As someone who has panned for gold all over the west I have only this to say. "BULL" 1. Gold is heavier than any other thing in the river bottom and will seek out the lowest point to settle in. 2. If he found the gold on the top then it had to be placed there only a very, very short time before as the natural vibrations in the earths crust would have moved it to that lowest point. 3. When I demonstrate gold panning it only takes a few shakes of the pan to make a gold ring go from the top to the bottom of the pan. 4. Any body who knows this would have said: "Sure you found it right there on top of the gravel, must have been fools gold" ( fools gold Mica is lighter than the sand and will lay on top of it.) Giggle giggle Well folks as someone said a few years ago "There is a fool born every minute." Actually these stories get passed around so much that they take on a life of their own and sooner ot later some fool believes them. They do make good movies though and I am the fool who goes to see them. Walt Davies

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You're right about the gold migrating to the bottom, Walt. As a recreational miner, I look for the deepest holes and cracks in the rock. Fools Gold (mica or iron pyrite) is light in weight and will always stay on top of the heavier sand. Gotta admit, it does look real under water. When you squeeze or crush it between your finger nails it breaks into little pieces. George Patterson Lincoln, CA