Page:Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute - Volume 1 (2nd ed.).djvu/494

Rh. They had thus squandered the means at their disposal, and they sought assistaace to prosecute their investigations. Now, the most superficial acquaintance with mineralogy or chemistry, by themselves or their neighbours, would have saved these men from grievous disappointment and serious loss. A tyro in mineralogy could have told them that the supposed quartz was carbonate of lime, and the supposed highly valuable gold nothing more valuable than delusive iron pyrites. A slight knowledge of the use of some of the most readily obtained chemicals would, without difficulty, have enabled them to obtain the same information.

Again, how many experiments have been tried during the last twenty-five years on the Phormium tenax. How many men have wasted their time and their money on a process which a very slight acquaintance with science would have warned them to eschew. These are but two of the many instances that are occurring in which science would have liberally repaid attentions bestowed on her.

It may be affirmed, as a proposition universally true, that science is of great practical value; how peculiarly important is it that in this colony it should be generally cultivated. Here we are in a land abounding in raw materials of every description, of the greatest value and importance. Treasures of all kinds are spread with an unsparing hand around us in every direction, inviting us to accept the wealth, which, if properly used, they will bestow. Why do we not avail ourselves of the opportunity? Science and the arts are required to lend their aid, and we neglect to avail ourseives of their use. In a colony like this, men no doubt have serious disadvantages to contend with. They cannot, as in a highly civilized community, obtain that advice and assistance of which they often stand in need, and they are compelled to rely on their own resources.

Take, for an instance, what is daily advancing towards becoming one of the most important and prosj)erous industries in this part of the colony—I mean gold-producing. How little do we know about it; how much have we to learn! There are peculiarities about the Thames Gold Field which render experience gained elsewhere in some measure inapplicable, and it may, I am certain, be safely affirmed that at least one-third to one-half in value is daily lost in the inartistic and inefficient manner in which the gold is attempted to be extracted from the mine, and afterwards separated from the worthless material with which it is mixed.

By what means can this loss be obviated, or, at all events, mitigated? Of the members of this Institute—and at present there are but few—there are several, I feel assured, who know, at all events, some little that would be useful to the gold miner; and if all these "littles" were brought together, well sifted by discussion, and that which is valuable made readily available,