Lassetter's Lost Reef of Gold (Part 3)

(Rich gold ore from the Kalgoorlie area. The "rush" to Kalgoorlie pre-empted Lasseter and Harding's efforts to gain financial backing for a return to the reef.)

I now continue with the story of Lassetter's lost reef of gold:

Throwing in the Towel

Once Lasseetter and Harding received the news of the richness of their ore samples, they immediately set to work to try and enlist financial backing to develop and mine the gold reef. However, recent gold strikes near Kalgoorlie pre-empted their efforts as the "rush" to western Australia was in full swing and even the relative richness of the reef's ore samples failed to garner the attention of potential investors.

Treasure Hunting
Metal Detectors

Dispirited, both Lassetter and Harding threw in the towel  for the time being. Not long after, Harding traveled to England to try and drum up financial support there but Australia was too far away and too "wild and wooly" a place for English investors to seriously consider.

Waiting and Dreaming

Fate struck another blow to Lassetter's hopes when Harding's health deteriorated and he died a broken man in England. Faced with limited options, Lassetter chucked it all in and headed for the United States where he lived for over a decade and gained his master's certificate as a ship captain.

Eventually, Lassetter returned to the Land Down Under where he worked a succession of jobs, including farming and bridge construction. Finally, after nearly two decades years of waiting and dreaming, Lassetter was able to convince a motley group of investors and arm chair adventurers to accompany him back to the MacConnell Ranges and his reef of gold.

1917 Expedition

It was 1917 when the group set out for Lassetter's reef from Oodanatta, a small town in Southern Australia. Almost from the beginning things went awry. Most of the expedition's members were not used to living in the rough and dealing with the hardships that the Aussie Outback threw their way.

Carhartt Wear
Wolverine Boots

It was one thing to daydream of a grand adventure in the wilderness topped off by the proverbial pot of gold under the rainbow, and another thing to deal with the day-to-day reality. The expedition quickly ground to a halt and broke apart, much like a rudderless ship in heavy seas. Once again, Lassetter's dreams of relocating and exploiting his reef of gold were dashed.

There's more to come. Good luck to one and all in the interim.

If you liked this post, you may wan to read: "Legends of Lost Gold: the Lost Pegleg Mine"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Lassetter's Lost Reef of Gold (Part 2)

(Specimen from an Aussie reef of gold quartz. What Lassetter found is said to have been much richer than this.)

Struck With the Richness of the Ore

When the Afghan camel driver brought Lassetter into Harding's camp, he was delirious and suffering from dehydration and exposure. But after three days of care Lassetter had regained his faculties enough to show Harding the gold in quartz samples he had taken from the fabulously rich "reef" (lode or vein) he had found.

Gold Concentrators

As a surveyor operating in the Australian boonies, Harding had a passing knowledge of gold mineralization and gold prospecting. He was so struck with the richness of the gold ore that he had just seen that he wanted Lassetter to lead him to the reef as soon as possible.

Back to the Reef

However, Lassetter was in no shape to head back into the Northern Territory wasteland he'd just survived. He promised Harding that they would join forces and return to search for the rich reef after he had time to recuperate and gather the means to help fund the expedition. Harding agreed and the two men shook hands on it.

Metal Detectors

It took three years for both men to gather their resources, but in 1900 Lassetter and Harding struck out from Carnarvon, heading for the area near the MacConnell Ranges where Lassetter had found the gold. After considerable time and no small amount of travail and hardship, Lassetter was finally able to relocate the reef.

Staggering Richness

Despite it's remoteness and the harshness of the surrounding terrain, the richness of Lassetter's reef of gold in quartz was absolutely staggering. The two men spent days mapping its dimensions which they estimated to be almost 10 miles long (by cataloging its outcrops) and nearly 12 feet wide in some locations! Although elated, both Lassetter and Harding knew that a great amount of capital would be needed to properly work the reef and process all its gold.

(Lassetter and Harding headed east toward the MacConnell Ranges from Carnarvon in 1900...a fair dinkum distance even by today's standards.)

Before departing, the two men bagged numerous ore samples and used a pocket watch to take what they thought were accurate longitudinal and latitudinal bearings to pinpoint the reef's location. They also had their ore samples fire assayed...the average amount of gold in their samples was over 3 troy ounces per ton of material...very rich ore indeed.

(Note: At today's gold prices, large scale lode mining operations can produce a profit from mere grams of gold per ton, so a reef as extensive as Lassetter's would be rich beyond imagination. J.R.)

There's more to come on Lassetter's lost reef, so keep coming back. As always, good hunting to you.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Waybill to Lost Gold in Utah's Henry Mountains (Part 1)"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Lasseter's Lost Reef of Gold (Part 1)

 (1931 Sydney Mirror front page headline...Lasseter is on the left.)

