AN UNUSUAL VISITOR.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1095, 24 February 1893, Page 18

AN UNUSUAL VISITOR.

M. PERRETT, THIS RUSSIAN MINING

EXPERT.

MISTAKEN IN AUSTRALIA FOR A RUSSIAN SPY.

It may be within the recollection of our readers that a good many months sinoe New Zoaland, in oomtnon with the rest of the Australasian colonies, was considerably interested by the news that a Russian spy had been arrested by the police in Queens-* land. A few days afterwards c’-me the reassuring intelligence that tho gentleman in question had satisfied fcha authorities that they had made a mistake, and that he had been set at liberty. After this little episida hia movements and doings coased to engage the attention of the pur. veyors of cable sensations, and the oircutnstsnee was ppeediiy dismissed from mind. The interest in his personality will doubtless bo revived when we state that he has re. cently oomplatod a t:ur of the South Island, that ho has been sojourning for the last few days at the Occidental Hotel, and that he left AVellington by the AVairarapa train yesterday mi route for Auckland. Hia name is M. Icon Perrott, and ho comes accredited from tho Russian Government as a mining expert. Upon landing in New Zealand ho placed himself in communication with the Government, and as his credentials wero vouched for by the Homo authorities, the Minister of Mines iastruo ed the Inspec. tor of Mines in Otago to accompany him on his tour through that district, aud to aff ird him every facility for inspecting mining operations there, M. Perrett was very much struck with tho river-dredging works in Otago, and ho procured plans of tho dredges, and was also furnished with oopivs of reports thereon. He says there are rivers in Russia which he is sure would afford a profitable auriferous return for systematic dredging duiing tho summer months. Ho i 3 also very grateful for the kindness of the Minister of Mines in detailing officers of h's department to accompany him in his rouuds of inspection. M Perrett intends to visit Rotorua and Te Aroha, and the Inspector of Mines at tho latter place has been instructed to meet M. Perrett on his arrival and afford him what miniag inf. rmatija he may require. Had the gentleman been really a ppy instead of a mining expert ho has been so o’osely at. tended by the mining inspectors that their presence would have completely frustrated his purposes.