Physical description

Diggers & Mining. Getting the Gold. Slide: In this respect, Ballarat resembled a great mercantile exchange, where whole, half, and quarter shares, besides minuter fractions, were continually being bought and sold, at rates that incessantly varied with the latest reports, either from the shaft itself . . . Or from such of its close vicinities as might be supposed to affect the direction or richness of the lead. This system tended greatly to equalise the uncertainties of deep sinking. It also enabled those who had spare means to invest them wit probable advantage in these shares, and this furnish the requisite capital to their poorer neighbours, by which these were in a position to meet the heavy preliminary expenses of deep sinking . . . (From the book 'Victoria in 1857' by William Westgarth.) Markings: 57 994.LIF:4. Used as a teaching aid.

Inscriptions & markings

hanimount