Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/538

 512 ADELAIDE AND VICINl'lY Mr. g. Prout for some time engaged at Preshaw's Flat, between Castlemaine and Campbell's Creek, with his residence at the latter place. He remembers seeing, at this place, 50 lbs. weight of gold taken from a bucket of washdirt obtained at a depth of 25 feet. In November, 1852, Mr. Prout temporarily left the fields for South Australia, returning to Victoria in a little while with his mother, brother, and sister. Although passengers by the fastest boat then on the coast, they were 14 days accomplishing the distance between Adelaide and Melbourne. The passage was stormy, and it was sometimes feared that the vessel would sink. In the eastern capital the family were met by Mr. Geo. Prout, sen., who had purchased a horse and dray and a large tent for .1^45. After a si. days' journey the family arrived at Campbell's Creek. At the Seventy-feet Hill rush, the rope by which the lad was descending his father's clami — 80 ft. deep — snapped, and he fell a distance of 75 feet, breaking his ankle and splitting his leg upwards for 10 inches. This claim proved rich, containing some five or six feet of washdirt, In 1854, after spending his Christmas in bed, owing to his accident, young Prout went to the Tarrangower (Maldon) rush on crutches ; but not being successful there, he went on to Avoca. He had by this time discarded one crutch, and, although still somewhat impeded, was iible to help his father, and to do well himself on the latter field. The first load of washdirt they obtained, at the bottom of a shallow hole, went 13 ozs. of gold. From Avoca the pair journeyed to Mount Mologa, Sandy Creek, Adelaide Lead, Back Creek, and Dairy Hill. Between the two last places (now called Talbot and Amherst) the father bought some land in 1854. The son, as with other diggers, went from field to field, being successful in some and not in others. From Dairy Hill he removed to Fiery Creek (Beaufort), Glenpatrick, Pleasant Creek, St. Arnaud's, Fiddler's Creek, and Scandinavian Crescent at Back Creek. He remained at the last place from 1856 to 1863, and lost most of his accumulated money in speculating. As a consequence he had again to assume nomadic habits. He proceeded to Chinaman's Flat, thence to Clunes and Ballarat. In 1866 he returned to Talbot, and selected land on the Bet Bet Creek, near Woodstock Station, where for eight years he engaged in mining and farming ; but with small rewards. He became a member of the Lilliam School Board, and opened a Sunday- school, known as the United Sunday-school, for all denominations. In 1874 he sold his land, came back to South Australia, and carried on business for five years in Adelaide as a rough carpenter. He next became agent for the Australian Widows' Fund Life Assurance Society, and canvassed through the P"ar North for 12 months with a good deal of success. Tiring of this life, however, he returned Kj his proper calling, mining, and was engaged to report on reef country at Mount Brown, New South Wales. After completing this work in 1881, he became manager of the South Australian Prospecting Association, on behalf of which he prospected through the Far North. It was his intention to go through the Barrier country, but he was compelled lo turn back owing to a severe drought. He worked at Echunga until the latter part of 1882, when he went to North Queensland to report on the Union Mine, Mount Davenport, which he pronounced to be worthless. In company with three other gentlemen, he travelled through Charters Towers and Ravenswood, and recommended an outlay in proving Kirker's Reel. He took charge of this claim in 1883. While here he was gazetted a Justice of the Peace, and he held that position until he left Queensland in 1886. He had for years