Pacific Gold

by Gordon Grimwade



1 Gold brings out the best and the worst in people. In the lands bordering the Pacific Ocean, gold has helped many countries and individuals to prosper. It has also caused destruction and heartache. Through the millennia, strong friendships have bound gold seekers together in the most challenging of environments. But, unfortunately, the lure of gold has also stirred some to uncivilized ruthlessness and aggression.

Not Just California

2 In the 19th century, the west coast of the United States, the freezing isolation of Alaska and Yukon, inland Australia, and the rolling hills of New Zealand have all welcomed thousands of gold seekers. Day after day, they jostled, dug, and suffered as they sought to strike it rich. Some achieved their dreams. Most did not.

3 The search for Pacific gold, however, dates back much farther than those 19th-century gold rushes. Beginning around 1521, Spanish conquistadors pillaged, attacked, and destroyed the Inca and Aztec empires in South and Central America. Using what came to be called "treasure galleons," they carted shiploads of gold to Europe.

4 Half a world away, in the Philippines, gold was used to produce elaborate ornaments long before the Spanish colonized the region in 1565. Elsewhere in the Western Pacific, gold mining was yet to achieve widespread prominence. From the 17th to 20th centuries, the Sado Mine in Japan was a steady source of gold. It is only in recent times that China has become the world's largest gold producer. New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Australia had gold tucked away in their lands, but the original inhabitants had little time for digging or processing this yellow metal. That changed dramatically in the mid-19th century. By this time, Europeans had arrived, and they were keen to find gold.

5 In Papua New Guinea, traces of gold were found in pottery in the 1850s. But, it was not until 1888 that gold was reported on the country's Sudest Island. The modest rush that followed attracted around 400 miners. This number, however, pales in comparison with other 19th-century gold discoveries around the Pacific. Still, we must not overlook Papua New Guinea simply because of its humble beginnings. In recent years, it has ranked as the world's 13th largest gold producer.

'Instant' Towns

6 The major gold rushes in the Pacific area started in 1848, when gold was reported in California. Towns grew up almost overnight. Initially, they were a scatter of canvas tents linked by rough, muddy tracks. Few lasted beyond the local gold rushes. San Francisco, however, is a notable exception. It turned from a small settlement into a major city within just a few years.

7 In many newly discovered goldfields, market gardens were developed along fertile river valleys, and wagons would cart supplies to the goldfields from the port towns. Those who discarded their picks and shovels and opened shops or businesses that took wagonloads of supplies to the waiting miners often profited more than those who remained in the field.

8 Such experiences were not specific to the Pacific Northwest. Similar tales are told far across the Pacific. In 1851, gold was first discovered in the Australian state of New South Wales. A few months later, it was discovered further south in Victoria. The result was another rush of gold-hungry hopefuls.

Riches — For the Few

9 In 1861, the rugged hills of New Zealand were also ringing to the sound of miners' picks. Experienced miners, some from the goldfields in the United States and Canada, and "new chums" were soon risking their lives along the rivers of the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. Canvas tents that afforded some protection in milder climates were discarded in favor of rough-built stone cottages. Once again, however, gold eluded most of those who believed somewhere, sometime they would find riches beyond their wildest dreams.

Part A
Which of the following best describes the author’s point of view about gold mining?
Gold mining has long been a successful endeavor for civilizations and should continue to help humans prosper.
The challenges of gold mining have helped gold miners develop admirable qualities like grit and perseverance.
Without the development of the gold mining industry, many present-day cities and towns would not exist.
Despite attractive prospects, the chances for success are too limited to make gold mining a worthwhile venture.

Part B
Which two pieces of evidence best support the answer to Part A?
"Day after day, they jostled, dug, and suffered as they sought to strike it rich." (paragraph 2)
"The modest rush that followed attracted around 400 miners." (paragraph 5)
"The result was another rush of gold-hungry hopefuls." (paragraph 8)
"Not ideal statistics, you must admit." (paragraph 10)
"Two companions had 'nothing to eat for 4 days, but boiled grass.'" (paragraph 13)
"It might be safer to train as a geologist or metallurgist and earn a steady salary." (paragraph 16)