his experience led him to
predict discovery, and instructing them in the processes of washing and
cleaning. He was soon made a commissioner of Crown lands, and received a
reward of ten thousand pounds.

Now began a period which can have no complete parallel in earlier
history, save the almost contemporaneous parallel of California.

For in days when news travelled slowly, and travelling for ordinary men
was still slower, in days when governments jealously prohibited the
expatriation of their subjects, and only allowed the immigration of
aliens under strict limitations, nothing like the Australian gold-rush
could have taken place. As it was, everything favored the stampede. The
Australian colonies themselves were anxious for immigrants. The European
disturbances of 1848 had led many Continental rulers to the conclusion
that it was wiser to allow turbulent spirits to go than to attempt to
keep them. The new era of industry had completely unsettled the old
relationships and awakened a spirit of restlessness. Finally, the recent
application of steam to sea-going ships had rendered a rapid decrease in
the length of the voyage from Europe a practical certainty. From the
moment that the genuineness of Hargraves's discoveries was placed beyond
doubt a swarm of pilgrims from all parts of the world set their faces
toward the diggings. Many, perhaps the majority, of the arrivals were
totally unsuited for the actual work of mining. Some of these turned to
other pursuits in the neighborhood, and, in no small number of cases,
did far better than the diggers whose gold they received. But thousands
turned back in despair after a few days' experience of the hardships of
the life; so that, almost from the first, there was an enormous traffic
to and fro, and strong division of parties upon the gold question. An
extreme view of the effect upon population may be obtained from a
comparison of the statistics of Victoria at the close of the years 1850
and 1855 respectively. At the former date the population was under
seventy thousand; at the latter, it was upward of three hundred
thousand. But no other colony increased to anything like this extent
during the gold rush.

The first care of the Government at Sydney, on receiving the official
report of the existence of gold, was to decide upon the attitude to be
assumed toward the diggers. It was abundantly clear that the
establishment of mining industries would mean a great increase of
expens