vi PREFACE. 



I have had the advantage of inspecting 

 all the public documents and every private 

 letter of any importance bearing upon the 

 subject, since the earhest experiments were 

 made in the direction which ultimately led 

 to success ; and I must express my cordial 

 thanks to Mr. J. A. Youl, C.M.a., for the 

 valuable assistance he has rendered me in 

 placing at my disposal a large number of 

 letters and memoranda, not otherwise acces- 

 sible, the most important of which will be 

 found in the Appendix. 



An astonishing amount of error, even 

 with respect to easily ascertained facts, has 

 been disseminated by both the colonial and 

 English press. The Field, The Melbourne 

 Argus, and The Times have, however, been 

 exceptions. 



It has been my self-appointed and pleasing 

 task to examine as critically as I was able 

 every published statement, whether of fact 