Enduring Treasure Legend

One of Australia's most enduring treasure legends is Lasseter's lost reef of gold. For those of you unfamiliar with Aussie mining terminology a "reef" is what miners here in the U.S. call a vein or lode.

Unlike most lost mine legends (whether in Australia, the USA, or anywhere else in the world) the story of Lasseter's gold reef is well known and more importantly, based on facts that can be researched in the historical record. For those prospectors, gold miners, and treasure hunters in the Land Down Under the tale of Lasseter's lost gold exerts as strong a pull as the Lost Dutchman Mine legend does here in the U.S.

Alice Springs "Ruby Rush"

It's sometimes said that Lewis H.B. Lasseter was born with an adventurous spirit. By the time he turned 17 in 1897 he was already a seasoned crew member on tramp steamers plying the Queensland coastline.

Treasure Hunting

Lasseter left his life at sea that same year to prospect for rubies that were supposedly being found near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Alice Springs "ruby rush" turned out to be much ado over nothing...the rubies were actually semi-precious garnets with little commercial value.

 

 (Part of the MacDonnell Ranges and Alice Springs.)

Struggling to Survive


Lasseter soon found himself cursing his bogus map and struggling to survive. The MacDonnells had given way to harsh desert terrain nearly devoid of water and with little or no forage for his two horses.

Flat broke and down on his luck at Alice Springs, Lasseter decided to traverse the nearby MacDonnell Ranges and make his way back west to the coast to look for work. Lasseter made this fateful decision based on a faulty map he had recently acquired.

Quartz Riddled with Gold
Around this time Lasseter stumbled upon an immense reef of quartz that was literally riddled through and through with free-milling gold. Despite his physical condition and the circumstances he found himself in, Lasseter had the presence of mind to take a number of samples from this fabulously rich reef and to mentally note nearby landmarks. Then he pressed on.

Wolverine Boots
Dickies Work Clothes

Not long after finding the reef of golden quartz, Lasseter's horses died and he struggled ahead on foot. He was delirious and near death when Lasseter was spotted by (of all things) an Afghan camel driver who took him to the base camp of a surveyor named Harding.

There's more to come on Lasseter and his lost reef of gold, so stay tuned. Good hunting to you in the meantime.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Utah's Lost Sheepherder Placers"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Delaware's "Coin Beach" a Hot Spot for "Goodies"

(Section of Lewes Beach looking toward lighthouse.)

"Coin Beach"

Although it's the second smallest state in the U.S., Delaware contains its share of treasure "goodies." If you're into coin and beach hunting, Delaware's Lewes Beach may provide some very productive ground.

(Lewes Beach and Sussex County.)

Lewes Beach (Sussex County) is known in treasure hunting circles as "Coin Beach" due to its proclivity for offering up old coins. Many of these old copper and silver coins are British in origin and believed to be part of a cargo of specie carried by the luckless merchant Faithful Steward, which ran aground near Indian River in 1785.

Coins "Tossed Ashore"

Eventually the Faithful Steward broke apart as heavy seas battered the wreck. Over the past 200+ years, portions of her cargo have been "tossed ashore" along certain stretches of Lewes Beach during storm surges.

Metal Detectors
Treasure Hunting

The local museum at Lewes Beach has a number of coins from the Faithful Steward on display. These include half pennies dating back to 1766. (I also know of one beach hunter who recovered two English gold coins at "Coin Beach.")

A Steady Stream of "Goodies"

But old English coins are not the only "goodies" found along sandy stretches of Lewes Beach. The area is also a popular beach and vacation destination in the summer months. The thousands of vacationers and beach goers who flock to "Coin Beach" in the summertime provide a steady stream of newer coins, rings, jewelry, and other personal items.

Strapworks.com - any strap, any length, any color!

A good metal detector and perhaps a Merkitch-type sand sifter could work wonders at "Coin Beach" during the tourist season. Locals already know that nor'easters and storm surges during the off season often kick up the oldest coins and artifacts, as well as a fair share of jewelry items.

So there you have it..."Coin Beach" is quite the hot spot for "goodies."

What are you waiting for?

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Treasure Hunting Questions and Answers: Part 5"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

"You Know You've Drunk the Poisoned Kool Aid If..."

You know you’ve drunk the poisoned Kool Aid if you:

• Use buzz words like “sustainable,” “eco friendly,” and “carbon footprint.”

• Believe politicians have your best interests in mind.

• Sell all your mining or treasure hunting gear to study yoga in India.

• Own a Prius and call other drivers sheep.

• Believe college degrees mean more than human values.

• Think liberal bumper stickers stop wars.

• Eat only “humanely raised” chicken and “cruelty free” beef.

