EARLY GOLD DISCOVERY

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1921, Page 4

EARLY GOLD DISCOVERY

EIRST RUSH TO THE COAST. A ROMANTIC ACCOUNT. (From the Reports of Sir dulius von llaast, K.R.S. to the Canterbury Provincial Government). (Continued.) X.

Next morning we started again in a pouring rain. After having crossed the highest point of the reches moutonnees. a knit 400 feet above the river, wo had another piece of sub-al-pine vegetation to cross, the density of which defiles description. Working our wav for half a mile through the thickest no arrived at an enormous avalanche coming from neat' the summit ol -Mount Sale lying in a regular channel. This avalanche had been much larger, as was well shown when we descended it to the bed of the Arahurti, just below the junction of the Harman stream, where in some places it formed a nearly perpendicular wall thirty to forty let high. It was tints evident that shortly before, it had here filled the whole valleys of the A nil turn and Harman to a great altitude, the gorges in which These livers How living then hidden altogether, That this channel, seieia! hundred yards broad, is usually filled by avalanches, which lull repeatedly, was not only indicated Gy the configuration of the mountain side, lint we veie witnesses of another lingo avalanche falling the next morning, when camped on the opposite side ol the river, the thunder occasioned by it revoibciat ing in ihe mountains. Guided by the miner, we followed, lor a short distance the course of the llarman. climbing idling till' nearly perpendicular hanks, through the close-growing vegetation, till lie told me, looking itt the hug l swollen torrent below us, that he did nut recognise the country; hut as 1 knew that our road must load across that stream, I ordered the party at one' to descend. On reaching the 1-orkv hanks of the river, now swollen and rushing with impetuosity amongst and over high rocks, the guide thought that lie must he wrong, because when he and bis companion'' passed here loin weeks previously, they crossed no other water course than the one we had passed the day before, and had seen no deep gorge like this. On 'lie contrary, the whole country had been here coveted with one uniform sheet ot si low', (ill which they had walked aetoss from Mr Hrowiiiug's tlagstafl to th" ok,, e we had left in the morning. It was thus dear that the whole deep

gorge had liven, for about lot) feet, tilled up with snow, which bad entirely obliterated the configuration "I the country, and in looking up the river, in some places. remains of ibis 'mg' avalanche were still visible m the Innn ol snow bridges amongst the ineks. And the conviction forced itsell upon me that a road, laid out in the »■’' proposed by Mr Browning, namely, to „ss the Harman in tins neigh him i - liooil. and to ascend the avalanche , ha Hue!, would mu only he destroyed liv the fall ot the avalanches, hut he ~j no use wlialevei for several months in tile vear. besides endangering Hlives ot tin pus-i ugeis travelling that mn. I t hetefore made it a rule n, note

earelidle all the dilferent avalanche ,-1,11 muds, to he aide to point out u here danger might he expected, and, it possible. to avoid it altogethot in laying mil the load. Km i minU’ly lor niy I tnivrlled along this mute during the time ol the vear win’ll these physical tentin' 111, -Si clearlv defined, and I may lie .-nciinci! if. for llial I outer into this topic, which lias no direct rcier-i-oiv to the object of my journey.

Ws before observed, ihe llarman from the continuous min was very high, and we ill'll' only aide to cross ii with the assistance of a rope we had brought with us. \Yc ascended oil the ollt< l side and camped upon a small grassy llat close lo one of Mr Browning’s poles. Incessant lain continued during the whole of the day and the early pti't of the night, changing lowaid.s morning into snow, lull which loitunatek was followed by a line blight day. Dm blankets, provisions, and nearly everything else being thoroughly saturated, wc were occupied for the gicater patt ol tin' morning drying them and it was on I v towaids noon we were aide to |iror 'cd on our journey. Kor a sho t lime wc laid to travel through stdialniiie vegetation, hut soon tlie gorge opened, and though the Taipo was still high, we were enabled to ascend along its hanks, crossing lrom side to side and unveiling oil a shingle lenrh. Half a mile higher up the valley widened still more, grass and alpint luubnccuits plants, made their appearanee, and - advanced rapidly lowaid.s the Pass.

