NAKKATIVK OF TJll': SI^COXD AND THIUD EXPEDITIONS. 53 



party, a parcel of diamonds, and some small 2)ieces of macliiuery for the diamond drill, 

 were at once put on board, and the " Eastward Ho," Captain Jones, sailed from Suva 

 for Fmiafuti on November 21st. He encountered adverse winds most of his way 

 down, in consequence of which he did not arrive at Funafuti until December 4th, jiist 

 four da3's after Mr. Sweet and party had left.* 



As events turned out the despatch of the "Eastward Ho" proved to he needless. 

 At the same time in view of the direct assurance of the owners of the "Archer" that 

 their steamer would not call for the expedition, of the probable shortage of coal 

 and provisions at Funafuti, and the urgent need for Mr. Sweet to return to 

 Melbourne before the end of the year, the despatch of the schooner was necessary. 

 She might have been the means, had the " Archer " not called, of relieving the 

 expedition from great embarrassment, and the utmost credit is due to Dr. Corney for his 

 prompt and generous action in chartering and despatching the vessel, and particularly 

 to the Government of New South Wales for the help they gave in this matter. 



After my' departure from Funafuti, Mr. George Sweet acted as leader of the 

 expedition. The coal supplied him by Captain Rason ena,bled him to continue the 

 boring until the arrival of the " Archer " on September 21st. Further supplies of 

 provisions and coal were obtained, and the boring was continued to a depth of 

 663|- feet. A crack then formed in the lower tube of the large boiler which the 

 foreman-in-charge considered dangerous. Mr. Sweet, however, induced the diamond- 

 drill party to fit up the small new boiler, and by this means the boring was eventually 

 carried to a depth of 698 feet. Great difficulty, however, was experienced in carrying 

 the bore to this depth in the last 20 feet, as the small boiler did not afford sufficient 

 steam-power to keep the large pump working at the same time that it drove the drill; 

 hence the rods became at last silted up in the bore and were withdrawn only with 

 great difficulty by means of a povverfiil monkey. No further boring was attempted 

 this year, and according to his directions, Mr. Sweet had the 4-inch lining pipes pulled 

 up from the bore-hole. An attempt was made also to pull up the o-inch lining- 

 pipes, but they had become so firmly rusted into the bore-hole that when pressure 

 was put on with the hydraulic jacks the top 10-foot length of pipe was torn away 

 from the remainder, thus leaving the bore lined between the levels of 10 feet and 

 115 feet with 5 -inch pipe. This was a fortunate accident as it immensely facilitated 

 the work of re-opening the bore on the following year. Mr. Sweet left a large 

 portion of the drill plant at the atoll as well as 23 tons of coal, and having built a 

 cairn over the site of the drill bore, he embarked with the diamond-drill party on the 

 s.s. "Archer," and arrived in Sydney before the end of the year. 



Up to this point, therefore, the \^'ork accomplished by the expedition may be 

 summarised as follows : — 



* It transpired afterwards that Mr. Sweet had succeeded in inducing the supercargo of the " Archer " 

 to depart from his instructions so far as to call at Funafuti on his I'eturn, and take off the "whole party, 

 which vv'as done on November 30th. 



