202 Timor. 



and which had been carefully examined, revealed very clearly 

 the nature and mineral constitution of the country, Mr. Geach 

 simply told them that there vs^as not a trace of copper there, 

 and that it was perfectly useless to begin work. The audience 

 were thunderstruck ! The Governor could not believe his ears. 

 At length, when Mr. Geach had repeated his statement, the 

 Governor told him severely that he was mistaken ; that they 

 all knew there was copper there in abundance, and all they 

 wanted him to tell them, as a mining-engineer, was how best to 

 get at it ; and that at all events he was to begin work some- 

 where. This Mr. Geach refused to do^ trying to explain that 

 the ravines had cut far deeper into the hill than he could do 

 in years, and that he would not throw away money or time on 

 any such useless attempt. After this speech had been inter- 

 preted to him, the Governor saw it was no use, and, without 

 saying a word, turned his horse and rode away, leaving ray 

 friends alone on the mountain. They all believed there was 

 some conspiracy, that the Englishman wotcld not find the cop- 

 per, and that they had been cruelly betrayed. 



Mr. Geach then wrote to the Singapore merchant who was 

 his employer, and it was arranged that he should send the 

 mechanics home again, and himself explore the country for 

 minerals. At first the Government threw obstacles in his Avay, 

 and entirely prevented his moving ; but at length he was al- 

 lowed to travel about, and for more than a year he and his as- 

 sistant explored the eastern part of Timor, crossing it in sev- 

 eral places from sea to sea, and ascending every important val- 

 ley, without finding any minerals that would pay the expense 

 of working. Copper ore exists in several places, but always 

 too poor in quality. The best would pay well if situated in 

 England; but in the interior of an iitterly barren country, 

 with roads to make, and all skilled labor and materials to im- 

 port, it would have been a losing concern. Gold also occurs, 

 but very sparingly and of poor quality. A fine spring of pure 

 petroleum was discovered far in the interior, where it can 

 never be available till the country is civilized. The whole af- 

 fair was a dreadful disappointment to the Portuguese Govern- 

 ment, who had considered it such a certain thing that they had 

 contracted for the Dutch mail-steamers to stop at Delli ; and 

 several vessels from Australia were induced to come with 



