The Country round Lyell the Goal-Field 



thought, removed once and for all any opposition to the 

 employment of national funds for the purposes of our 

 expedition. 



There was no news awaiting us from our prospector, 

 and therefore we decided to visit the two bore-holes so 

 as to be able to report progress. 



For this purpose we once more boarded the steamer 

 and steamed down the Hutton to the nearest point to 

 B.H. i, where we mounted the horses we had taken 

 with us, and after two days' somewhat difficult travelling 

 came to the scene of operations. 



We found that work had been stopped owing to 

 lack of water for the boiler, as there had been no rain 

 for several weeks, and although a small reservoir had 

 been made, the stock had been exhausted. It was, of 

 course, impossible to use the water of the spring, as this 

 was impregnated with salt. The boring had progressed 

 to a depth of 1 70 feet, and a thin seam of gypsum had 

 been penetrated, but as yet no rock salt had been en- 

 countered. 



At no feet a bed of sandstone had been entered, 

 and this extended down to 130 feet from the surface. 

 This we were able to ascertain from the cores which 

 had been carefully preserved. 



The prospector had been away for some days at the 

 other bore-hole, and the man he had left in charge when 

 the reservoir ran dry had stopped work to wait for 

 instructions. 



On examining the bore-hole we found that it was 

 full of fresh water up to a point 20 feet from the 

 surface, and on starting up the engine on a small 

 quantity of somewhat dirty water which remained in the 



137 



