EARLY GOLD DISCOVERY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 October 1921, Page 1

EARLY GOLD DISCOVERY

FIRST RUSH TO THE COAST. A ROMANTIC ACCOUNT. (From the .Reports of Sir Julius von Manst, F.R.S. to the Canterbury Provincial Government). (Continued.) JOURNEY TO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF WESTLAND, 1 SOS NY.

Although for some time past 1 lie western parti'n n r M•• Canterbury province has been separuled and formed into ;» County, under Ihe name of MVlUnd. I did not is!: <o hand over my mums ami sections to the Piovin- ' i:d Govcrnim-nt without having firstnail a visit in Dc sou?!* r:i p;;:» of

that district, wiih v. hi? l was *ill uiiacijttntir.cd. 1 had ; Bendy fixed all the prim ipn! peaks in the central chain front the eastern Hdc, as well as from my last station at the mouth ot t!ie river Wait:u ■ now Wailm) some important hearings having also been obtained from Dv moil:h of tin* Maast river, hut then' were many details which 1 wislmil to (do ,ip. ami tints to make niv man uiom* complete than it would otherwise have been. Having !ven informed that t!<* steamer Bruce would leave Mrkitika at »he I cL'innini' of March for Oitarito. I left (’hrk-t----church ou .March did. Shortly altef* my arrival in Hokitika, tin* steamer left and landed me early on the luoruiult of -Match oth in Okarito After

eu yeyinc; two miners to accompany me on my trip south, t>m* of a hntn was Mr \Y. Docherty, who had. on my behalf, exphtred the headwaters of the Clarke and soiiu* time nieviously. I obtained the loan of two paeklmrsos from a storekeeper at Brine Ray, who happened ins: then to he in Okarito for the purpose of procuring provisions. On March (hit we started for Bruce Bay. and having selected an <*hh tide, we advanced rapidly on a hard sandy beach, the more so as we found the mouth of both Totanas. small tidal river>, dosed. When the water behind the bars, thrown up hy heavy has lisrn siillieientlv hi"h to f.oee a p issap*. it i< offeti tor several da> imnossihh to cross these other-

wi-f' hiyouut outlet:'. The Waiau. v*.is (’Missed near its month, all h.-ii;-!* iß* weather u;n v»‘rv line, was rathei hi"h. very thick and v«T\ difliettii to wade llijowu'h. hut Mr Robinson, the IBun Ray storekeeper. iniUrm. d me t’at this was iis usual hci-:hi. u>;m'|i! in the midst of winter, when 1 had ascended >i om«‘ yea:s pivviniisi\. Wiietcver 'the mofa inic a* i'll lip. ila t i.. ns had retreated from toe seashore the whole hank-, piineipa! ly where the coast funned shallow liavs, had been winked h\ llu* goldminers, lull most- of the claims were now abandoned. In the evening we « .imped two miles s.. I««i i ol the Waikukupa river at th% point whe;e the ohl imrthern lateral moraine of the Wehekn glacier folios a hold ! eadlaml, and

/•tatting in, midttighi, and having moonlight in oui favoilr, iu: crossed the -cvend hold leadlamh, which, heI evil tlie point and the Welc-ksi liver, jut into (he sea, Inn illy to seek our uni amongst the huge blocks nf rock uhich lie licic 111 the tideway, and to natch for .1 l'avoiahh- opportunily, when the waves id united for a mo-

nienl. to pass a dangerous coiner. Fatly in die morning we at lived at the mouth ol that important livin', where »e had to wait for low water. Again on otir toad at elevi n o'clock in the iiioi niny, in mder to reaeli I!; nee Hay in the ( vetting, lie crossed ,he hi and M’eheka without any mishap end altci ttavrlliny ahnosi uit liout intci mission along Inch morainic waits, which most instructive!; -how t! > • size of the huge glacier w liicli formerl;. c 'end ■:! sn fa r, we icaelicd the Kafa nga 111 a. another though liiond and deep. was cMis-cd wit taint diMienf > . s" ..... ' aft a havill;- 11 lan I the live;. 1!' cn! a i lies I treat from I la- coast, and e - .... n 1-ov t ta-l of count i v rca' l:c- ; . :' :■ \my hud of the central chain, the c. U'l-lilic forming a shallow I■:t- known is Hun 's lla v.

