BISHOP HARPER ON THE GOLDFIELDS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 901, 15 May 1877, Page 3

BISHOP HARPER ON THE GOLDFIELDS.

The Primate has paid n visit to the Kumara, among other mining centres of Westland, and the proceedings in which he toolc part are fully reported in the local papers. One evening at Kumara, the Bishop was entertained at. a concert in the Theatre Royal, which, we arc told, was crowded to excess. The programme, says the Times, was a varied one, including songs of almost every type, from the height of sentiment to the depth of eccentricity, but the rules of good taste were sufficiently observed, even in songs of the last-named description. The concert was brought to an abrupt conclusion before the programme had been gone through, by the announcement made by Mr Seddon that there was a house on fire in the Main street. During the evening the Bishop addressed the audience to the following effect;: —He had not yet. got over his surprise at what lie had seen on his visit to Kumara. During the day he had traversed, what he believed was culled the Lead, as far as the path would allow him to go. His surprise was not merely at the extent of the gold diggings, but at; their permanent character. Not ten months ago there was not a building on this place ; now there was a large and flourishing township likely to extend and to be permanent. He had had experience of the goldfields of New Zealand, but did not recollect one which had struck him as this had. The buildings indicated that the inhabitants had found good reason to make up their minds to stay on the spot. There were also good paths and roads. The authorities had pursued a wise policy in making these. The miners, whom he thought capable of doing almost anything, yet required tracks to enable them to get about the country, and he (the Bishop) would tell the authorities that they would have to do more still towards opening the country to enable the courage, energy, and patience of the miners to obtain the gold from the bowels of the earth. Not many months would elapse, he believed, before a much larger extent of country would be found to be a goldfield. It was now twenty years since he landed in New Zealand. One of his sons (not the Archdeacon) came to this part of the country with some Maoris, and went a considerable way down the coast. He recollected his son telling him how he had crossed the Hokitika, on a log of wood, a Maori on one end and himself on the other. When in Hokitika the other day his son could not find the place where he had crossed, and he (the Bishop) was not surprised at that, for he never visited Hokitika but he found that the Hokitika had changed its course. His son had been unable to send a stone through the branches, so dense was the forest, where now there were fine roads and treasure not only of gold but of human beings, on land which at that time would not have found him in food. In fact he had been obliged to live upon eels and birds' eggs. It was one of the wonders which must, strike a person having experience of this coast—the contrast there was between this and the other side of New Zealand. Here there was extensive bush, with coal and gold, besides the timber. There were to be found broad level plains fit to produce corn in abundance and cattle. He thought the miners should work their way through to the other side, and so make a good way of coming across the country. [Laughter.] No men have a larger amount of endurance, courage, patience, and fortitude than miners. They gained by these virtues something more than gold, for by them all the finer qualities of their characters were brought out. Everyone looked for gain, no doubt;, but we should be careful not to make that the only object we had in view, but to "look for something richer than the gold and silver of this world. The mining population were much more orderly than people at home gave them credit for being; they had a very deep sense of obedience to the law, not only for the sake of the community but for their own, for they knew that the greater portion of the happiness of the community and of individuals is bound up in this. They knew that no accident could happen to any one, no wife could be deprived of her husband, without the miners coming forward to give the survivors what help and comfort they could. He hoped that if they succeeded in building the church they would contribute to the comfort, and fix the good order and peace of the community in which their lot was cast. Ho thanked them for listening to him so patiently. He was afraid he had found no subject, of interest to them upon which to speak, but rejoiced to see so many friends. He hoped to sec them again soon, when there would come with him another, who knew them better —the Archdeacon —and who would make a point of visiting them. It had been a great source of grief to the Archdeacon, that ho could not visit them on this occasion, but the same sense of duty which now prevented his coming would then bring him here. The Rev Mr Patroe, of Hokitika, also delivered an eloquent address, which was loudly applauded.