Tyrone Bell, age 10, of Sprague, Alabama, for his question:

Which was the biggest gold nugget ever found?

Many an old prospector became rich when he found a pouch full of gold nuggets. In 1848, gold was discovered in California and starry eyed people rushed there from all around the world, hoping to get rich in a hurry. A few filled their pockets with nuggets, found in gravelly streams or tucked in cracks in the hills. The largest nugget of California gold weighed 161 pounds    which is more than you weigh.

It was a whopper, but a much bigger one was found later    on the opposite side of the globe. In 1851, gold was discovered in Australia. The largest nugget ever reported was found there in 1869. Some people called it the Welcome Stranger but nowadays it is known as the Welcome Nugget. It weighed 248 pounds    which is as much as a very tall, very big man. It was a solid chunk of Australian gold, which is the purest natural gold in the world.