In due time nearly all the remains of the wreck were brought down to our bay, and stacked in safety. I had dreaded the discovery of wine or spirits about the vicinity, but Hoogstraaten had taken all provisions away that had been preserved.
Berghen now had a forge erected, having manufactured a rude pair of bellows, and it was pleasant to hear the ring of his hammer, as he turned out rough, but well-tempered swords, knives, &c.
The wet and stormy season came on again and passed. Everybody seemed contented and at peace. The natives never tired of watching Berghen at work, and some of them quickly learnt the rudiments of the art. I had grown more familiar with the man, and lost much of my dislike to him.
“Captain,” he said to me one day, “have you looked well for minerals about here? I should say that both copper and iron exist.”
I had to confess that I was not skilled in recognizing the ores of these metals, and he then asked to be allowed a party to make search for them. As Paul had, of course, told them of the presence of the gold, it mattered little whether Berghen found the place or not, so I gave my consent, or rather obtained Zolca’s, for I left the control of the Quadrucos entirely with him. Berghen was out for many weeks, two or three days at a time, then one day he announced his success. He had found both iron and copper, and showed me the stones he had brought in. One was sheeny and bright, with many colours, another was of a crumbly nature with dark green patches over it, these were samples of copper ore; the third was heavy and dark, and had a metallic ring when struck, this was iron.
Berghen then said that he knew how to construct rude smelting works, with which he could extract the metal from the ore, if I would give him a party of men to assist him, and to carry in a sufficient quantity of ore.
Suddenly a thought struck me, and I asked, if, during his search for the metal, he had come across the gold mine. A moment’s hesitation confirmed me in the thought that he had, and meant to keep it secret from me. Then he answered boldly, “Yes,” he had.
I asked him what he thought of it, seeing that he had had experience in other countries.
He replied that there was gold there still, no doubt, but that whatever nation had worked the mine formerly had probably taken the best of the gold away. This was my idea, too, and after some further conversation I told him that I would ask Zolca to let him have the men he required.