SYDNEY.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 651, 29 October 1851, Page 4

SYDNEY.

Mens, about Gold and Pearls.—The large nugget of gold which has been exhibited during the last few weeks in Mr. Hale’s window, was on Thursday placed on board the Travancore, bound for Calcutta. Captain Brown intends to exhibit it for fifteen days in each of the capitals of the Indian Presidencies, —Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras; calculating, without doubt truly, upon his fine ship returning to Sydney with a great number of passengers. The place of the Travancore nugget in Mr. Hale’s window is now occupied by a case containing a very interesting collection of different specimens of gold, the property of Sir Alfred Stephen, C.J., and procured from Ophir, the Turon, and Frederick’s Valley. The collection includes the bright gold in the clear white quartz rock, down to the flattened water-worn pieces. The centre piece in the case, which weighs 14 oz., was found at Maitland Point, on the Turon. It is full of pebbly quartz, the gold being beautifully fibred through it. Another specimen is from Frederick’s Valley, where a bridge has been built of it in its rocky state / It will require some vigilance to protect what now is found to be a golden structure. Turning from the golden specimens, we come to a beautiful collection of pearls, v/bich Mr. Hale also exhibits. There are about 200, and some ef the larger ones are as fine in the quality of the skin, though net in colour, as the famous pearls of Ceylon. They are from the true pearl shells, and have been obtained off Moreton Island, Moreton Bay, by the native blacks, who dive for them. In respect to, the colour, it may be useful to inform those who are now engaged in this new pearl fishery, that in Ceylon the fish, when taken, are piled together in heaps, and the shells are not opened until they are putrid. This process is considered to have an effect in producing the beautifully white colour of the pearls, and the attention of our nortnern friends. This first collection is valued at about £so.— Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 6.