and top soil from various likely-looking spots
gathered and put into them, the spots being marked to
correspond with the bags. The contents are then panned off
separately, and if gold is found in any one of the bags the
spot is again visited, and the place thoroughly overhauled,
even to trenching for the reef."

<hw>Swag</hw>, <i>n</i>. (1) Used in the early days, and still
by the criminal class, in the ordinary sense of Thieves'
English, as booty, plunder.

1837. J. Mudie, `Felonry of New South Wales,' p. 181:

"In short, having brought with her a supply of the `swag,' as
the convicts call their ill-gotten cash, a wife seldom fails of
having her husband assigned to her, in which case the
transported felon finds himself his own master."

1879. R. H. Barham, `Ingoldsby Legends' (Misadventures
at Margate):

"A landsman said, `I <i>twig</i> the drop,--he's been upon
the mill,
And `cause he <i>gammons</i> so the <i>flats</i>, ve calls him
Veepin' Bill.'
He said `he'd done me very brown, and neatly <i>stowed</i>
the <i>swag</i>,'
-That's French, I fancy, for a hat,--or else a carpet-bag."

(2) A special Australian use: a tramp's bundle, wrapt up in a
blanket, called a <i>Bluey</i> (q.v.). Used also for a
passenger's luggage.

1827. P. Cunningham, `Two Years in New South Wales,' vol. ii.
p. 59:

"A number of the slang phrases current in St. Giles's
<i>Greek</i> bid fair to become legitimatized in the
dictionary of this colony: <i>plant, swag</i>,
<i>pulling up</i>, and other epithets of the
Tom and Jerry school, are established--the dross
passing here as genuine, even among all ranks."

1853. S. Sidney, `Three Colonies of Australia,' p. 361:

"His leathern overalls, his fancy stick, and his `swag' done up
in mackintosh."

1855. W. Howitt, `Two Years in Victoria,' vol. i. p. 384:

"There were others with huge swags suspended from a pole, with
which they went on, like the Children of Israel carrying the
gigantic bunches of the grapes of Canaan."

1865. J. O. Tucker, `Australian Story,' c. i. p. 86:

"The cumbrous weight of blankets that comprised my swag."

1867. Lady Barker, `Station Life in New Zealand,' p. 127:

"A pair of large double blankets to make the tent of,--that was
one swag, and a very unwieldy one it was, strapped knapsack
fashion, with straps of flax leaves."

1868. J. Bonwick, `John Batman, Founder of Victoria,' p. 51:

"Three white men, the Sydney natives,