• Take pride in being vegan but drive a fossil fuel burning vehicle.

• Have more empathy for minnows and trees than you do for unemployed families.

• Assume all those who work with their hands are ignoramuses.

• Despise the wealthy but live off the government dole.

• Think the rules apply to everyone else but you.

• Believe sacrifice means being unable to send text messages.

• Proclaim that having a good job, nice house, and money in the bank are constitutional "rights."

There it is brothers and sisters. The truth according to J.R.

Good luck to you all.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Gold Mining Questions and Answers: Part 11"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

7 Burro Loads of Gold (Part 2)

 (Section of topo map showing the old Avant Cemetery.)

Metal Detectors

Here's the story the mysterious stranger told the two Avant boys:

Packs Filled With Gold

"Many years ago when the Spanish still traversed this area a small column of Spaniards camped one night by two small springs. The Spaniards were accompanied by 7 burros, each of which was loaded with packs filled with crude gold ingots called 'dores.' Where the gold came from is anyone's guess, but what is known is that the Spanish worked gold and silver mines in many places across this country."

"The following morning the Spaniards were set upon by hostile Indians but they managed to fend off this attack. Realizing that they were in great danger, they buried they gold nearby and attempted to flee. Along the way the Spaniards were attacked again and all but one of them was killed. As luck would have it, he is the one who related this tale to others."

"It's my belief that the gold the Spaniards buried is not far from here, hidden near two small springs."Treasure Signs

After the stranger told his amazing story and had gone on his way, the two Avant boys couldn't contain their excitement. The idea that a king's ransom in buried gold might be buried near the father's farm was just too much to bear.

 (Crude gold dore bar.)

Over the next few years the Avant boys hunted for the two small springs every chance they had. It took over three years but the boys were finally able to locate the springs as well as indicators they took for treasure signs. These included old iron spikes and other metallic "trash" as well as strange symbols carved into nearby tree trunks.

Searches End in Failure

Try as they might however, the Avant boys were unable to locate any buried gold. Subsequent searches by the boys as well as some of their relatives also ended in failure...I suspect that if the Avant boys had access to a modern metal detector, the outcome may have been vastly different for them.

Wolverine Boots
Dickies Work Clothes

Anyway, take it as it comes...there may well be a fortune in crude gold ingots buried near two small springs on Avant Mountain in northwestern Arkansas.

Good hunting to you.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Spanish Treasures on Padre Island"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

7 Burro Loads of Gold (Part 1)

 (De Queen in northwestern Arkansas.)

If I had to pick two American states as “hotbeds” of land-based treasure troves and caches those two states would be Missouri and Arkansas. The sheer volume of treasure both recovered and still awaiting recovery in these two states is nothing short of amazing.

Metal Detectors
Treasure Hunting

That said, here’s another treasure tale from Arkansas that may carry some real substance:

A Stranger at the Door

Shortly after the end of the U.S. Civil War, a farmer named John Avant began working a section of land along the Cossatot River just north of De Queen in Sevier County, Arkansas. This region should be well known to many treasure hunters since it is near the Ouachita Mountains where numerous James Boys cache recoveries have been reported in recent years. Anyway, you’ll know the area that John Avant and his sons farmed by locating Avant Mountain, a local landmark.

One fine day in the mid-to-late 1870s, a stranger showed up at the Avant farm and said he was seeking a nearby location where two unnamed springs were close together. The stranger told John Avant and two of his sons that if he could locate these springs he could make them all wealthy because a vast storehouse of gold was buried there.

 (Section of the Cossatot River.)

Gold Fever

It’s said that John Avant was a hard-headed, salt-of-the-earth type who didn’t put much faith in tall tales of buried treasure. Avant told the stranger he knew the lay of the land pretty well but knew of no springs like those described and then said he had to get back to the hard work of farming. Before he departed for parts unknown, the stranger spent a few minutes telling the Avant boys a tale of treasure that left them wide eyed and bitten hard by gold fever.

Strapworks.com - any strap, any length, any color!

It seems that back in the old days when the Spanish were active in this part of Arkansas a small party of Spaniards camped near two springs. This meant nothing of and by itself, but the fact that the Spaniards were accompanied by seven burro loads of gold surely did.

There’s more to come on this one, so stay tuned.

Good hunting.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Natural Treasure Signs"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Two Nebraska Treasure Caches

Near and Dear

Nebraska is a state that's near and dear to me. I have had close friends and "adopted" family there since 1965, when I was still a young pup of 17. I also lived there for a short time when I returned to civilian life after I made it back from my 2nd (and last, thankfully) Vietnam tour.

Carhartt Wear
Wolverine Boots

Nebraskans are wonderful and generous hearted people who will go out of their way to help others in most instances. However, should you be searching for one of the following "Cornhusker" treasure caches, you may find the locals a bit more reticent than usual.

