to
see whether the weather is really going to change; hunt a little, and
rest a while. What say you?"

With a sigh of contentment the captain answered, "Amen!" Paul said,
"Agreed!" and Oliver cried, "Hurrah!" at the same time throwing his cap
in the air.

Two days after that they were enabled to continue the journey on
snowless ground, with the unwieldy shoes slung at their backs.

The change, although decidedly an improvement was not perfect, for the
ground had been made soft, the rivers and rills had been swollen, and
the conditions altogether were rendered much less agreeable than they
had been on the outward journey. The travellers enjoyed themselves
greatly, notwithstanding, and the captain added many important jottings
in what he styled the log-book of his memory as to bearings of salient
points, distances, etcetera, while Paul took notes of the fauna and
flora, soils, products, and geological features of the country, on the
same convenient tablets.

"There can be no doubt about it," said the latter one morning, as he
surveyed the country around him.

"No doubt about what?" asked the captain.

"About the suitableness of this great island for the abode of man,"
answered Paul; and then, continuing to speak with enthusiasm, "the
indication of minerals is undoubted. See you that serpentine deposit
mingled with a variety of other rocks, varying in colour from darkest
green to yellow, and from the translucent to the almost transparent?
Wherever that is seen, there we have good reason to believe that copper
ore will be found."

"If so," observed Hendrick, "much copper ore will be found on the
sea-coast, on the north side of the island, for I have seen the same
rocks in many places there."

"But there are indications of other metals," continued Paul, "which I
perceive; though my acquaintance with geological science is
unfortunately not sufficient to make me certain, still, I think I can
see that, besides copper, nickel, lead, and iron may be dug from the
mines of Newfoundland; indeed, I should not wonder if silver and gold
were also to be found. Of the existence of coal-beds there can be no
doubt, though what their extent may be I cannot guess; but of this I am
certain, that the day cannot be far distant when the mineral and forest
wealth of this land shall be developed by a large and thriving
population."

"It may be as you say, Paul," remarked Captain Trench, with a dubious
shake of the head; "but if y