ered rewards, varying from two
hundred to a thousand pounds, for the discovery of paying goldfields.
The result was that during the course of the next two or three years
many districts were opened up to the miner. Towards the end of 1867 a
man named Nash, who had been wandering in an idle way over the country,
found an auriferous region of great extent at Gympie, about 130 miles
from Brisbane. He concealed his discovery for a time, and set to work to
collect as much of the gold as possible, before attracting others to the
spot. In the course of a day or two he gathered several hundred pounds
worth of gold, being, however, often disturbed in his operations by the
approach of travellers on the adjacent road, when he had to crouch among
the bushes, until the footsteps died away and he could again pursue his
solitary task. After some time it seemed impossible to avoid discovery;
and lest any one should forestall him in making known the district, he
entered Maryborough, not far away, announced his discovery, and received
the reward. A rush took place to the Gympie, which was found to be
exceedingly rich, and it was not long before a nugget worth about four
thousand pounds was met with close to the surface.

Far to the north, on the Palmer River, a tributary of the Mitchell,
there have been discovered rich goldfields, where, in spite of the great
heat and dangers from the blacks, there are crowds of diggers at work.
Many thousands of Chinamen have settled down in the district, and to
these the natives seem to have a special antipathy, as they spear them
on every possible occasion.

But all the stories which Australia offers of gold-digging romance are
eclipsed by that of the Mount Morgan Mine. Near Rockhampton, and in the
midst of that very district to which the diggers had rushed in 1858, but
in which they had starved through being unable to find gold, a young
squatter bought from the Government of Queensland a selection of 640
acres. It was on a rocky hill, so barren that he considered it useless,
and was glad to sell it for L640 to three brothers of the name of
Morgan. These gentlemen were lucky enough to find out that the dirty
grey rocks of which the hill was composed were very richly mixed with
gold, so that twenty or thirty pounds worth of gold could be got by
crushing and washing every cart-load of rock. They immediately set to
work, and before long showed that they were the possessors of the
richest gold mine in the