274 TiMEHRI. 



on the diflferent distri6ts, it must be acknowledged, 

 are extremely complete, under the circumstances ; 

 and though they can by no possibility be regarded as 

 more than the beginning of an attempt to arrive 

 at an accurate geological history of the colony, yet they 

 lay the foundation for that history, and will serve as a 

 most useful handbook for future work. 



" To make an accurate survey would, however," says the 

 preface "require an immense outlay and occupy three times 

 the number of years already spent on the present explora- 

 tions." This, however, in the light of the best surveyed 

 country in the world. Great Britain, would seem to be 

 even more than sanguine ; for it was but a year or two 

 ago that gold was declared to be in paying quantities in 

 Wales, and 'tis but now that the existence of a coal for- 

 mation in the South-Eastern counties is being brought to 

 proof — in spite of the army of surveyors and the number 

 of years that have seen their labours. Such work in a 

 large extent of territory, is necessarily a work of time ! 



It is upon the existence of gold and precious stones, in 

 paying quantities, in the colony, that the Reports are 

 made to bear the whole burden of complaint ; and now 

 that gold is proved to exist in large quantities in certain 

 parts of the land, the contempt with which the surveyors 

 are mentioned is even more marked. In the first 

 " place the surveyors said there was no gold or 

 precious metal in the colony ;" and in the second 

 place, now that gold and diamonds are known to exist in 

 the country, " the surveyors ought to have found gold 

 and precious stones." Such in substance are the com- 

 plaints. 



Now, it seems almost idle to have to say that a geolo- 



