Introduction Xi 
plants, insects, and shells. His name occurs frequently in 
the Tvansactions of the Club as the recorder of species new 
to the district. His health gradually improved, but it was 
doubtful whether he would be able to bear the strain of any 
indoor occupation, for which indeed he felt an ever-increas- 
ing aversion. 
It was the time of the discovery of gold in Australia, and 
after much discussion he and his elder brother joined the 
stream of adventurers and sailed in 1852 for Victoria. In 
this rough ‘‘ school of mines ”’ he acquired that insight into 
the building-up of the earth’s crust and that practical 
knowledge of minerals which served him so well in after- 
life as a mining engineer. But although the whole colony 
was in the grip of the gold-fever, Belt retained the same 
quiet habits of observation which had marked him at 
home—for there, as to whatever part of the world his work 
subsequently called him, the engineer was always at heart 
a naturalist. He proved an excellent observer, and a certain 
speculative tendency led him to group his observations so 
as to bring out their full theoretical bearing. 
Amid real hard work he found time to evolve a theory 
of whirlwinds and to speculate upon the soaring of birds. 
A companion has recorded in the following terms another 
matter which engaged much of his attention at this time: 
“The boldest of his speculations, and one of the soundest, 
as after-events proved, was his plan for crossing the 
Australian continent. He proposed, at the time the govern- 
ment expedition was mooted, to replace the costly plans of 
the government by the following scheme:—That he and 
his brother Anthony (who was unfortunately lost in the 
Royal Charter) should be conveyed to the Gulf of Carpen- 
taria, with about twenty pack-horses loaded with provi- 
sions and water; that an escort should protect them for 
some twenty miles from the coast, and that then the two 
voyagers only, with their pack-horses, should make their 
way to Cooper’s Creek, the farthest known accessible point 
from the Victorian settled districts. Belt argued justly: 
‘If we fail, only two lives will be lost, but all chances are 
in our favour; we are provided with water and food more 
than ample to cover the distance we have to travel. Every 
step of our road carries us homeward and to safety. If we 
never find a drop of water on the road, our animals have 
