If you look closely, the bright specs are indeed minute flecks of genuine gold in the fine silt covering the rocks. We did not have a gold pan when we visited so we filtered some of the silt into my handkerchief and placed the bundle in a polythene bag which was later put into a plastic containner and frozen for the journey. As soon as we have the time we will have a go at extracting the "treasure", such as it is. Where is that microscope.