Centre Valley Hot Springs 



later the spring erupted with great violence and the 

 stones were flung out along with the water. There were 

 no signs of geyser action having taken place at this 

 particular spring under normal conditions. 



We now returned to the base camp, and on the day 

 following our arrival set out downstream en route for 

 Lyell. The journey was uneventful, with the exception 

 that we had some difficulty in passing through the 

 rapids in the deep valley between the Lake Fault and 

 the Camp Fault. 



Arrived opposite the great lead vein, we were sur- 

 prised to notice several wooden huts on the bank of 

 the river, and, thinking that work had been started on 

 the vein, we attempted to land, but were informed by 

 police officers that this land was now Government 

 property and that no person was allowed to land without 

 a permit. Evidently this was some political dodge on 

 the part of the Government, so we merely accepted 

 the decision of the officer and, without disclosing our 

 identity, continued our journey towards Lyell. 



Arrived at a point about 5 miles above the 

 junction of East River with the Hutton, we were met 

 by the Premier's launch, which was cruising about with 

 orders to intercept us and to deliver certain sealed 

 orders. These we found to be instructions to transfer 

 ourselves and our belongings to the private launch and 

 then to send the two Government boats back with all 

 hands to the police camp at the lead vein. 



Accordingly we reached our own steamer in the 

 Premier's launch after what we considered some un- 

 necessary delay shortly after midnight. We were 



249 



