Geology 



requested in our sealed orders to remain on board and 

 not to hold any communication with the shore, until 

 we should receive a communication from headquarters. 

 Thus our return was known only to the crew of the 

 private launch and to our own men on the steamer. 

 We had not long to wait for an explanation of our 

 curious treatment, as early the next morning a boat 

 came alongside and the Premier himself climbed on 

 to our deck. 



He explained that during our absence the outcry 

 against the so-called extravagance of the Government 

 had increased tenfold, and that the expenditure upon 

 our survey was considered their crowning folly. He 

 was in consequence extremely anxious to learn if our 

 expedition had been a success, as in that event it might 

 still be possible to win at the elections. 



After obtaining the knowledge of the big lead- 

 silver vein he had quietly pushed through the legis- 

 lature a bill vesting all mineral rights in the nation, 

 and as this bill was thought to refer merely to the coal 

 which we had found near the Hermitage and at B.H. 2, 

 in which many of the members had small faith, there 

 had been little or no opposition. He had thought of 

 announcing the discovery of the lead vein shortly after 

 the passing of the minerals bill, but decided to hold 

 it over as an election surprise. 



"And now, gentlemen," said he, "what account can 

 you give of yourselves ? I hope you will be able to 

 say that other lead veins occur in the far north." 



We were obliged to confess that we had not up to 

 the present discovered any other veins similar to that 

 between the great faults, and, seeing the Premier's 



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