After About Two Miles, The Valley
Narrowed, And The Road Was Carried Along The Steep Hill-Side
Which Rose Abruptly From The Water's Edge.
In some places the
rock had been cut away, but its surface was already covered with
elegant ferns and creepers.
Gigantic tree-ferns were abundant,
and the whole forest had an air of luxuriance and rich variety
which it never attains in the dry volcanic soil to which I had
been lately accustomed. A little further the road passed to the
other side 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 stream. Several forest-paths and
new clearings offered fine collecting grounds, and I captured
some new and interesting insects; but as it was getting late I
had to reserve a more thorough exploration for future occasions.
Coal had been discovered here some years before, and the road was
made in order to bring down a sufficient quantity for a fair
trial on the Dutch steamers. The quality, however, was not
thought sufficiently good, and the mines were abandoned. Quite
recently, works had been commenced in another spot, in Hopes of
finding a better vein. There ware about eighty men employed,
chiefly convicts; but this was far too small a number for mining
operations in such a country, where the mere keeping a few miles
of road in repair requires the constant work of several men.
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