MARTIN'S BAY.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2163, 12 April 1870, Page 2

MARTIN'S BAY.

By permission, we continue Mr J. Mac* keuzie’s narrative from the last date : “Survey Camp, Lake M'Kcrrow, “March 27, 1870.

“ You will see that we have moved back to head quarters since my last, and yesterday when on the top of a high hill, I observed that the steamer Kennedy had arrived, and was lying alongside the Charles Edward. They intend trying to lift the sunken vessel, and at present anticipate no difficulty, “Mr Whitworth returned about a week ago, unable to find the track. He managed to cross the Hollyford, but could get no further. He was an awful sight with rags and scars. He made his appearance in camp with a ‘ possum rug’ around him, his trouseiq having taken to themselves wings. He was not to be done; and he got Mr Thompson to go with him; and away they went last Thursday, Mr Thompson to see him pa M'Kinnon’s track, across the river. Joe and I start this afternoon to the head of the Lake (8 miles) in a boat, as he expected to be there this evening we are likely to havp a wet j >b of it, as it is pouring down in torrents. I have seen some very fine land here since writing my last, three or four feet of soil on some of it. I have no doubt that ere long we slyi.ll have q, great many settlers round here. I think a very great deal of the place, and so do all the party. In fact Martin, the cook, and another of the party, have quite made up their minds to settle down on their land. Martin has 50, and the others being married men are entitled to 100 acres each, free grants. Some very fine specimens of gold have been found, and the sailors have shown ns a sample of quartz very rich with gold, which they say they found near where the vessel is lying, some of us however have some doubts as to the truth of their statement, but time will prove for with a reef such as shown by the sample, they will soon leave the sea to work it. “We are getting on with our survey very slowly on account of the timber, we have to see from hill to hill, and in some places great clearings arc required ; it will I fancy be a long six months’ job, but I don’t care if we have only plenty of provisions ; the only thing we are likely to run out of will be vegetables and sugar. March 30. By the steamer we have bad West Coast papers, and news from Dunedin up to tbe 14tli. Every word of a newspaper is read here, even the advertisements. We have got another se! tier from the Grey. To give you a faint id a of life on the West Coast, I will give you our trip up and down the Lake. We left camp about 3.30 in the afternoon ; arrived there about 6. We had a mile and a-half to walk through the bush to where Mr Thomson was to meet us. Went there—no appearance, and hurried back to the boat, and just got outside at dark, wet all over, and as miserable as we could well he. On arriving at the boat, to cur dismay we found it blowing a hurriciiie on the Lake right in our teeth, and a frightful sea running. As going to the camp that night was impossible, the only thing that we could do was to stay there. We were shivering, without blankets, lent, and only one meal of grub, wet to the skin, and the rain coming down in hueketsfull. We got a fire after a great deal of trouble, and threw the sail of the boat over a few stick?. Joe lay on one side of aud myself on the other. We each sticks to lie on and keep us out of the water, and a thick log for a pillow: thus we passed the night. We did not get away until the next night. Mr Thompson had not arrived then. Last night he made bis appearance, looking ten years older ; his trowsers tore off him, aud bis ancle sprained. He hail seen Mr Whitworth to within a few hours walk of Lake Wakatipu; he had come through tome narrow escapes ; he was twice carried away in the rivers, and by a log on one occasion, stopping his progress, was saved. But we were all very glad to see him, aud he, 1 can assure you, was as glad to find himself where he was, out of danger. It will be some time before he will be able to go about again. We have had splendid weather for at least a fortnight, up to Sunday last, when it came on to ram, and has continued ever since.

“ April 3. “I am going to send this away to-day. I believe that the Charles Edward has heed raised. We have had three days rain thin week. All well.”