the German's report, which was at present very little believed. If the ground failed of mines, Uncle Jack's account convinced his associates that mines quite as profitable might be found in the pockets of the raw adventurers, who were ready to buy one year at the dearest market, and driven to sell the next at the cheapest. "But," concluded Uncle Jack, with a sly look, and giving me a poke in the ribs, "I've had to do with mines before now, and know what they are. I'll let nobody but you into my pet scheme: you shall go shares if you like. The scheme is as plain as a problem in Euclid,--if the German is right, and there are mines, why, the mines will be worked. Then miners must be employed; but miners must eat, drink, and spend their money. The thing is to get _that_ money. Do you take?" PISISTRATUS.--Not at all! UNCLE JACK, (_majestically._)--A Great Grog and Store Depôt! The miners want grog and stores, come to your depôt; you take their money; Q.E.D! Shares--eh, you dog? Cribs, as we said at school. Put in a paltry thousand or two, and you shall go halves. PISISTRATUS, (_vehemently_.)--Not for all the mines of Potosi. UNCLE JACK, (_good humouredly_.)--Well, it shan't be the worse for you. I shan't alter my will, in spite of your want of confidence. Your young friend,--that Mr Vivian, I think you call him--intelligent-looking fellow, sharper than the other, I guess,--would _he_ like a share? PISISTRATUS.--In the grog depôt? You had better ask him! UNCLE JACK.--What! you pretend to be aristocratic in the Bush! Too good. Ha, ha!--they're calling to me--we must be off. PISISTRATUS.--I will ride with you a few miles. What say you, Vivian? and you, Guy?-- As the whole party now joined us. Guy prefers basking in the sun, and reading the _Lives of the Poets_. Vivian assents; we accompany the party till sunset. Major MacBlarney prodigalises his offers of service in every conceivable department of life, and winds up with an assurance that, if we want anything in those departments connected with engineering--such as mining, mapping, surveying, &c.--he will serve us, bedad, for nothing, or next to it. We suspect Major MacBlarney to be a civil engineer, suffering under the innocent hallucination that he has been in the army.