94 Voyage of the Novara. 



ropean emigration of a couutiy possessing a liealtliy climate, 

 a fertile soil, and but tliinly peopled, it was most gratifying 

 to the members of the first Austrian Expedition to see much 

 hitherto unsuspected natural wealth made known to the in- 

 habitants by one of their scientific staff, and thus to prove 

 of use to a nation which in almost every part of the globe 

 has so incontestably borne away the palm in advancing the 

 interests of science and the development of the treasures of 

 the earth. 



Immediately after our arrival in Auckland, the Governor 

 of the colony. Colonel Gore Browne, renewed the request, 

 previously made in his name to our Commodore while at 

 Sydney by Sir William Denison, that he would permit our 

 geologist to make a proper scientific examination of a portion 

 of the Drury District, in whicli there were certain indications 

 supposing to point to the existence of coal-fields. Upon his 

 re]3ort would depend the exploration and the establishing of 

 a regular system of working the mines. The little Expedi- 

 tion to the coal-fields, which was most munificently equipped 

 by the Government, proved successful beyond all expectation, 

 so much so as to induce the Governor to beg of our Commo- 

 dore the further favour of permitting our geologist to make a 

 still longer stay on the island, for the purpose of more accur- 

 ately and completely surveying the dependency. The 

 negotiations upon this subject, fraught with such happy 

 results for both parties, will be found in the Appendix, while 



