506 Prof. W. J. Sollas. Report to the Committee appointed 



appliances we required, the success of the boring would even then by 

 no means be assured. 



For a doubtful result I did not feel justified in incurring the certain 

 increase in our expenditure which a journey to Sydney would have 

 involved; the question of time had also to be considered, for had Ayles 

 gone to Sydney we should on his return have been commencing our 

 boring at or after the date the Committee had considered it would 

 have been completed. Finally, it appeared that the new locality we 

 had chosen for our work offered fair prospects of success. 



The shaft already sunk to a depth of 11 feet was then timbered 

 with Pandanus logs, and arrangements made for carrying down a 

 hole by jumping with a 6-inch chisel. Ayles spoke of getting as far 

 as 50 feet by this means, and then lining the hole with 6-inch tubes, 

 but after sinking 4 feet he declared it impossible to proceed further 

 in this way, the chisel could not be made to continue sinking in a 

 straight line, the labour was too exhausting, a/nd progress very slow. 

 It was decided, therefore, to begin boring, Ayles being very hope- 

 ful, as the hole " stood " well. On Thursday, June 25, we accord- 

 ingly made arrangements to shift our boring gear to the new site, 

 and by Saturday, June 27, this work was completed, chiefly by native 

 labour, and at a cost of about 10. The boilers were rolled along 

 the beach, the rest of the machinery taken by water, and all subse- 

 quently dragged, rolled, or carried across the portage. Lieutenant 

 Waugh lent us valuable assistance, during the absence of the " Pen- 

 guin," in this work. 



Boring was commenced on Friday, July 3, and by 5 o'clock we had 

 sunk another 4 feet ; progress then became rapid, and on Saturday 

 evening, when work was knocked off, we had descended in all 

 46 feet. Very little " core " was obtained, however, and at times the 

 boring bit met with very little opposition as it advanced, seemingly 

 passing through a vacant space. Since the water pumped into the 

 hole no longer flowed out above, but found its way out by some com- 

 munication with the sea below, it was impossible to determine 

 whether or not some sand might have been present. It was clear, 

 however, that the coral rock through which the " bit " advanced was 

 highly cavernous. 



On Monday the hole became filled with fallen fragments and some 

 sand, it was evident, therefore, that the sides would not hold, and so 

 recourse was had to lining ; by Thursday, July 9, the hole had been 

 reamed and lined down to 45 feet, and the work of boring was re- 

 sumed. On pumping, we had the satisfaction of seeing the water 

 flowing out of the top of the hole, but our joy was short-lived, for, on 

 Monday, June 13, the water was again lost. On Tuesday, July 14, we 

 had reached 65 feet, passing for the last 20 feet through sand and coral. 

 Subsequently we attained a depth of 72 feet, and could then proceed 



