For the sailor, unmindful of purpose other than providing the requisite _cache_, shoveling and delving with the energy peculiar to all his actions, suddenly struck a deep vein of almost virgin gold.
To facilitate the disposal at a distance of the disturbed debris, he threw each shovelful on to a canvas sheet, which he subsequently dragged among the trees in order to dislodge its contents.

After doing this four times he noticed certain metallic specks in the fifth load which recalled the presence of the antimony.

But the appearance of the sixth cargo was so remarkable when brought out into the sunlight that it invited closer inspection.

Though his knowledge of geology was slight--the half-forgotten gleanings of a brief course at Eton--he was forced to believe that the specimens he handled so dubiously contained neither copper nor iron pyrites but glittering yellow gold.

Their weight, the distribution of the metal through quartz in a transition state between an oxide and a telluride, compelled recognition.
Somewhat excited, yet half skeptical, he returned to the excavation and scooped out yet another collection.