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The Aurora’s False Yield

The Luminaries

This thread follows the Aurora from a manipulated claim into a real source of hidden gold and a dispute over contracts, wages, and theft.

increasingupBearing stren­gth in each eventdowndecreasing
Mannering Salts a ClaimMannering Salts a Claim from "The Luminaries". Mannering Salts a Claim A fabricated yield Dick Mannering plants gold in the Aurora’s gravel, then recovers and reuses it to make the claim appear productive.
Mannering Salts a Claim A fabricated yield Dick Mannering plants gold in the Aurora’s gravel, then recovers and reuses it to make the claim appear productive. Quee Long does the digging. A worker sees through it Quee begins retorting his yield and marking the bars Aurora. Mannering shifts the accounting, concealing his manipulation from prospective buyers.
Staines Buys the MineStaines Buys the Mine from "The Luminaries". Staines Buys the Mine A sponsorship becomes ownership Emery Staines acquires the Aurora and accepts Carver’s half-share agreement.
Staines Buys the Mine A sponsorship becomes ownership Emery Staines acquires the Aurora and accepts Carver’s half-share agreement. The claim appears to be a promising investment. The books turn barren After Carver’s share is recorded, returns fall sharply. Charlie Frost notices the mismatch between the mine’s apparent potential and its meagre reported yield.
Quee Finds the Hidden GoldQuee Finds the Hidden Gold from "The Luminaries". Quee Finds the Hidden Gold Gold in Anna’s clothing Quee discovers gold sewn into Anna Wetherell’s gowns while she sleeps after taking opium.
Quee Finds the Hidden Gold Gold in Anna’s clothing Quee discovers gold sewn into Anna Wetherell’s gowns while she sleeps after taking opium. He removes it gradually and substitutes lead weights. A second appropriation He stamps the smelted bars Aurora, hoping to use the mine’s records to benefit from metal that was already hidden and misdirected.
Staines Diverts the BarsStaines Diverts the Bars from "The Luminaries". Staines Diverts the Bars A deliberate theft Staines removes Quee’s bars from the camp station and hides them near the Arahura.
Staines Diverts the Bars A deliberate theft Staines removes Quee’s bars from the camp station and hides them near the Arahura. He falsifies records to conceal the diversion. A deed promises restitution After Anna’s miscarriage, Staines tells Wells he will give Anna half the fortune. Wells writes a deed, but Staines falls asleep before signing it.
The Claim Is ForfeitedThe Claim Is Forfeited from "The Luminaries". The Claim Is Forfeited Absence has a legal price Staines’s long disappearance causes the Crown to repossess the Aurora and other claims.
The Claim Is Forfeited Absence has a legal price Staines’s long disappearance causes the Crown to repossess the Aurora and other claims. His guilty pleas acknowledge the resulting losses and contractual breaches. Quee’s future changes The court orders compensation, and Staines agrees to provide Quee with a bonus and a path home. The mine’s false accounting becomes a question of restitution.
Before Emery Staines acquires the Aurora
July 1865
Late 1865
Late 1865
April 1866