for an area, near Speakman's claim, and said that he had obtained 6 or 7 dwts. of gold from as many pounds weight of quartz. A few miners set out for the new district.
During the next few weeks a prospector named Wall discovered a reef, freely showing gold in the stone, at the Forty-Five Mile, near Cashman's find of the previous year. There was a rush from Coolgardie and Hannan's, and numerous leases were pegged out. Next came the news of a discovery at the Pinnacles, in the east. A prospector, in February, conveyed 80 ozs. of gold to Coolgardie, obtained in two weeks. Several hundred men went thither. Late in February, and early in March, rich discoveries were announced at Billy Billy, estimated to be ninety miles in an easterly direction from Coolgardie. In the first week of March about 1,000 ozs. of gold were sent away from the district by escort. The new find lay still further in the barren interior, near that part reached by Hunt and Roe in the sixties. The intervening tract was exceedingly dry, and it is said that several lives were lost in the effort to cross it. One thousand men rapidly congregated at Kurnalpi. Teamsters generally refused to essay such a dangerous journey, and prices were consequently abnormal. Flour cost £5 for a 50 lb bag, and water 2s. a gallon. Many men were lost in the bush. Reefing claims were pegged out in dozens in April, and very valuable nuggets were unearthed. The largest of them weighed from 30 to 260 ozs.
In the latter month old workings, a few miles south of Hannan's, again attracted a rush. This was because a digger picked up a 91 oz. nugget. When the excitement, caused by the discovery of Kurnalpi and the new rush to Hannan's had subsided, another one was noised abroad which at once set the population in a turmoil. This find was made in May at I O U (Boolong). Rumor says that it was due to an accident. Two miners were about to leave for Perth, and one, in directing his companion's attention to a gully where he had obtained colours, proceeded to mark the ground with a stick. In doing so, he turned up a small piece of gold, and the second man, plunging a shovel into the soil on the spot, secured a 70 oz. nugget. Within a few days over 300 men were fossicking in the gully and exploiting its environs. The tracks to the I O U were lined with camels, pack-horses, carts, waggons, and men on foot. Before night between four and five hundred men left Hannan's on 28th May. Some rich patches were worked in the district. Quickly following were rich developments at White Feather, Broad Arrow, Black Flag, Londonderry, Wealth of Nations, Mount Margaret, and Menzies.
In June reports were received of the finding of an immensely rich reef, eleven miles south of Coolgardie. The exact circumstances leading to the discovery are not clear. It would appear that six men—Messrs. Carter, Dawson, Mills, Gardner, Elliott, and Huxley—had for months been prospecting over the goldfields. They had been uniformly unfortunate, and were without money and without prospects. Wearied of their unhappy experiences, they were proposing to leave the goldfields, but decided to first apply for work as miners on wages on a claim at Lake Lefroy. They proceeded to that district, but were again met by disappointment. While disconsolately returning to Coolgardie they set up camp one evening in the bush, and while some prepared the meal, the others prospected round about. Next morning, the 8th May, Mills or Gardner found a quartz specimen under a bush. In a few minutes spades were brought, and a quartz outcrop was disclosed, rivalling even Bayley's in wealth. In one day they dollied 1,000 ozs. out of the stone, and in a few days they had obtained between 4,000 and 5,000 ozs. Every evening they covered the reef with earth to prevent its discovery by anyone who might happen to pass by. It was a golden hole which served to astonish people in every part of the civilised world, and to attract an inrush of hardy men to Western Australia. "Big Ben," the first specimen taken out, weighed 240 lbs. and contained more gold than ore, and was estimated to be worth £3,500. The quartz was literally cemented together with gold, and the sight of the reef was such as has been seldom witnessed in the world's history. The six men worked in secret until it became dangerous to continue any longer, and while some watched the reef, others conveyed the gold to Coolgardie. On 23rd June 4,280 ozs. were lodged at the Union Bank. The lucky finders applied for a lease, for what they named the Londonderry mine. One capitalist offered them £25,000 for a half interest in the claim, and phenomenal sums were offered for all the quartz that could be obtained from one large charge of dynamite. There was a tremendous exodus of men from Coolgardie and Hannan's, and leases were pegged out around the Londonderry. The remaining work done on the reef proved its fabulous wealth, and in September the discoverers sold the claim to the Earl of Fingall for £180,000 and a sixth interest. The latter proceeded to England to put it on the home market. The mouth of the "Golden Hole" was meanwhile sealed, and the place was carefully protected. Lord Fingall floated a company in London with a capital of £700,000. The history of the Londonderry was not happy; first, the claim was "jumped" owing to non-compliance with the mining regulations, and then when the company began operations the rich stone cut out almost immediately. The stone below was of a much lower grade.
For several weeks the Londonderry was successful in absorbing the rapt attention of Western Australians, but in August another find was announced which was largely described as a "mountain of gold." By this time the magnificence, at least, of the eastern goldfields was assured. Those who loved sensations were well catered for, and newspapers all over the world published highly descriptive, readable, but not always reliable, articles on the several finds that had been made. It is only such statements that can influence men to leave one hemisphere for another. For several years prospectors of experience and resource had been travelling to and fro, and up and down the remote deserts of the colony, searching for gold reefs. Their journeys, if undertaken in the interests of geographical science, would have brought them the applause of the multitude. Some of them had traversed the somnolent deserts almost from south to north, and from west to east. Among prospectors of this stamp was Mr. J.G. Dunn. In 1890 Mr. Dunn started on a long prospecting tour, ranging from the Murchison to the Gascoyne district. He subsequently toiled over the deserts leading from Southern Cross, and on one occasion went even as far as the South Australian border. He visited in his curious quest Lake Carey, Lake Barlee, and other distant places. At Mount Weld he had to fire upon a tribe of natives who approached him with warlike demonstrations. His party included his brother and two Afghans, and was equipped with camels. His brother relinquished prospecting after the discovery of the Brilliant reef, south of the Forty-Five Mile. With only two Afghans and the camels, Mr. J.G. Dunn again went out and discovered the True Blue, Sunbeam, and Lone Hand reefs, which were sold at a
