ss he shall produce a certificate of discharge from his
last service, or prove to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that he
is not a person improperly absent from hired service.

5. Rules, adjusting the extent and position of land to be covered by
each License and for the prevention of confusion, and the interference
of one License with another will be the subject of early regulation.

6. With reference to lands alienated by the Crown, in fee simple, the
Commissioner will not be authorized for the present to issue Licenses
under the regulations to any persons but the proprietors, or persons
authorized by them in writing to apply for the same.

By his Excellency's command,

E. FEAS THOMSON.

VICTORIA IN 1854

+Source.+--The Golden Colony (G.H. Wathen, 1855), pp. 49-53, 78-81

Even on the spot it is often very difficult to learn when, by whom, and
in what manner, a new gold district is first discovered. When the yield
of an old working begins to fail, the diggers throw out small
"prospecting" parties of twos and threes, to explore promising
localities. These "prospectors" may occasionally make important
discoveries; but far more frequently they are the result of chance, or
of the desultory efforts of shepherds and other servants of the settlers
resident in the particular locality. It sometimes happens that a digging
party, travelling from one district to another, camp for a night in a
valley which they may think looks very promising. Being delayed here,
perhaps, by the loss of their horse, or some other accident, they sink a
pit or "hole" in a "likely spot." At length some one strikes a rich
deposit. If so, it cannot long remain a secret. A few dozens or scores
are shortly at work on the adjacent ground; and if these too are
successful the news spreads like wild-fire, and within a week all the
roads and tracks leading to the spot are covered with diggers and their
carts, on the way to the new Dorado--the _newest_ being always by report
the _best_ and richest. In a few days the hills around the new working
are dotted over with white tents, the forest around them quickly
disappears, being felled for firewood. Government, on hearing of the
discovery, sends down a Commissioner with a body of horse and foot
police. These establish a camp on some central elevated position, and an
irregular wide street of tents springs up like magic in the valley
below. There are stores, large and small; butchers' shops; doctor