cnAt. xnij SUPPOSEB COPPER MINE. 193 



first; and accordmgly sent to England for a miniiig- 

 engineer, who was to bring out all necessaiy tools, 

 machinery, laboratory, utensiig, a number of mechanies, 

 and stores of all kinds for two years, in order to corn- 

 mence work on a copper-mine which he was told was 

 already discovered. On reaching Singapore a ship was 

 freighted to take the men and stores to Timor, where they 

 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 iuterpreter. The Governor, 

 the Commandaiite, the Judge, and all the chief people oi 

 the place, went in state to the niouutaiu, T^-ith Mr. Geach's 

 assistant and some of u\& 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 notliing except a 

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

 the copper mountain itself The Governor stopped, the 

 officials formed a circle, and he tlien addressed them, 

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

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

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

 grandiloquent 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 

 \'irgin 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, Jlr, 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 ! 

 Tlie Governor coidd not believe his ears. At length, when 

 3ilr. Geach had repeated his statement, the Governor told 

 him severely that he was mistaken ; that they all knew 

 there was copper there in abundance, and all they wanted 

 him to tell them, as a mining-engineer, was how hest to get 

 at it ; and that at all events he was to begin work some- 

 where. This Mr. Geach refused to do, trying to ex]^lain, 

 that the ravines had cut far deeper into the hill than he 

 could do in years, and that he would not throw away 

 money or time on any such useless attempt. After this 



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