THE CHAMPION COLD NUGGET.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 44, 31 October 1891, Page 529

THE CHAMPION COLD NUGGET.

The heaviest nugget of gold ever discovered was found in February, 1869, says Colonies and India, at a spot about a mile west of the small village of Moliagul, in the neighbourhood of Dunolly, Victoria. This world-famed nugget, known as the ‘Welcome Strangei,' was found by two diggers named John Deason and Richard Oates. It was resting on red stiff clay in a loose gravelly loam, and was barely covered with earth, and was first brought to light by the wheel of the puddlers’ cart turning it up. The nugget measured 21in. in length, by lOin. in thickness ; and though mixed with quartz the great body of it was solid gold. The lucky finders took their treasure immediately to their hut, and heated it in the fire in order to get rid of the adherent quartz, in order to reduce its weight before taking it to the bank at Dunolly. They also detached and gave to their friends a number of specimens and pieces of gold before the nugget got into the hands of the bank manager. The melted gold weighed 2,2680 z. lOdwts. 14grs., contained only

l-75th of alloy, which was composed chiefly of silver and iron, so that 98 66 per cent, of the nugget was pure gold. Including the pieces given away to their friends by the finders, the nugget is estimated to have yielded 2,2800z5., equivalent to 2,2480z5. of pure gold, its value in the Bank of England being £9,534. Subsequently, two nuggets, weighing respectively 114ozs. and 36ozs. were found near the spot where the ‘ Welcome Stranger ’ was unearthed.