Sh 1 irtlv al'ti-i leaving otu camp we passed the remains nl’ several large avalanehes, still partly over-bridging the river, whilst in other instances they were cut through by the river, forming nil liutli sides |H‘rpemlieular nails 1 snow, l-'ur about a mile nr a mile and a half above the junction with the llnriiiitn. the atljuining mcmiitains possess such physical lenlurcs. that the lall uf avahinelii's from the western slopes of .Mount Harman is prevented, ulnlsseveial sloop water nr avalanche channels ilese-ml IT 11111 the opposite side i the Twin Peaks range. Tin- teiuains nl llu-si- avalanches indicated clearly thin many places the river-bed I'nr a euiisiderahle lime of tie- year is concealed 111 them. This supposition was confirmed liy "my cum pa iiinn, win) had travelled a nmiitli hel'nre tic- same load and wlm assured me that Ini a great distance they had been obliged to scramble over the siinw. After havin'.-; ascended this distance, deep gorges from Mount Harman begin to reach the main liver, in which everyu henhuge avalanehes were still lying. Koine of them were of such enormous dimensions. that their remains will la-t -0

late in tin- slimmer. The opposite s it It of Twin Peaks range, showing a some what terraced appearance, was lien more free limn them, and 11 ill theftlore oiler belter Unveiling ground As the guide assured me that il win too late to cross the Pass that day although it was only half-past 0111 o’clock, we remained camped on tlii> good sized Hat. covered with blocks ol stone, grass, and alpine plants ol which the magnificent Kaniinciilus Lyalin had just began to Inid. We camped under a huge erratic block, and although only about :«()() feet above the level of the st-ii, snow was still lying deeply in most localities over this Hat. Opposite our ramp, an avalanche was not only tilling the deep gorge ill which it had descended, hut it had invaded the main valley and the river for some distance, had disappeared undei it. The clouds wore lying low 011 I lie ranges, when next morning, October Hist, ive prepared ourselves to cross the Pass. A number of Kens (the green mountain parrot.), flying past our camp or sitting on the rocky ledges above, broke the stillness of nature with their plaintive notes. From our camp to the junction of the outlet ol Lake lirowu-in-r with the Twin Peaks creek aliotii half a mile, the right bank was covered with a succession of avalanehes, under which the river was concealed in many places, whilst the lower part of the mountains oil the left side ol the valley was mostly free from snow, till at last, aliollt- 300 to -100 yards below that junction, the water had entirely dis

appeared, and valleys and hill sides formed one continuous mass of snow from which rocky points rose here and there. The whole country presented to the guide such a different aspect, that when we arrived at that junction, instead of crossing over to the right bank, and following along the outlet of. Lake Browning to the summit of the Pass, lie. took the valley of Twin Peak’s Creek, at the same time assuring me that he did not at all recognise the country.

The fine weather had unfortunately ceased, and dense mist enveloped us, so that we could not see 21) yards before us. He led us up a valley, which exhibits in its natural state a deep rocky gorge, hut which now was so entirely filled with snow that it had ra tiler the appearance of a wide open mountain valley slightly covered with snow. Tile snow being sott, we toilen forward hero for two hours, sinking often up to our waists in it. and although the guide assured me that this was the right road, the compass an--, the direction lie had taken convinced me that he was going astray. The chnfds became every moment denser, so that we could scarcely see a few paces before- ns, so at last, observing to our left that the mountains assumed soil-down-like outlines, I refused to iollow him any longer, and taking the lend, struck off towards the east. 1 soon had the pleasure of seeing the clouds becoming thinner, and of observing 1 • mountains on the leit side ot the II d hei'foree, with their brown vegetation, appear before me, and presently the valley itself with the Government camp came in sight tar below us. The guide was leading up the Twin Peaks, and the. ground 1 had reached was that lying west of Lake Browning, and some (tot) feet above it. Erom the form of tlie basin in which Lake Browning lies. I eotlld conclude that lie.re the lake outlet to he situated, although the enormous snow masses which were Ikme accumulated obliterated all signs ol it. After having crossed this snow plateau, we arrived at the Gap. where we had to descend. Here a wall of snow and ice, not only vertical hut even overhanging from 12 to 20 lent high, formed by snow drills. I’t’d to be descended before we eotlld reach the suowfields below it, for at least 200 t" .10;) feet, so steep that they could only ho descended by cutting steps.

