A HUNDRED WEIGHT OF GOLD. (From the Bathinst Free Press, July 16.)

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 554, 6 August 1851, Page 4

A HUNDRED WEIGHT OF GOLD. (From the Bathinst Free Press, July 16.)

BATHt'nsr is mad again. The delirium of golden fever has returned with increased intensity. Men meet together, staro stupidly at each other, talk incoherent nonsense, and wonder what will happen next. Everybody has a hundred times seen a hundred weight of flour ; a hundred weight of sugar or potatoes, is an every-day fact, but a hundred weight of gold is a phrase scarcely known in the English language. It is beyond the range of our ordinary ideas— a sort of physical incomprehensibility— but that it is a material existence, our own eyes bore witness on Monday last. Mr. Suttor, a few days previously, threw out a few misty hints about the possibility of a single individual digging Four Thousand Pounds' woith of gold in one day, but no lone believed him serious. It was thought that he was doing a little harrale&s puffing for his own distiict and the Turon diggings. On Sunday it began to be whispered about town that Dr. Kerr, Mr. Suttor 3 brother-in-law, had found a hundred, weight of gold. Some few believed it, but the townspeople generally, and amongst the rest the writer of this article, treated the story as a piece of ridiculous exaggeration, and the bearer (if it as a jester who gave the Bathurstonians vmlimited ciedit for gullibility. The following day however set the matter at rest. About 2 o'clock in the afternoon two greys, in tandem, diiven by W. H. Suttor, Esq., M.C., made their appearance at the bottom of William-street. In a few seconds they were pulled up opposito the Free Pi ess office, and the first indication at the astounding fact which met the view, was two massive pieces of the precious metal, glittering in virgin purity, as they leaped from the bolid rock. An intimation that the valuable prize was to reach the town on that dny having been pietty generally circulated in the early part of the morning, the townspeople were on the qm vive, and in almost as little time as it has taken to wnte it, 150 people had collected round the gig conveying the time's wonder, eager to catch a glimpse of the monster lump said to form a portion of it. The two pieces spoken of were freely banded about amongst the assembled throng for some twenty minutes. Astonishment, wonder, incredulity, admiration, and the other kindred sentiments of the human heart were depicted upon the features of all present in a most remarkable manner, and they were by no means diminished in intensity, when a square tin box iv the body of the vehicle w.is pointed out as the repository of the remainder of the hundied weight of gold. Having good-naturedly giatified the curiosity of the people, Mr. Suttor invited us to accompany his party to the Union Bank of Australia, to witness the interesting process of weighing. We complied with alacrity, and the next moment the greys dashed off at a gallant pace, followed by a hearty cheer from the multitude. In a few moments the tin box and its contents were placed on the table of the Board Room of the Bank. Tn the presence of the manager, David Kennedy, W. H. Suttor, T. J. Hawkins, Esquires, and the fortunate proprietor, Dr. Kerr, the weighing commenced, Dr. Macbattie officiating and Mr. Ferrand acting as clerk. The first two pieces already alluded to, weighed severally 6lbs., 4ozs.,ldwt., and 61bs. 13dwts., besides which were 16 drafts of 51bs. 4ozs. each, making in all 1021bs. 9ozs. sdwts. From Dr. Kerr we learned that he hadretained upwards of 31bs. as specimens, so that the total weight found would be 1061bs. (One hundred and j six pounds) — all disembowelled from the earth at one time. And now for the particular of this extraordi- j nary gathering which has set the town and district in a j whirl of excitement. A few days ago, an educated aboriginal, formerly attached to the Wellington Mission, and who has been in the service of W. J. Kerr, Esq., ofWallaw, about seven years, returned home to his employer with the intelligence that he had discovered a large mass of gold amongst a heap of quartz upon the run, whilst tending his sheep. Gold being the universal topic of conversation, the curiosity of this sable son of the forest was excited, and provided with a tomahawk he had amnsed j himself by exploring the country adjacent to his em- j ployer's land, and bad thus made the discovery. His attention was first called to the lucky spot by observing a speck of Borne glittering yellow substance upon the surface of a block of the quartz, upon which he applied his tomahawk, and broke oif a portion. At that moment the splendid prize stood revealed to his sight. His first care was to start off home, and disclose his discovery to his master, to whom he presented whatever gold might be procuied from it. As may be supposed, little time was lost by the worthy Doctor. Quick as horse-flesh would carry him he was on the ground, and in a very short period the thiee blocks of quartz, containing the hundred ueight 0) gold, were released fiom the bed where, chaiged with unknown wealth, they had rested perhaps for thousands of years, awaiting the hand of civilised man to disturb them. The largest of the blocks was about a loot 111 diameter, and weighed 7i>lbs. gross. Out of this piece 60lbs. of pure gold was taken. Before sepaiation it was beautifully encased in quartz. The other two were something smaller. The auriferous mass weighed as nearly as could be guessed, from two to three cwt. Not being able to move it conveniently, Dr. Kerr, broke the pieces into small fragments, and herein committed a ; very grand error. As specimens, the glittering blocks would have been invaluable. Nothing yet known of would have borne comparison, or,sif any, the comparison j would have been in onr favour. Fiom the description | given by him, as seen in their original state, the world has seen nothing like them yet. The heaviest of the two large pieces presented an appearance -not unlike a honey-comb or sponge, and consisted of particles of a crystalline form, as did nearly the whole of the gold. The second larger piece was smoother, and the particles more condensed, and seemed as if it had been acted upon by water. The remainder was broken into lumps ol from two to three pounds and downwards, and weie remaikably free from quartz or earthy matter. When heaped together on the table they presented a splendid appearance, and shone with an effulgence calculated to dazzle the brain of any man not armed with the coldness of stoicism. The spot where this mass of treasure was found will be celebrated in the golden annals of these districts, and we shall therefore describe it as minutely as our means of information will allow. In the first place the quartz blocks formed an isolated heap, and were distant about 100 yards from a quartz vein which stretches up the ridge from the Murroo Creek. The locality is the commencement of an undulating table laud, very fertile, and is contiguous to a never-failing supply of water in the above named creek. It is distant about 53 miles from Bathurst, 18 from Mudgee, 30 from Wellington, and 18 to the neaiest point of the Macquarie River, and is within about 8 miles of Dr. Kerrs head station. The neighbouring country has been pretty well exploied since the discovery, but with the exception of dust, no further indications have been found. In return for his very valuable service, Dr. Kerr has presented the black fellow and his brother with two flocks of sheep, two saddle horses, and a quantity of rations, and supplied them with a team of bullocks to plough some land in which they are about to sow a crop of maize and potatoes. One of the brothers mounted on a serviceable roadster accompanied the party into town, and appeared not a little proud of his shaie in the transaction. Our readers are now in possession of an accurate history of the whole affair. The particulars were kindly furnished by Mr. Suttor and Dr. Kerr, and may therefore be relied on as correct. Since the affair was blazoned to the world, several gentlemen of our acquaintance have shown undoubted symptoms of temporary insanity, and the nerves of the community at large have sustained a severe shock. Should the effect bu at all proportionate in Sydney to its population, the inmates of Bedlam Point may be fanly reckoned an integral portion of the community.