EARLY GOLD DISCOVERY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1921, Page 1

EARLY GOLD DISCOVERY

Fin ST KUSH TO Til F. COAST. A ROMANTIC ACCOUNT. (From llic Keports of Sir Julius von 11 mist, F.K.S. to the Canterbury Provincial Ooverument). (Continued.) V. I mi'.v prepared everything to go clown l,lie South Wostliind eoast, with me two Mauris and one European, and started with them on June 3rd. Having ascertained, that as far as the Wanpsumi river | envisions could easily ho obtained, we took only tents, blankets. powder and shoi and my instruments. with us The road leads, for llic lust five miles, along a line sandy heneli. where, two miles from Hokitika. the wreeks of the selmoner ClasR ov, and another smaller cutter were koing broken up. Another mile further and the steamer Waipara was l.v----111 the v.eaeh. After six miles we left the sen beneh, and erossiug the dimes we travelled along a lagoon stretching from hero without interruption to the Totaia river. Its tranquil water, in which the lieautifnl forest vegetation refleeted its rich foliage, formed a pleasing contrast to the heavy surfbreaking imcssantly ■>» the «»">•' shores \t the mouth of the lotnra we found two stores, of which one was kept by a ferryman.

Already here. 1 would oh-erve. that •went changes are continually taking place in the position of the month of the livers south of the Hokitika. Th t . Totara, which, when surveyed only two vet,is ago. had a straight entrance, runs now nearly two miles along t " coast towards north before it tails into the sea; ami it was then so deep nt it smooth siiul along tln’t rliimnol par.-dh'l to the sea coast, that even on Inn sc back it was difficult to cross. \Yo then-lore availed outsolves of the boat to remit the other bank, and continued our road to tlm Mikonin. the beach c out inning to be of the same low. sandy character, ’fhe Mikntiui is easily . rossed on leot in throe branches ■ each onl v lo the knees w lmn it is low. as it i- generally the c- it. winter; let V ith the lc Ist fresh It is a matter ~f greet dillietdly. and ca,, "td\ b" :u complishcd with a good horse. On tile northern side ot this- river a store was established, whence' many parties wmking in its branches obtained their l>i tu isiuiis.

on the southern :mb' uf Hm Mikonni tht> font ores of th' country soon vlmm.ro :,m| in.ml of a h.w, sandy h'-mh. IhiM hoi'll appeared 1-fnro US. " l.i. ll «s 1,,,,! Willi; of thf’" mil'”. This int.resting hlulf. tho first ono of ~ groat many succeeding oiH: other tvomirils sui!ill. rims about lAO foot :,!„,vo th- sou-level. :ml I'urins very of ton an almost vertical wall, against ~ hil 1,, at high wator. it is not possi!,lo to liavi along it. ovon ml lim-o-l.iiik, on tho 1 ml'h'i's of wliiol, tho lilt, ral /.oil'' is boro composed. or on mm, ll san.lv h"mh"s between thoin. This a n'l all similar headlands. a hundred mil - south, wor,* I'ornioil by tho retreat of former hugo glieiors. whi«ir, in tho .ra immediately I ,l'-, *'. 1 img th" |* r--,'„l ono. reached hero to th" s-a. W'lioii rotroating. tlnv ho,'\p".l up in llioir form,a rhaniiol tho ihiu'is wnioh hail in ill alpitm ranges, falkm "I'" 11 thoin. oonsist ing of angular him. ks. olton of ~Mormons dimensions. ami silt. If anything will giro to tho geologist an insight into tho power whirl, gkohis haw of dost loving gigantic mountains, nml of ~allying their debris au ml" lower ro'dims. a ioiirm'v i" tl’al pail Of t |„. \V'-.I Const Will oa.ily , hoot this object. \t the same time the miiiorah.oio il oh: i.( I- "f the rooks thomsolvos of w l,i< h those largo < lifVs no partly composed. show- oh'aily that by far I greater part has l,o< u i ivod I'r the very summits of tho oontr.ii . bain they l.olng idonti ' " ; t !• those composing the mm ain - ,1 i ■■■' largo gla. iors on I'm' o-tsloin sides, without any sign ~f plutenie "t fv;i' l a;,"I amorphic rooks amonv.-t them, v.hell appear, mdv at t' >’ Vvodoru has" of the Southern Alps. \n I that t'o sea had already d,-tr.vod " gi"”. d"-l of th" " hhdl's. is v ell oxhi' it "'I T lho ,'norm,ms hhol.s which w* ’,■ l.xing in the surf, "lien far li’-nn t l '" slmro whilst others ill'" ready l" tumble fr"ui the loose mail i in which t'mv h" mi--I,.aided. and of whiidi those olilfs are ! mo-l ly i iimpiis'"!. On" of those orrati,. I lilooks. consist ing of l'"hlod olay slates. | with iniiiimo'j'ahlo niui.itv. li.m is I"jtwooM I lie folds, is ahoid thirty to ! fort.v foot n diameter, oovorod on its I summit with a rich vegetation, and may justly be compared to the colohiiitod i I’ioi r a hilt. in the .1 ura

