IV.—What are the Principle Obstacles in the way of Development?

Given in brief, the answers are:—

A. Want of population. What are our 4000 miners, one-third of them Chinese, to deal with all the auriferous material in the mountains and valleys, the rivers and beaches of Otago and Southland, which will only reveal their riches by the application of labour?

B. The want of knowledge and skill which has, with a few bright and conspicuous exceptions, characterised our past mining operations. Our agriculture is far in advance of our mining. We are in the primitive stages of mining, which might compare with the early efforts of the farmer with wooden ploughs and yokes of oxen. Qualified young mining engineers will be the great want of the future.

C. Want of common honesty, which has so many illustrations in the sharejobbing and company-mongering of the past. The working miner has to carry an old man of the mountains on his back.

D. Want of the best machinery designable for quartz crushing, pumping, dredging, hydraulic mining, gold saving, &c. In this department we are, however, making progress. Lastly—

I know of nothing more ennobling than the gradual realisation by the student of Nature of the Reign of Law. Young men, study Nature for it will lead you nearer Nature's God. Do not aim at the mere sordid pursuit of wealth, but seek to add to the common stock of knowledge by discovering of yourselves some of Nature's secrets, and so benefit, not only yourselves, but others. Tell us something, as Hugh Miller has done, of the "testimony of the rocks," and while you are filling your mind with grand ideas, you will be helping on the progress of the race, by preparing the way for future millions in this Greater Britain of the South, than which there is not a finer country on God earth. Of it may be used almost literally the words of Moses—"For the Lord bringeth thee into a good land: a land of brooks, of water, fountains and depths, that spring out of valleys and hills—a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranate—a land of oil, olive, and honey—a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack anything in it—a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass."

Moses knew nothing of the discoveries of modern science, or of the wondrous laws by which Nature is governed, but surely these, too, are of God; and we cannot suppose that all the profuse provisions of a bountiful Providence are without design for the ultimate good of man But rather may we believe "that through the ages one increasing purpose runs." While, then, we pursue our avocations and increase our knowledge and avail ourselves of all the good provided for us, there no need for us to forget that, in the grand words of the Presbyterian Catechism—"Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever." We are stewards of all this wealth, and will one day hare to give our account.

And now for a few practical observations. First, with reference to the district of Southland. On the geological map of Hutton, a great part of Southland is described by the one word "Alluvial," Yes; no doubt. The low-lying country which you see on this part of the map, between the Waiau and New Rivers has undoubtedly been largely deposited by water, but though on the surface, you have fertile soil and many square miles of forest, what is underneath? Here comes in the importance of bores. There may be various geological formations of different ages underlying the surface soil, and there certainly a large quantity of glacial drift which has come down from the gold-bearing rocks of the interior, as shown by the Clifton Waterworks bores.

I have some distinct evidence of auriferous drifts near Gore, and on to Edendale. You have to the westward Round Hill and Orepuki, and on your coast auriferous beaches, formed, as I believe, by the sea washing a face of deposits below the sea level bearing gold. I believe such deposits underlie, perhaps at considerable depths, a great part of South land. At Clifton the bore disclosed 4 feet of black sand over 50 feet from the surface, but some of the rocks, in situ, belong to a different geologic age; and in these, though gold may not be found, coal may. But how to search? Examine drift in river beds and in cuttings, collect and preserve specimens, be particularly careful to record and study your bores. I think you should form an Amateur Prospecting Association— page 21 not, perhaps, with any immediate hope of gain, but to advance the general stock of knowledge.—and you will then discover how large a fund of interest you have in every journey. If any unusual specimen is discovered preserve it, discuss it, if possible get it examined by an expert or analysed. As one means of obtaining an idea as to there being anything of unusual character in any specimen examined, the fixing of its specific gravity, i. e., its weight in water compared with its might in air would be useful when brought to a table of the true specific gravities of substances of a similar character. It was by this means that Archimedes tested the royal crown which was suspected and found to contain silver when it professed to be entirely of gold, and thus an important law was established. A simple apparatus might be devised for carrying out this suggestion, and the arithmetical formula for recording the results is comparatively simple.

