EARLY GOLD DISCOVERY

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1921, Page 4

EARLY GOLD DISCOVERY

FIRST RUSH TO TIIK COAST. A romantic account. (From the Reports of Sir Julius von [lnsist, F.R.S. to the Canterbury Provincial Ciovernment). (Continued.) V. The next morning, April 21st. wo stnrted early for Hokitika, along the. I,eaell which, during ehh tune. »lleis; irenenillv fine travelling ground lor a f hard sa'ndv bottom. 'J ho whole way appeared like a great main road rather than an ocean bench, (ha'ses and riders, pack-horses and then drivers, men with swags, waggons drawn. b v horses or bullocks the whole a pic- i tore of earnest activity, proved that j we were advancing towards the great, centre of the goldfields. At the mouth of the small Waimca river, distant about five miles from the [Vremnkau, a settlement of small extent eousisting of about thirty sham.es. and vnnvas houses, mostly stores and pub n houses. There the road leaves he ■ const for the extensive diggings at th head of this crock. A similar but 1 hnmer township was lottnd at the mouth I The Aral.lira, which we passed after I a inar ,.h Of a few hours. Ihe noarer 1 we approached Hokitika, the more tin I t raffle became animated, and "hen wo . Inst entered that city ot yesterday, we ...odd not eoneenl our astonishment • thin, in so short si time ol on y a tew months, stub a large place could hay I sprung up. which being nernlly m j ,'n sand, seemed at the same tune | healthy and clean. I The principal street, hall a long consisted already ot a large num- ! her of shops, hotels, hanks and dwelling places, and np|>cnred as a scene ot I almost indescrihiihle bustle and aetiI vitv There, were jewellers ami water,I makers, physicians and barbers, hole I aml billiard rooms, eating and -maiding I houses, and trades and professions m l all descriptions. Everywhere the Fnglisli language would ot course be u ' i„ its principal dialects, as well an, Italian, (iivfk anil nud several oilier tongues, Carts " v "' unloatling and loading, ami sheep am! cattle driven to the yards: there "as shouting and hell-ringing, dealenmg to the passers-by; criers at every corner of the principal streets, which \'eic filled with people a scene 1 had never . before witnessed in New Zealand. \ Hundreds of diggers “mi the spree •j I loafers we:e every" her- to he seen, 'h Imt principally near the spit and on | the wharf, where work went on with § ; feverish haste. S i lie I ore arriving at Hokitika. I eount- ! cd seven vessels at anchor in the roudj stead, amongst them a large Meibomlie ! steamer: whilst in the river itself, hve | steamers and a large number "I ing vessels wire discharging their carj goes, reminding us ol the lib- in a i F.uropean port. Owing to 11 if shilling nature of the channel, which leads through the suit into Ihe river, several vessels had boon stranded, amongst which were two steamers. However, one ol them, the Sturmbiid, was that dav brought into deep water again. i pit, bed Mix Iciits 111 till- < bivcrnmcni camp, in which, in canvas house-, 1 1 f Provincial Government Commissioner. Mr H. Sale, and the other Gov-nuii-nl officers were living, and winch contained aNo the police camp, jail and the offices of the Resident Magistrate and of the Goldfields Warden. For several days we had ,|iiite a deluge ol "ot | ueaihci. as it rained almost incessalitlv. During that time I wrote a repm f to the Secretary for I’llhlie Works, giving the icsidls ol my ohservat inns dnrln.. the overlaml journey, which, wit.: ft number cf others writ ten subscqucnti\, wetc printed by order tit the I’mivjovial Cmviiimriii. and prcscnictl to the Provincial Council. As soon-as the weather had cleared up again. 1 siartcd loi tac Waimca ....Idticlds, to which the load was still in a most wren-hod stale, owing to the

otto: moils Irnllir alone; a s :i In| • \ ime.-t track, :il 1 htiueh 11i:■ (I’ovcrn ment had alleadv In rolderny the wnist portions. In llic c'Xi‘ll i ii" we teached tlic Wnimen township. Ini .which rmiJii liiul to lin in:i» I.■ li\ !:'llir.it hiiiiilm. • "I trees in t ile Inxiti inn! Inrest . here eliitllillo the whole llllllltrv. Altlinlinll sii ri oil mini lis n 111 I tie (Ii ii’|in|ni!;itinll there \\ ;|S veil little Inlllilio In Ilf seen here. ()!' mittse dinners tverr ei inn tin tinil not tin, hot Ihe u hnle intereuiirse Innl II healthy ;ip|ie;irnnee, ninl showed llint its iiiitiinn population was I ill .si U elinaned in its ehiims. UnritlK ...vend days I visited all the prineipal dipeinos in the lU'ipli hull iln mil, inakinp myself aeipia int ed with the nmde ot oeetirri'iiee nf the preeinns tnetal. and fnllowin;: the main htanrhes nl the 'tVainien in neai their sninees. I also went to Fox's rush, and some nther nnh 1 lields nil I l ’.in's and lied .lack's J nidlies, tallinn into the Atahnra. Alter- | wards, I pineeedeil In the -olllCeS nf ,

