Polynesian., 1858-10-16

Enormous NUGGET.-The papers of the Ilth
contain account OF the discovery at Ballarat of
the largest nugget Of gold that has ever been
found. The following particulars from the
Age So On Wednesday evening. the 9th inst
the largest nugget yet discovered was found on
Ballarat, at a depth OF 100 feet The weight of
this splendid prize is variousIy stat d. but accord
ing to the latest report, telegraphed to Melbourne
yesterday 1t Is 225 lbs. troy, 2 100 OZs and its
value Is estimated at about Ell 600. From the
local papers we extract the following descriptions
OF this - welcome nugget as it has been called
- About half-past ! O'Clock last Wednesday
evening, the men al work in the Red Hill Gold
Company's claim on the Bakery Hill Lead, close
To where it crosses the Black Hill-road, upon
the % monster After half an hours hard work
they succeeded IN getting it to the surface, when
the joyful intelligence was Immediately commune
Gated to all the shareholders who were within
reach. To describe the appearance of this mass of
gold 50 as to cOnyeyan accurate impression of the
figure 1t presents to the eye almost surpasSes our
powers j huge, misshapen, irregular lump of
apparently molten gold, waterworn, and rounded
upon each Of the numberlesS edges presented by
surface completely more or less huneycomhed. It's
total length is about 20 inches its greatest breadth
about II inches and its greatest depth about
inches. At end it is thick and solid, ap-
preaching a cube Of about 10 by inches, and this
tapers away for about Il inches of its length,
until a narrow neck Of not more than inches in
circumference joins 1t to sort of minor projection,
oval in shape, about u inches wide inches deep,
and inches long in the direction Of its entire
length. The mass looks rs though it had been
formed by fusion in the matrix, and fallen, a
lump Of dough might be imagined to dispose it
SELF on a bed Of irregular gravel. In color 1t is
as bright yellow Ballarat gold usually is, and
is remarkably pure for so large a mass; but be-
yOnd its enormous size, which creates only feel
ing of wonder and astonishment, the - welcome
nugget" has nothing peculiar in its conformation.
The company which has met with this piece of
good luck consists Of 24 men, all Of whom are
Cornishmen. They have been engaged in their
present claim-which is about 1910 feet deep, and
Is, we need hardly say, . old ground for seven
or eight months, and since they occupied it they
have met with several nuggets varying from y to
- ozs. The one OF 45 found a few days
ago. not far from where the present one was lying,
and in all probability may be in the vicinity,
as the finders OyerOyed with their good for
tune. that they lid not spend a moment IN exam
lining the ground around the bed OF the valuable
wait, but got it to the surface without delay The
mass on being weighed by pair Of seelyards,
proved to be l15 lbs. ayoirdupois. From this a
deduction Of say six eight pounds may be made
for the clay and quartz sticking In the nterstces.
At "A rough guess, therefore, the will be
about 224 BIS troy Of pure gold, thus making it
by a long way the biggest nugget that has ever yet
been found. The owners propose 10 call it very
appropriately the Welcome Nugget-Adsiaide
O5sTrsr, June 10.