When starting from Hokitika. ! was not. able to ascertain exactly d it wore : ossihlo to take horses down the co'-t with mo. as the bluffs w"iv l„"l ns being impassahlo l,„ t It• • 11 i ; ! ml ( 1"ring the first days of my iociimy. I hoard from suin' rotornin r diggers that at, least as far a" the Win": nvr. horses had boon taken. II was will! womler and d'dight that, | na-sed along this Mull' about three miles long, wt'ore tile ‘ t.| I'e! ure of iiinrainif' ai" iimidal ion could he "> t'iisil\ studied, and wo arrived, the evening of tho .--th .lime, mar the hanks of the Wail aha. which, like the other rivers more towards the south, had excavated its hod in these am-iont moiaiii.s. ILao ' a store had already b""ii established and a ferryman had built a pent, waitii". for a rush towards tho south, which

was ...m lid, "1 1 1 ly expo,-ted by him t" s,>t in soon. I' t on, tho stor, keepoi 1 • hoard that ho had only just returned from Lake Okariln, A’J miles south of the Wailaha. where, on the hanks of that lagoon, lim 1 pastille is to he ~h-tninod. tninod. and he added that there was good travelling ground, with the ox(.option ol some of the headlands. e\j I'ei'.lillgly ihuii'.ei oils to cross with 11 or. sos : so 1 made iiiTiiiigemeiits at 'once with him to anompanv me with two paeklmrse.s, thus h-ing cun hied to

nov I had in view, than 1 anticipated. But it was the Stli. of June before i could start again, having been detninj ed, first, by continuous rain, and I aterwards by a heavy freshet in the j river, which prevented the storekeeper I from getting the horses from the banks of the river a mile above l’.is store, j where good grass land, generally so , very scarce at the West Coast, was to le found. Crossing the Waitaha our road lay for about five miles along a sandy beach after which wo arrived at another low headland, consisting

I] ' ' . I of liitor.il moraines on both sides, with alluvial ho'ds in tin* centre. This shin- ” gle will!, about “0 foot high and nearly perpendicular, was mostly oovorod with a luxuriant Growth of pfiiclnhms ferns of different genera and some inariim ovor-lastings, still in flower, giving it ;i most pleasing aspect, whilst on its summit appeared a fine forest growth, consisting of white pine and l imn. The whole was enlivened h v many small waterfalls which every few hundred yards, and often still nearer, dashed down from the summit, the lioivy rains of the last few days having siip- , plied them, with a larger liody of water ’ than they usually possess. The v were for that reason so numerous that in one locality 1 counted fifteen ~losc together. Towards night we cam pod near a small crook and as unfortunately the tides were, very disadvantageous for travelling, high water being towards Itlie middle of the day. wo made us,, of the magnificent .moonlight night, start-

in lieforo four in the morning, to round the next headland before reaching tlm M angaimi l iver. Even then wy bad started t (mi late, as we soon became aware For about two miles we wenaide to travel on sandy beaches, or at least on patches, of smaller shingle which had been deposited between huge rocks; but soon Hie tide rose, the boulders became: larger and larger, tuifl it was apparent that since m v companion had returned the surf had washed a great deal of sand away, previously .deposited between the interstices of the huge rocks, and it was not w ithout some trouble that wo arrived, towards daylight. at Wanganui. Tin- übiquitous storekeeper was md wanting here, and bad established himself in a wooden hut. built from Vie? remain' of a feiincr whaling station. Round a good fire in the hut several diggers were lying who had just returned along the coast, from a trip with the Brnre. to Maitahi near Brine Bay. without being able to find any auriferous ground rich enough to induce them to set to work. The view from the month of the Wanganui towards the eosl is very extensive, although the highest parts of the Southern Alps are here still hidden b v moraine beds, ami ill the foreground of which a very interesting sugar loaf like headland. Mount One--1 lie-, oil the southern side of 1 lie river

at its nmolli. is most eonsiiieiious. Sill'll nil oi-eiiri,'iiee shows dearly in what an enormous extent, the glacier aeciimnlat ions ; t.-eadv hoeit destroyed h.v tho aetioii of the present livers and the encroaching sea. Owing to the unfavourable tides, we had again to stay till the afternoon at th'" Wanganui before we could continue our journey, as we had to cross amith'T hlulf before reaching the I’ne. run river: I only the la.sf piece, leading for a short distance along that liver near its mouth, consists of water wo, u Hat (cmai boulders, oil',a ing a very had footing to a horse. The river is easily to he crossed on loot, reaching scarcely to tile middle. An extensive view, taking in Mount Cook, and the other stalely he-clad si llll u'ii s near it. is obtainable when we mum! the next bluff, separating the bed "f the last mentioned rver from Lake I’oerua. a lagoon ot three miles, surrounded on three sides by glacier aceiimula t ions. A low sandbank, thrown up by the ‘Pacific Ocean, forms its hoiindai'v to the west. Its imrlhern arm. on which we damped, is nearly dry at lew tide. all 1 ' .e.ilniued then drinkable fresh water. Great quantities "f walerlowl