Having brought a rope and spade with us, we tit once set to work cutting a channel back through this vertical wall until we reached the steep snow slope, and lying the first man who was working with tile spade, to the rope, and following him upon the stair-like steps, keeping the rope always tight, wy descended slowly this steep upper part of itie suowfields. Shortly after tie had begun to cut through this perpendicular wall, which owing to its solt state did not offer any difficulty, we observed a large white (lag hoisted up at Mr Greenlaw’s camp, and soon alter we observed this gentleman with some of his men carrying spades, coming t.< our assistance. They appeared like liny moving spots on the lower part ol the siinwfiidd. \Yc were soon sitting on the snow, sliding down in a few minutes to tile foot of the field about 1200 feet from the summit, where we were surrounded by shrubs and herbs in blossom, and breathing Hie soil spring air of the East Coast.

AJcw rocks on the summit of the Pass rising above the suowfields, showed me, by Hie vegetation growing upon them, that we were in a truly alpine region. Plants like Ike alpine spear grass Ariphylla Monroi. the Veronica Kp.ieridea, round near the summit oi .Mount Turlesse, could here lie collected. The gorge like character of all llio valleys, unit the a t oiosplio rie einnlilinns provnilin>x iimiirni oasily for the enormous amount of snow which aectimulates near this depression, so as hi>l only to cover deeply all the suminjts, lint also to collect in such masses on the declivities, as to give birth to such enormous and large avalanches as were passed by me. And I may here add that many of litem even in the highest Alps of Switzerland would lie eonsideted enormous. A few days lielore my arrival at Mr Greenlaw's camp one ol his men was nearly killed by one ot them coining from the summit ol tin' Pass, and whilst we ascended the Twin Peaks Gorge, an avalanche fell 11mu tlie western side, live minutes alter we had passed the very spot.

Alter a short walk from the foot of the Pass we reached Camp ('reek, whore Mr Greenlaw’s camp, consisting ol'a well built blockhouse, was situated, and where we were most hospitably received. Mr Greenlaw was in charge of tlie road party, which at the beginning of spring had been sent up to form a bridle path over tlie Pass, hut" owing to the enormous accumulation of snow, he bad not yet. been able to do any work Oil the slopes of the mountain, lo the meantime, a good bridle track had been formed along the rocky banks ol tin' Upper Wilberforce, which here i- simple a mountain torrent. Although it was evident that it would take some consideic 11 unic In-fore

such a track over the Pass could be formed, owing ;u its great altitude and steep ineky nature, seveial of the sheep farmers on the ('aliterbiiiy plains did not apparently think so, as ue met several flocks' of sheep, on our return journey, being already driven up, to he iTnssed over to tile West Coast. HI course they had to rctnin and trait for another season.

The dill'erem-e of vegetation in such a short distance, and with stie.li a slight dill'oreme in altitude Mi Greenlaw's camp being situated Hill? feet above Hit.* sen level, or -'ill teet below the foot of the Pass, was most conspicuous. When 1 stood on the top of tin- Pass and looked down the valley of the Wilberl'orce, it being a dull day with an overcast skv, the whole vegetation assumed sombre brownish colours. Towards the evening the weather cleared up, the sun slmne brightly, : and the beautifully variegated tints of the sub-alpine vegetation displayed themselves in ipiite a iliflerein aspect.: and appeared in all their splendour.' There ivi-in smite very large groves ol i None, surrounded by a great utlinhet of i good sized shrubs of DraeophyHum Latifolium, conspicuous from their j brownish green tints, hut they only i brought out more vividly the richness of colour and form of the other foliage surrounding us. 1 think I have already! observed that this remarkable treelike Draeophy Hunt (none) grows only near or on the alpine passes, ulu-rc tin- 1 moisture dining the whole year is excessive.

Next, morning the party of roadmen, who had accompanied me, returned over the Pass, whilst In order to make aunt her series of meteroi ological observations I remnined another day at the Camp Creek for geological examination and for collecting plants. Tin- lie' alpine flora was already well advanced, many of the shrubs being covered with blossoms and flowers, and the whole air perfumed by their delicious set-lit. For about two miles Camp Creek has a nearly straight course, and forms a tine alpine valley; it then breaks up into a number of mountain torrents and. cascades, many of them descending from 1 -Mount Greenlaw, a rugged mountain j mass, closing tin- vallov. 1 11 its lower j portion it is covered with a luxuriant j alpine vegetation, above which snow-; fields of considerable magnitude encircle its sides, whilst they in their | turn are surmounted by nearly perpendicular rocky crags, several thousand feet high, only licit! and there allowing