the Kapiton, and vinted ( allaphim s and (lerman ('reeks, and some others ill ihe neighbourhood. and ;!m. obtniiii'..l an insiplit into the nature and <xtent o! the goldfields in t' ':i' pa'l of the West ( oast. As I shall I leaj of the uatiiie of tlie poldti'lds in allot Inw report. 1 lIUIV i lllv lli'ie slate licit the whole pold lie Ids,' : ■ tar as visited, were found to lie deposits of a very large liver of pio-plaeial ape, these poitinas heinp only preserved wliieli had not ! 11 re.leill'd ll'irinp the plea! •.filler pi'iiod ot' New /ealaiul by the advaneiup gigantic phuiers, or hy the enormous torrents issninp from them. For Iwo days we were apnin delained at th,. month of the Teremnknti. whence I sent another icport to the .Secretary for I’iihiii- Works, oil the results ot mi ohsi-rvations, and prneceded altenvanls to Cri-ymiititli, which also shewed sipns of itswaimleifully iapid propress. Five years ago I had camped at this spot in solitude, with no Kiiiopeaii cxceplinp three eompaniotis near me tor a Imndred miles, and only a lew .Mauri w hares in my neipliliotlt hood, and now lows of larpe houses were built, and a. busy life pave sipns of healthy propress all round. Several days were tievoted to a visit, to the (hey coal measures. where 1 found a hearty reception from the mnnaper ol the eoal mine on the Nelson side. This Company then snlal as miieli coal Its it could lump down in its flat bulges, eariyinp seven tuns, taken down in one hour and twenty minutes, whilst it took four men four hours to brinp them upapam. The Canterbury portion ol the coalfields were re-exiwiiined, and the I'aet ascertained that the coal measures were there also of considerable extent, and thus he one day of great value to tlie Colony. Roturninp to Hokitika on the iltli of May, I examined, mi my wav. several claims mi the sea beach, which appeared remunerative, and which would thus nll'ei additional ground for a number of dippers, without any additional outlay. Intending to ascend the Hokitika river and its tributary, the Kanieri, I

obtained, not without trouble, :i canoe from llie Maoris, for which 1 laid to j l>av £2 sterling a wwt (llioy laid soon j fallen into the I'htropeaii way of j charging goldfield prices). heaving tlic town of HoU'itilia next day. and j ascending the river, we had to cross i several shingle reaches, where the. water formed rapids, before ire arrived ( at the small township Kanieri, at the junction of the Knnieri river, and

where I remained a day studying the interesting and instructive occurrence of gold. The numerous shafts sunk in the township itself and all around it, gave me a clear insight into the milliner in which the auriferous beds had lieen formed. On the following morning we had, for a few miles, a delightful paddle up the still and dee]) brown water of the Kanieri creek, dammed hack by the shingle hank the Hokitika has thrown across it at its junction. This passed, its course became very winding, lapid succeeded rapid, which to ascend gave us considerable trouble, whilst a number of large trees fallen across the water obstructed out passage considerably. Wo reached at last a spot about live miles above the junction, where further ascent was impossible, and where considerable mining operations—the so-called live mile diggings —were in progress. Here, as at the Kanieri township, the wash-dirt had very often been protected by younger moraine accumulations covering it, and having thus been preserved from destruction. At this place, again, 1 was detained by continuous ram lor about a week, but our camping ground was so well sheltered that we never felt any wind, whilst, as 1 heard afterwards, a fearful storm had been raging along the coast, houses having been blown away at Hokitika and other settlements. and several vessels, amongst them the steamer Waipara having lioon wrecked not far from the mouth ot the Hokitika river. On Mav 21st we were at hist aide to continue our journey, and readied m he evening the shores of l.ake Unmet i. travelled Hie greater part ot the