are living here, giving animation to the quiet foreground, over which the giants of the Southern Aids show their magnificent forms in all their grave splendour. Hound the lag.ioii itself, which gradually h,'comes silid up. a rich vegetation has sprung up. consist, ing near the shore, ol line grass. It was really a treat to see the poor horses whirl, for the last few days, had been „n short commons, enjoy a run and have a food of succulent grass ad libitum. Here, again, we met a party of Italians and Greeks who. were returning from the Smith, having prospected several rivers neat Mould Cook ; and although they were nt-le to trace almost everv rdiei e the existence of gold, they could not find ground rich enough to recompense them for bringing provisions so far. Arriving at the outlet of the Poerua. we found the mokilii. ol' era ft. made of llax-st ielcs. put together by a huge party of diggers, was on the other side, and as we thought it impossible to cross on horsehack without swimming, one "f mv Maoris swam across to bring the moliiki over, whilst we occupied ourselves to milk,' another llax rone, so as to he aide to direct it from both sides. Tt was just high water when Tiponi brought the clumsy concern over: b#t Indore we had made our preparations, the tide was running out so last that one of the llax ropes hr,ike repeatedly when it came in mid-chummi, and v had the greatest dflieulty in bringing everything over. Tn tact, nine the mokihi was close in the surf, and the man whom w" pulled across made himself ready for a swim, but at hist we landed him safely. As we heard afterwards, a poor fellow was drown,xl here shortly before, his mokilii having been take.i down by the current into the surf. W'r camped on the same night on tlie southern side of the lagoon, in an old Maori whare. and started before day-break to pass the most dreaded portion of the Const. Abut Head, which when my companion had passed before, owing to favourable circumstances, was

. end. or Abut Head proper, mostly sandi ed up. It seems that without being able to account for it, one heavy gale very often brings such an amount of - sand with it, that nearly till the locks • between high and low water mark are ; covered with it. During one. or several gales, it remains in that condition, i till at last another washes it all out again. Thus it happens that after i neatly every heavy gale such great ■ (Ranges take place, that one cannot count with certainty on bringing horses ; round without very great trouble. I‘ujI the first mile or so we had very fair travelling ground, but soon became aware that we had started too kite, as the tide began to rise, covering the lower part of the b-'vh. which ton-si-Hcd iinsti.- of dial l boulders and rand, and we were ol lig'-d to take a higher line, where -fn m ti e nature of I'to huge blocks, we were often obliged to round them ■ ? waiting for the retreat of the waves, and then rushing through the water. So we trailed on now and tlmn caught by a great wave; the feet of the horses slipped between the boulders, and were sometimes only ( extricated with tlm loss of a shoe; and although the poor animals were bleeding and exhausted, we could nut lose a 'moment, as the tide was rising. So w<' unpacked them with all haste, and brought them near high water-line where on examining the ground. 1 had dscovered a better track, made by a party of diggers who had proceeded us With horses. 15y tilling up the interstices between the huge boulders, and cutting through sinalle- cliffs of silt, they had made it pessblo to get round the last point before reaching the M ha-t-iiroa- river. It is here that Abut Head is situated which rises almost perpendicularly several hundred fact fiom the sea. bora meat distance enormous blocks of rocks lie scattered in the surf, over which the waves dash with the utmost violence. Thus I again had an opportunity of observing Unit tile dagger, when nine bent upon exploring a country, will not be beaten by any obstacle ill Ids wav. and that being often made an engineer by necessity. We will find at he-t his v.nv to the proposed goal without (libelling from his self-imposed task. Having at la-l h.ougbt the !i n io.v ; iT* •' a mill'd Uu' point 'M. turned to fetch tl" ir led-, ami vs the high tide would not allow to cross the What.iroa (which. im-uediately south of \bt:t Head, reaches the seal, w,. bad t.i wait till nearly evening m a cold Min t li-\v jicoonijicinivtl by oiYa-ional showers. About four o'clock the river had fallen sufficiently to allow us to cross which had to h,. done in two I,riinclics : and. although the water, uwine to the cold weather, was exceeding! v low, it icached in the first branch nearly to the armpits; whilst in the second branch, being the ’arge-t. it was not so high, owing to its wide expanse. On tlm southern side we had to u :verso a l.( It of forest, through which parties passing before us hail cl .. track, ami it wa- already dark “lwu we c:illte-d ill an abandoned Mool i p.di. where the dense vegetation afforded us welcome shelter against the heavy south-wester continuing to blow during Hie first pat t of tlm niglit. (To be continued).