behind the township from a distance of nine miles.” In the Grey district, too, works of a permanent character were going on, and many of the so-called “worked out” claims were reopened, giving good results.
Then came Moonlight Creek, famous for its nuggets, the largest of which weighed 79 ounces, another being 78 ounces. Then two more were found, 47 and 44 ounces respectively, the latter being about the size and shape of a man’s hand and very dark in colour. Shortly after this a rush set in to the Little Grey; this was brought about by statements anent this field which had appeared in the Grey River Argus and soon a considerable number of men were on the ground. At first very poor returns were obtained, and an indignation meeting was held by the diggers, who passed a resolution that the editor of the Argus should pay £100 to the Greymouth Hospital “as a public restitution for the misleading statements published in his paper.” After events, however, justified the editor, for soon 1,000 men were doing well on the field so hastily pronounced a “duffer.” Here nuggets were again in evidence, one parcel of over 300 ounces, bought by the Bank of New South Wales, being composed of nothing else. It was considered that this was the finest sample of gold yet won in Westland.
