THE TASMANIAN GOLD-FIELD HOAX.

South Canterbury Times, Volume XV, Issue 2070, 10 November 1879, Page 3

THE TASMANIAN GOLD-FIELD HOAX.

The reported discovery of an extensive alluviaf gdld-field' on the Dorset Barer, Tasmania, proves to have been an ■/. - audacious hoax!» Wliem Mr Shaw, the Commissioner of G-pld-fields, reached the man Butt, who claimed to to have discovered the goldfield, '■ *he ’fdund that*’Butt had* concealed himself, and would only communicate with the Commissioner through his son. The> lad , showed/ Mr Shaw '‘the’ 1 Spot-** 5 itbere -Some'gold. ..had been; obtained*sin > coimesdijdn with an alluvial deposit ot tin, which had been in,.|;hejbed, pf i( a -small blind if ,^The'Vtin ' mine was Butt's and’hit psirthersl The gold which Butt showed had been collected by placing a blanket under the sluice-box used during several months in sluicing the tin. It appears that -very small quantitieVof gold could : be found in the tin throughout the whole district. Butt fersistently refused to come,out of his id|ng-pie,c4 4 n *dd|is scb£sai(Lhe feared ■ the* miners,’' who had''arrived in considerable numbers. Mr Shaw then left , ground, folio wed,by most of, the miners, *' v 'Vhd toot tpeir disappointment very good-humpureply on the whole.