The Rulo Cache

Rulo can be found in the extreme southeast corner of Nebraska and is said to be the locale of a decent-sized cache of gold and silver coins buried by the members of a wagon train around the time of the great westward expansion by pioneers and gold seekers. This wagon train had just crossed over onto the west bank of the Missouri River when it was set upon by hostile Indians.

Legend has it that while the menfolk tried to hold off  the Indians, the women and older children hurriedly buried all the valuables that had been gathered up. As fate would have it, one of the few survivors of this attack was a very young girl who in her later years recounted the events of that day.

Due to incursions by the white man, Indian attacks were a common occurrence in the Great Plains during most of the 1800s, so this much is certainly plausible. However, much more research is needed to verify this one.

Black Hills Gold Bullion

The Black Hills gold rush in the latter part of the 1800s created a steady stream of would-be miners, suppliers, gamblers, murderers, and thieves who crisscrossed Nebraska on their way to the goldfields of South Dakota. In fact, it could be said that Black Hills gold was a root cause for the demise of George Armstrong Custer and over 250 men of his 7th U.S. Cavalry in June 1876.

Although there are at least three separate variations to this particular treasure tale, I lean toward the second version, which goes something like this. In 1881 a wagon load of gold bullion from the Black Hills mines was supposedly being shipped east to Chicago under a small civilian escort.

An "Inside" Job

When the column neared the outskirts of Sidney, Nebraska it was set upon by robbers who had been shadowing it for days. All but one of the escort was shot dead...it seems he was acting as an "insider" during the entire affair for a share of the gold.

Treasure Hunting

Wanting to make a quick getaway, the outlaws loaded as much bullion as as they could carry in their saddlebags and onto packhorses, buried the rest of the gold nearby, and then abandoned the wagon. Although I personally find it hard to believe, none of the thieves ever returned for the rest of the gold.

Why? Most were killed while engaging in other criminal acts, another died of disease, and our "inside" man? Well, he lived to be an old man who liked to tell "tall tales."

That said, I don't place much faith in this one...but you never know.

Good hunting out there.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Don't Cross That Bridge Without Checking Underneath It (Part 1)"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Waybill to a Lost Silver Mine in West Virignia?

It goes without saying that the state of West Virginia is mostly noted for moon shining and coal mining, not precious metals. That said, treasure tales concerning lost silver and gold mines in the "Mountain State" persist and the following personal account by one L.V. McWhorter of Buckhannon, West Virginia may provide a waybill to one of these lost mines. Please note that I've edited McWhorter's account for readability:

"I Was Shown the Ruins"

"Near Indian Camp in Upshur County, West Virginia there's a legend about a lost silver mine and a  treasure of buried silver bullion. This mine dates back before the American Revolution and I think there's some truth to its existence." 

Metal Detectors

"The way I heard of it, the mine was worked by a party of Spanish adventurers who were nearly killed off by local Indians. When I was at Indian Camp back in 1883, I was shown the ruins of a mine, but I was never able to locate any vein of silver ore. I was also shown a small polished stone disk, pieces of Indian basketry, and a chunk of shiny metal that had been taken from the waste of this mine, which upon further examination, proved to be silver."

"'S' for Silver"

"I also examined a figure, or some type of symbol, carved on a large sandstone boulder in a nearby rock shelter known as the Chimney Rocks. This symbol seemed to show the compass with all four points of direction. By way of further background, on July 15, 1867, Doctor L. S. Farnsworth found some rock inscriptions at the head of Stonecoal Creek. These were found in the company of one Valentine Lorentz and were carved on a large flat rock."

 (Indian Camp historical marker.)

"About 3/4 of a mile northwest of the carving on the flat rock, an upright stone was also found. It was inscribed with a "S," which is thought to mean silver. Three fourths of a mile further northwest another small rock shelter was found. Just back a ways from the entrance was a large stone slab several feet across that had fallen from the overhead."

 "Strange-Looking Tools"

"Now carved into the roof of this shelter was a circle with the four points of a compass. Etched across the surface of this circle was a well-defined pointer like a compass needle. About the time I was at Indian Camp in 1883, someone else found several ancient tools in a cave on Grass Run Creek, close by to Indian Camp."

Carhartt Wear
Wolverine Boots

"These tools were described as unfamiliar or strange looking. Some believe that straggling bands of Spanish explorers from the Southern Tidewater region penetrated the Virginia and Kentucky wilderness, where they found gold and silver. Most were killed or absorbed into Indian tribes though captivity."

So there you are. Some basic research should help you determine whether this one is worth following up or not.

Either way, good hunting to you.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Basic Treasure Trove Laws"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com