The news of our discovery spread like wildfire, and as, whatever else I might be, everyone knew that I was honest, in the end a small company was formed with Allan Quatermain, Esq., as the chairman of the Bona Fide Gold Mine, Limited.
Oh! that company! Often to this day I dream of it when I have indigestion.
Our capital was small, L10,000, of which the Jew, who was well named Jacob, and his friends, took half (for nothing of course) as the purchase price of their rights.

I thought the proportion large and said so, especially after I had ascertained that these rights had cost them exactly three dozen of square-face gin, a broken-down wagon, four cows past the bearing age and L5 in cash.

However, when it was pointed out to me that by their peculiar knowledge and genius they had located and provided the value of a property of enormous potential worth, moreover that this sum was to be paid to them in scrip which would only be realizable when success was assured and not in money, after a night of anxious consideration I gave way.
Personally, before I consented to accept the chairmanship, which carried with it a salary of L100 a year (which I never got), I bought and paid for in cash, shares to the value of L1,000 sterling.

I remember that Jacob and his friends seemed surprised at this act of mine, as they had offered to give me five hundred of their shares for nothing "in consideration of the guarantee of my name." These I refused, saying that I would not ask others to invest in a venture in which I had no actual money stake; whereon they accepted my decision, not without enthusiasm.
In the end the balance of L4,000 was subscribed and we got to work.

Work is a good name for it so far as I was concerned, for never in all my days have I gone through so harrowing a time.
We began by washing a certain patch of gravel and obtained results which seemed really astonishing.