Set yourselves to discover facts and to record them. Here a fossil, and there a mineral, may be of great use to the geologist in establishing the age of a particular formation, and, if no other result follows, the louse of science will be advanced. I shall be happy to correspond and to give or get any information within my power respecting specimens that may be submitted to me. In recent journeys my notes record no fewer than twenty-one facts of more or less importance snbmitted to me.

As to machinery vast improvements may be expected.

In hydraulics we have Perry's remarkable improvements He is now engaged in a large scheme for the United Hercules Company, where a mile of 20-inch steel pipes will be used, and the material will raised from a bottom below the level of the river to a sufficient height to obtain a fall. The head of water is about 700ft, and the pressure will be enormous. To show at what a small cost hydraulic works can be carried on I quote the following telegram received by me in answer to an enquiry from a gentlemen at St. Bathans:—"With Improved hydraulic appliances in use here gravel formation at depth of 100 to 150ft. profitably treated at return of 2d. per cubic yard." This is marvellous. If I were asked how much material we had in this district which would pay far more than this, I would say billions of

Mr. M'Queen has designed, under the supervision of Mr. L. O. Beal, jun., C.E., a dredge for working the deposits of Arthur's Point, shotover. It has a draught of 2ft., and cuts its own channel. It started exceedingly well, but needs some slight alteration. It is calculated that working three shifts night and day it will lift 3,000 tons in 24 hours, and in the first half-hour two ounces of gold was got. The cost of raising on this basis will be about 2½d. per ton, and as there is an 120 acre claim, there is work for years for it. The large Welman Dredge at Waipapa Point is about starting to work the auriferous black and there. It will doubtless lift large quantities. The difficulty will be to save the fine gold from such a quantity of sand as 100 tons an hour.

There is great need for improvements in quartz-crushing. Mr. Gordon, the Government Inspector of Mines, contributes an article on the American Steel Rolls to the Government Book of Mines, to which I page 22 am considerably indebted. It seems that two sets of these rolls will crush 100 tons of quartz a day at less cost than stamps, and more effectually; this invention is at least worth enquiry. There are varied schemes for gold-saving. I have considerable hopes of the air blast We certainly lose a great deal of gold, but partly from insufficient crushing appliances and the want of a proper system of treating pyrites The whole question needs careful investigation.

I cannot be classed entirely with the man of one idea who, when he remarked to a companion, "Tom, I've got an idea," received crushing reply, "Keep it, my friend, you will never have another." I have lots of ideas, the only difficulty is the want of sufficient ability to put them in practical shape. But there is much latent talent in an intelligent community like this, and if I set you thinking I shall not despair of some results. But I might go on all night. The field is a wide one, and I hope others more competent than myself will be found to work in it.

Just a word to the ladies present. We have the example in Australia of a lady miner, Miss Alice Cornwell, who qualified herself for the management of large mining pursuits, and is now engaged is large financial schemes, to which I am sure you will wish success, This lady took up mining pursuits to benefit her family, and succeed remarkably. She has recently bought an estate valued at £250,000, and is forming a company with £1,000,000 of capital to take up Mining Agency throughout Australia and New Zealand.

I close with a few pregnant words of Carlyle:—"Produce, produce were it but the pitifulest infinitesimal fraction of a product, produce it in God's name. 'Tis the utmost thou hast in thee; out with it, then Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."

After delivering my lectures my attention was called to an article by Douglas W. Freshfield, Secretary Royal Geographical Society, in the December number of the Society's Journal, on the "Conservative Action of Glaciers." Mr. Freshfield differs from all other authorities I have consulted in questioning the grinding power of glaciers, and he regards them rather as ice sledges that bring down materials deposited on them He adduces a good deal of evidence in support of his theory, but the points at issue are not material to my conclusions that ice has in some way had much to do with eroding the valleys and carrying forward broken rock. Regarding the precise mode of operation we have no doubt still much to learn.