SHEPHERDING A NUGGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 1198, 14 November 1874, Page 11

SHEPHERDING A NUGGET.

The following curious story is given by the Landsborough correspondent of the Pleasant Creek News : — "Some little excitement has been occasioned during the last week by a man named Hector Fmlayson exhibiting a soecinien of gold and quartz, about the size of a pint pot, and containing to all appearance about lOozs. of gold. Finlayson says he found it on the ranges, near Darling Flat, about three months since, and although he has made several searches he cannot find any golden reefs. He has just formed a party to prospect the viciuity of the place where he found the specimen ; they will commence operations next week. The strangest part of the story is that an old shepherd, at present in the employ of Mr Andrew Anderson, of Tottington station, declares that he found this identical specimen ten years ago ; that he picked it up when out with his sheep, and, believing that a lot more nupgets must be lying around, he at onco put the treasure down and searched about for hours. His labours were not rewarded, so he went to pick up his valuable stone and make tracks for his sheepfold, but he could not find the former. He had wandered round and round in a circle, and found that he had not the faintest idea where he had started from. Dai kness began now to set in, aud discontentedly he sought his hut. Daybreak next morning found him on hands and knees carefully searching through the rocks and scrub of the ranges, but without success. Day after day, week after week, month after month, saw him on the hillside, but no glistening mas 3 met his anxious gaze, and at last he gave the search up, believing that the specimen had been spirited away. The matter had almost passed away from his memory until Finlayson came to the station one day to leave the golden stone in the charge of Mr Anderson. The old shepherd saw the prize, and identified his long-lost nugget."