328 



BATCHIJK 



[CMAP. XXIV. 



all of wliicli requests I evaded as skilfully as I was able, 

 and we parted very good friends. He seemed a sensible 

 old man, and lamented the sinall popidatiun of the island, 

 which he assured me was rich in many vahmble nihierals, 

 including gold; but there were not peo],tle enough to look 

 after them and work them. 1 described to him the givat 

 rush of population on the discovery of the AustralirtJi 

 gold mines, and the huge nuggets found there, with which 

 he was nmch interested, and exclaimed, " Oh ! if we had 

 but people like that, my country would be quite iis ricli ! " 



The morning after I had got into niy ne\\' house, 1 sent 

 my boys out to shoot, and went myself to explore tlie road 

 to the coal mines. In less than half a mile it entered the 

 virgin forest, at a place where some magniticeiit trees 

 formed a kind of natural avenue. The fii'St part was hat 

 and swampy, but it soon rose a little, and ran alongside 

 the fine stream which passed behind my house, and 

 which here mslied and gurgled over a rocky or pebbly 

 bed, sometimes leaving wide sandbanks on its margins, 

 aitd at other places tlowing between high banks crowneil 

 with a varied and magnihcent forest vegetation. After 

 about two miles, the vtdley naiTowed, and the road was 

 carried along the steej) hill-side which rose abruptly froui 

 the water's edge. In some places the rock had been cut 

 away, but its surface was already covered with elegant 

 fems and creepers. Gigantic tree-ferns were abundant, 

 and the whole forest had an air of luxuriance and rich 

 variety winch it never attains in the dry volcanic soil to 

 which I had Leen lately accustomed. A little further the 

 road jiassed to the other aide of the valley by a bridge 

 across the stream at a place where a great mass of rock in 

 the middle offered an excellent support for it, and two miles 

 more of most picturesque and interesting road brought me 

 to the mining establishment. 



This is situated in a large open space, at a spot where 

 two tributaries fall into the main sti-eam. Sevei-al forest- 

 paths and new clearings oiHered fioe collecting grounds, 

 and 1 captured some new and interesting insects ; but as 

 it was getting late I Iiad to reserve a moi-e thorough 

 exploration for future occasions. Coal had been discovered 

 hero some years before, and the road was made in order to 



