NAERATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION IN 1896. 5 



complete equipment of lining tubes from 10 inches down to 2^ inches in diameter, 

 that 10-inch tubes were not to be had in Sydney, and that, even if we succeeded in 

 obtaining all the appliances we required, the success of the boring would not then 

 be by any means 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 thither 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 ajjpeared that the new locality we had 

 cliosen for our work offered fair prospects of success. 



The shaft already sunk to a depth of 1 1 feet was then timbered with Pandanus 

 logs, and arrangements were 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 Avay ; the chisel could not be made to continue sinking in a straight 

 line, the labour was too exhausting, and progress very slow. It was decided, therefore, 

 to begin boring, Ayles being very hopefal, as the hole " stood" well. On Thursday, 

 June 25, we accordingly 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 was taken by water, and all subsequently dragged, rolled, or carried across 

 the portage. Lieutenant Waugh lent us valuable assistance, during the absence of 

 the " Penguin," 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," however, was obtained, and 

 at times the boring bit met with' hardly any 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 communication 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 resumed. 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, 

 July 13, the v/ater 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 no further. We worked all Thursday and 

 Friday with the sand-pump, but with no success ; the bottom of the hole was 



