth, we will find—or at least I did find 
in November, 1862—that while it possesses specimens 
of gold from far Ophir and Australia, it has none 
from its own district : to see which latter it is 
necessary to inspect the mineral cabinet of His Grace 
of Breaaalbane, Mr Greg of Manchester, Professor 
Tennant of London, or other private collectors. 
Pliny reproved his countrymen for neglecting what 
was near, and pursuing what was distant :— 
Proximorum iucnriosi, longinqua sect.imur. 
And it is obvious that his reproach is only too appli¬ 
cable to too many persons and things of our ov.'n 
times J 
