ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 15 
of the Colony, with a special view to the indications of gold. 
This expedition lasted about nine months, and involved a journey 
of nearly 3,000 miles. His reports to the Government during this 
journey were afterwards collected and published, with additions, 
in 1860, forming the volume entitled “ Researches in the Southern 
Gold-fields.”. Mr. Clarke’s equipment was of a scanty character» 
and he was often indebted to the settlers on his route for aid in 
the praetaticn of his labours. He says :—‘“The Government 
ed me with all I requested, but I found that without a 
geological staff, and with only two men to perform the necessary 
duties of encamping, cooking, and grooming, and without any aid 
of a scientific kind, it was impossible for me to carry out fully 
all I desired to do.’ 
Traversing for the most part a wild country, without good 
roads and with few inhabitants, he suffered exposure and hardships 
which affected his health, and even endangered his life. As an exam- 
ple of what he had sometimes to encounter, I quote the following 
narrative from “Researches, &c.,” page 64:—“‘As we were approach- 
ing the Berudba River, which one of my attendants spoke of as 
being very difficult to cross in time of flood, and as wesaw ahead of 
us a very threatening sky, as if a furious tempest was brewing 
to the south-westward, I was induced to go forwards in the hope 
of crossing the river before the storm broke. We had, however, 
searcely gained the left bank and set foot on the Manero territory, 
_ when we were met by a furious whirlwind of dust, hail, rain, and 
thunder, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning dashing along 
the ground. As I crossed the river I saw, for a moment, up the 
valley, patches of what appeared to be snow; but these were no- 
thing but vapour, suddenly condensed close to the earth by the 
sudden change of the atmosphere. In an instant all objects were 
completely obscured except within a yard or two. The horses, 
two of which were drawing the cart, and the other ridden by my-_ 
self, immediately turned round to avoid the*blinding gusts of dust, 
rain, and thunder. The dust came on at first exactly like a large 
wall, and, with the hail, frightened the horses. In about three 
