to dig, but with specialmeanings. Derived, like fosse, a ditch, and fossil, through French from Lat. fossus, perfectpart. of fodere, to dig. Fossicking aspres. part., or as verbal noun, is commoner than the otherparts of the verb.
1852. W. H. Hall, `Practical Experiences at the Diggings inVictoria,' p. 16:
«Or fossicking (picking out the nuggets from the intersticesof the slate formation) with knives and trowels.»
1865. F. H. Nixon, `Peter Perfume,' p. 59:
«They'll find it not quite so `welly good'
As their fossicking freak at the Buckland.»
1873. A.Trollope, `Australia and New Zealand,' c. xix. p. 286:
«Here we found about a dozen Chinamen `fossicking' after goldamidst the dirt of the river, which had already been washed bythe first gold-seekers.»
1880. G. Sutherland, `Tales of Goldfields,' p. 22:
«He commenced working along with several companions at surfacedigging and fossicking.»
1894. `The Argus,' March 14, p. 4, col. 6:
«The easiest and simplest of all methods is `fossicking.' Anold diggings is the place for this work, because there you willlearn the kind of country, formation, and spots to look forgold when you want to break new ground. `Fossicking' meansgoing over old workings, turning up boulders, and taking theclay from beneath them, exploring fissures in the rock, andscraping out the stuff with your table knife, using your pickto help matters. Pulling up of trees, and clearing all soilfrom the roots, scraping the bottoms of deserted holes, andgenerally keeping your eye about for little bits of groundleft between workings by earlier miners who were in too greata hurry looking after the big fish to attend much to small fry.»
(3) To search for gold generally, even by stealing.
1861. T. McCombie, `Australian Sketches,' p. 60:
«A number of idle and disorderly fellows had introduced apractice which was termed `fossicking.' . . . In the deadhours of midnight they issued forth, provided with wax tapers,and, entering upon the ground, stole the auriferous earth.»
(4) To search about for anything, to rummage.
1870. S. Lemaitre, `Songs of Goldfields,' p. 14:
«He ran from the flat with an awful shout
Without waiting to fossick the coffin lid out.»
1890. `The Argus,' Aug. 2, p. 4, col. 3:
«Half the time was spent in fossicking for sticks.»
1891. `The Argus,' Dec. 19, p. 4, col. 2:
«I was . . . a boy fossicking for birds' nests in the gullies.»
1893. `The Australasian,' Jan. 14:
«The dog was fossicking about.»