o 



02 TIMOR. L CHAP - ami. 



at length arrived after much delay, a long voyage, and 

 very great expense. 



A day was then fixed to " open the mines." Captain 

 Hart accompanied Mr. Geach as interpreter. The Governor, 

 the Commandante, the Judge, and all the chief people of 

 the place, went in state to the mountain, with Mr. Geach's 

 assistant and some of the workmen. As they went up the 

 valley Mr. Geach examined the rocks, but saw no signs of 

 copper. They went on and on, but still nothing except a 

 few mere traces of very poor ore. At length they stood on 

 the copper mountain itself. The Governor stopped, the 

 officials formed a circle, and he then addressed them, 

 saying, — that at length the day had arrived they had all 

 been so long expecting, when the treasures of the soil of 

 Timor would be brought to light, — and much more in very 

 "randiloquent Portuguese ; and concluded by turning to 

 Mr. Geach, and requesting him to point out the best spot 

 for them to begin work at once, and uncover the mass of 

 virgin copper. As the ravines and precipices among which 

 they had passed, and which had been carefully examined, 

 revealed very clearly the nature and mineral constitution 

 of the country, Mr. Geach simply told them that there was 

 not a trace of copper there, and that it was perfectly 

 useless to begin work. The audience were thunderstruck ! 

 The Governor could not believe his ears. At length, when, 

 Mr. Geach had repeated his statement, the Governor told 