dav over terraces, mostly swampy, the ground covered with Sphagnum, on which the principal vegetation cmisisted of kahikatea, totnra and manuka, mixed with Rhylloeladns Alp.nus am Kaxvaka (I ilaiccdi ns Doinainis), but all Ihe trees were small and had a rather stunted appearance, hut m the gorges of the tributary streams or along tin batiks of the river bed. the forest vegetation was very luxuriant and niagm ieent, the presence of large arborescent ferns adding considerably to the beauty of the scenery. Fake Km.ten. although small, being about live miles long ... two miles broad, is a very picturesque sheet of water, as it is surrounded on three sides bv high mountains with bold outlines, the lower portions being covered with luxuriant tnrest. It elicits origin to a huge semicircular terminal moraine which crosses Hie vallev from side to side, and through which ils outlet has cut a passage. A I"" saddle is conspicuous near its uppei end, leading into the upper Hokitika plains, where several reches moutonnoe: on both sides shown distinctly that a portion of the Kanien glacier had hei< joined the extensive Hokitika glactei during our great glacier l>cnod. Returning to Hokitika lor a Host stock of provisions, we started agan on M:iv 2otb to ascend, this time Ha main river, visiting first the Worn! stock diggings on the left hank, when 1 ol,served a geological structure ol Hn gold I waving beds similar to that o the Kanieri township deposits, fin river presented a very animated scene ~ number of boats and eatmes ascend in.r and descending: tent bouses m small settlements |>ceped in many spot: lion \\ liicb clothed the hanks on b-.n sides, whil-t in still more numerom localities, the smoke curling above th, tie,, tops betrayed the existence n 'human haliitations. The weather wallow vi-iv line, and the view up tin river upon the high mountain chains rising abruptly at the ends of tin Pin ins. exceedingly beautiiul, the da: green vegetal ion ascending lor Severn limnsaml feet, ami contrasting sink in- lv with the pure white gaimenl n now with which ihc higher portions o tiu* r;i imj.cs lliiilnrmlv envcn'tl. XtHit ihe jiiiu-t ion <»l I Lt* Kolcm t ;il:i, ilio Ilokilikn turns abruptly t«> 1 suiiih-wesi ami <.*li;uij£t»s its eliaraeter, hrcniiHne lor more tlian a mile a dee] slow flmvinir river, tko shingle deposit>■ nt its smaller Imt more mpid irikmaix h:tviiej; daminrd llie waters ol tie nvei haek to a eoiisidei akle extent. Its kit

hank consists ot large moraine aeoumu lations covered with shrubs and ferns The landscape has now undergone emi side ruble cluing..-, a wide plain. mnstU covered with Veronica. 1 leaiia. Copies ma, l.epiospermum, and Ceriafii hushes. .stretching to the high uioini tains. 11l the midst rises an isolate! range, called Te Km-ita-mnpi. ahmil Mil! feet high, which lias a leelie molluniiiir like lipiiearanee. Smile others ol winch one Inc the i... 111 ol a lepulai •line, stand at the foe; of the iflitrunniup spurs nl tlie hipli ranges w liieli liiit iml the horizon. We now left the busy abode ol tin mining population, and entered tin solitude, although trial shafts along the river-bed, and altorwards along tin high hanks near the gorge, proved that numerous prospecting parties had 11 ict their fortune in many localities, with mil obtaining the desired result. An attack of lever, without doubt, caused In heinp emit iniiallv in wet chit lies.

ki'pi me here for several days in the same camp. However, owinp to lhi u.-e nt some strong doses nl quinine, 1 soon fell much hot ter, and was able, mi May .'tilth, to reach the h ilt ol the ranges, where the river elite! s tin l plain in a deep gorge, the viqliial nr overhanging walls on both sides ol which consist of gneiss-granite. Tin water in this purge was so deep that we could nowhere find tlie hot tom with the large polo we had in tin' eana*. and there was no pereeptihle How. Fussing through this really line Hokitika gorge, about half a mile long, wo fnitlll l the i ivor-ht'd above it so -rough and lull of larpe blocks ui stone, and the water so rapid, that we could not take the canoe any higher. We thiTelme continued our journey oil foot, Im distance. In enable me to examine the geological stilletilie ot the district. In every structuro we obtained gold, hut it ueeiiried in such small quantities, that it would mil pay fur its extinction by the mining processes now in use. A wild mountain landscape surrounded us here, and as the river was (lowing in a neatly straight valley 1m a eunsiileiable distance, the eye could follow tile outlines of the spurs which appeared behind each other, those most distant getting geiii'i'iilly higher and more rugged. Heavy tain set. in again, which, however, did not prevent 'me from ret iiriiing to Hokitika, and we reached it, owing to t.lie swollen stale of the river, in idiom three hours and a. anil , having been three days .o (ending to the same camp. Alv t.wo Maori companions laid here ample nppm lunit.y In show their skill in guiding the canoe through all the obstacles in our way, nf which drift, trees were the most dangerous, hut which they accomplished must successfully. I have not vet alluded to the line extensive panoramic view visible lroiu t.lie beach at Hokitika, and which stretches from the mountains in the .north In the Hooker range in ihe south. A chain of wooded mountains situated lie tween the Totara and Wan-

! ganni rivers, their outrunning spurs j nearly reaching the sea, are prominent j jn the smith. They are about 2000 or j :!()()(I feet high, woodeil to the summit, ami form a very interesting feature in the landscape. Above them rise, coni spicmmsly, the highest summits of the Southern Alps—Mould Beaumont, Mount do la Beebe, Mount Ilaidinger, Mount Tasman, Mount Cook, Mount Stokes, tvrtd the Moot-house range. In

very clear weather, oilier snmvy lilountains slmw above tlie liori'/on nf the sen, lint often so faintly Hint they very often may easily lie mistaken for white clouds. (To be continued),