Supposed Copper-Mine. 201 



in the bed of a ravine, and many years ago a captain of a ves- 

 sel is said to have got some hundred-weight of it. Kow, 

 however, it is evidently very scarce, as during the two years 

 Mr. Geach resided in the country none was found. I was 

 shown one piece several pounds' weight, having much the ap- 

 pearance of one of the larger Australian nuggets, but of pure 

 copper instead of gold. The natives and the Portuguese have, 

 very naturally, imagined that where these fragments come 

 from thei-e must be more ; and they have a report or tradition 

 that a mountain at the head of the ravine is almost pure cop- 

 per, and of course of immense value. 



After much difficulty a company was at length formed to 

 Avork the copper mountain, a Portuguese merchant of Singa- 

 pore supplying most of the capital. So confident were they 

 of the existence of the copper that they thought it would be 

 waste of time and money to have any exploration made first, 

 and accordingly sent to England for a mining-engineer, who 

 was to bring out all necessary tools, machinery, laboratory, 

 utensils, a number of mechanics, and stores of all kinds for two 

 years, in order to commence work on a copper-mine which he 

 was told was already discovei'ed. On reaching Singapore, a 

 ship was freighted to take the men and stores to Timor, where 

 they at length arrived, after much delay, a long voyage, and 

 very great expense. 



A day was then fixed to " open the mines." Captain Hart 

 accomi^anied Mr. Geach as interpreter. The Governor, the 

 commandante, the judge, and all the chief people of the place 

 went in state to the mountain, with Mr. Geach's assistant and 

 some of the workmen. As they went up the valley Mr. Geach 

 examined the rocks, but saw no signs of copper. They went 

 on and on, but still nothing except a few mere traces of very 

 poor ore. At length they stood on the copper mountain itself. 

 The Governor stopped, the officials formed a circle, and he then 

 addressed them, saying that at length the day had arrived they 

 had all been so long expecting, when the treasures of the soil 

 of Timor would be brought to light, and much more in very 

 grandiloquent Portuguese, and concluded by turning to Mr. 

 Geach and requesting him to point out the best spot for them 

 to begin work at once, and uncover the mass of virgin copper. 

 As the ravines and precipices among which they had passed, 



