Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/539

 I M^-Gi'™"' ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 513 been trying to mature a process of dry gold amalgamation by the vapors of mercury, and he now introduced the process to some gentlemen in Sydney. They were favorably impressed with the principle, and, with Mr. Prout's assistance, they erected a plant on his plan at Mr. John Sands' Dockyard, Pyrmont. After three months it proved a success. Mr. Prout was congratulated on all sides as having laid the foundation of a fortune. He only lived in this state of bliss for four days, when it was discovered that the principle had been patented by Drs. Foster & Feisman in America eight years before. After this disappointment, Mr. Prout returned to Adelaide, and for four years carried on mining in manganese, between Eurelia and Edeowie, sending thousands of tons of the mineral to England. Being of an inventive turn of mind, in 1889 Captain Prout went to Flngland to .secure patent rights all over the manufacturing world for a system of welding copper to iron for ship-building purposes. Before securing the patent, a search was made of the records over the preceding period of 40 years to see if the process had been forestalled ; and as no previous registration of it was found. Captain Prout took out the patent rights for every country but America, for which latter he. was kept waiting for two years. A syndicate had in the meantime been formed to purchase the process after a successful trial had been made. This was carried out at Birmingham with great success. It was arranged that as soon as the Captain secured the American patent rights the syndicate was to give him £ 10,000 and 40,000 fully-paid-up shares in a company of 200,000 shares. But he was again doomed to disappointment, for, after much circumlocution, it was learnt that the discovery had been patented 65 years before. Captain Prout was not without honor in the old country. His qualities as a mining expert were approved, and he was engaged to report on various properties. He was sent to Sicily to inspect silver-lead mines, which he pronounced suitable ; to Ncjrth Wales to examine gold reefs, which he found unpayable ; and to South Wales to report on a recent silver-lead discovery. He recommended that a company should be floated to work the last, before doing which those interested called upon Captain Thomas, of the Dalcouth Mine, for a report. This authority confirmed Captain Prout's opinions, and a company was formed ; and the mine has now been working for some years. Captain Prout was also asked to report on the caustic soda smelting proce.ss at Newcastle-on-Tyne. His report was favorable, and he was given sufficient interest to become a director of the company. Upon the retirement of one of the directors, the Governor of the Bank of Itngland, chairman of the Board, nominated Captain Prout to the vacancy, which he filled till he left F2ngland for South Australia once more in 1892. Late in that year he was sent to Western Australia to report on mining property at Coolgardie. He made the voyage and journey in company with Mr. S. W. Pearce and his son, William Pearce. Later on, he was the second expert to report favorably on the Great Boulder group of mines. Like so many immensely wealthy properties, these mines were at first reported on adversely by many of the experts, and the subsequently-proved correctness of his report is a tribute to Captain Prout's knowledge. It is also a tribute to the mining acumen of Cornishmen to record that the only other favorable o[)inion given by experts up to this time on the Boulder Mine was that of Captain Gates, of Southern Cross, also a Cornishmen and an experienced Australian miner. Captain Prout spent five or six days in thoroughly examining