INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xxix 



was still employed in his researches, with a view to the discovery 

 of this precious metal. He does not seem to abandon the idea 

 after five months perseverance ; but he complains that a want of 

 labour prevented him from penetrating to a sufScient depth. 

 The last record of this expected gold mine is in an official letter, 

 addressed to the Court of Directors, dated the 15th June, 1716, 

 in the following words : 



" The Governor has employed most of his time, since the 

 ' arrival of the Heathcote here, with Monsieur Oliviero, a 

 ' Spaniard, who has dwelt a considerable time both in Mexico 

 ' and Peru, among the Spanish mines, and has set some of your 

 ' Honour's slaves to work at digging on the N. E. part of this 

 ' island, near a place called the Turk's Cap ; where we have 

 ' found a sort of mineral earth, that the same Spaniard tells us 

 ' is a sure signal of a mine of metal. We have sent home musters 

 ' of it by the ship Heathcote, and are assured by the same Mon- 

 ' sieur Oliviero, that as we go deeper, we shall find clearer and 

 ' more evident proofs of metal ; these being none other than 

 ' signals of ore, which, he says, all who understand mining, will 

 ' affirm as well as himself. We wish we had hands to spare, 

 ' that we might keep some employed in digging on this occasion, 

 ' because we desire nothing more than to make the island yield 

 ' to your Honours some reasonable recompense for the great 

 ' expense and trouble you have been at to improve this (hitherto) 

 ' unprofitable place." 



My attention was naturally attracted by those passages in the 

 records, to the place pointed out by Governor Pyke. I there- 

 fore employed three men, under the direction of Captain Plenry 

 Pritchard, a very intelligent officer, to examine the hills in the 

 vicinity of Turk's Cap Bay ; and to dig in those places that 

 appeared the most likely to be productive of ore. No certain 