A number of mild diggoi . had settled along lids beach, built kmces. planted ca t ion in a pecu I ill t matin O'. Here diti inla line soul h- -. "-I ■ rl; w < ... ti cr lai ye f asses m a lid a; ■ aei ainula ! illy ill and above the tidal hmindai :r-. it SU"!| times only li,"Jo winds are blowiny. and I l.e Mil f is emt-e pimp |v o' no yleat force, hut when an u. -a• im d noi |' -west or iim thi an storm rapes depnsped dm Illy tie m' ediiip line weathei itte, as n v.mv midi going a process nl ua I lira! hie ■ i • l i\ 1 lie greater pm t ion ol 11: • san I i; i moved, hill in lavorah|e -n- .■. «! •!t ■ "d oil her hi- a sli-dil imlmPa' em ie Ihe eoasl-line m- by -mi'" lup - nieces I drilled timber, it I'eavim eeitii!-- remain. These consist nl l lack 'run sand (both tun pile tie and Ii I a tti I'm'nus oxide of iron) assoeia'ed wti'i sum}! nonets and with mild. These |,| „.|; h.vers are pose upon t-mpsc ioiail.'o-e sands. Vs soon as a st ll illi In's subsided. the "heaelieis" or "suilme-s " as tin", are eallcil. examine the coast-line near tlicir houses. When 1 1 -.-,.- nine upon

i,in- ol the licit sputa, t'e •' m- i cm I k-li-s ~|' • ■ I lid heitip often 1 isihle to I he naked .'V. i lev ill mire remove tile black layer of sand mil of I he reaeli nl' I lie t id", and w ash il » Inn emi veiiteiil. Hy nl mine, we were must hnsiiilahly etileitained. the table beim-- niv'-nil wain luxuries ot tin- season widen I did mo expect in the abode o' a "hatimy who and do not indulv.e in any eoinlorts ol life. Alter lea v’ll , I Hint Is h< tlelt and , i • siny several -u ' I Ie! rive.s. we :« ... bed M ikou ilai mint. w la-;. ; '• ■>’ Makowlbe i:n raines abut again-! the seasl me. alii wlii; iik. those passed

tho previous day, offered a *j;ood deal of interesting information. Mho dako wiho river was crossed in a U»ai, and in tlie evening; we arrived at the storekeeper’s place, - whore I established my headquarters for a time.

1 have not alluded to the mai/uitieent everehaneine views winch delkdit the wanderer as he advances from Okarito southwards. With every mile a notable change takes place. Mount ( o*»k which appears first like a sharp needle above Mount Tasman, gradually changes front and assumes that tentlike form to which the inhabitants on this side of the island me s > accustom'd. AIT ei leaving lh-e>e splendi 1 mountains heliind us, the Mnorhouse ranye with the hold S'Lnn peak. seo

at a ted hy a deep depression from Mount Holmes and Mount i nUii. iorms the principal feature, in the landscape. On a line bright day. trawiling on a hard sandy bench. widi the ics.le-s waves *d the eiesna! ocean on one -id<\ and the evereha myino ion .ground . ol lock, forest and small water'lulls jou the other, over which the high s« rraied alpine {teaks towering U'inmily, ami appeai inji in such dilicrcn; forms its the traveller advances, that it R often very difficult to recoi'r.isc them a^ain is lull of delight ami i»\i^oret in<r enjoy nielli. Tlie next few days were occupied with examining the nature id the aun lendts beds occurring in Lrui.v Bay. and in which polishc ! stone implementof jrreat aue were toiiud. Brueo Ivi.\ is formed hy Mereiauewiin {joint, an j ancient moraine advancing iai into lecj sea. hy whieli it is slieltered Irons southerly and westerly winds. Inland, the moraine reposes upon meamorphb i rocks, which forms a nearly perpetiilicular ridpe ahou* !• > irei hirih, running inland for a ah;e distance. L is densely wooded on the summit, about 200 yards lonad. and tails jttst as precipitously oil l'v iipjxjsilc side. Dee}) Mow us lay a Hat covered wi l h ih'iisi' vegetation. A numher «d ponils an* lyinjx amongst the fmv-t, .>;;•! the w’-'ole has a very marshy ap. earam.e. h wi* limit doubt owes ii - existence, like so tniinv oilier soailar llat> be-

l \‘,ecii i !;e umi nines, K* the •;hinp;!o bar llirown up li.'twi i i ii tlie two ! vadlaiuls, hr which a deep indentation ol the sea V.s cut off. the km.*'-" thu,: formed ha v iim iri adua II v f.ecli iiile 1 up, I>.' a!!<t cj'ini brought liom to ji.ouuiaiu sid". and iei v ar<!s h decauuij, \ c yet at ion. In order to "o south, when l , uv-iny 10 the very muish nature ol the coast. 11 w mild have taken im <on iile;;ji»le ;h,.c to reach the mouth of the Haast li. at in'lomyine to the st.-rekec) er. de-. seined to nm as a 'v. :.a!.o j.-U . hut whieii. after all. was only a ditiyy with a xjiiare stern. Alihouyh Brine Bay is title of the most shelteied stmts on ■ lie portion ol the West (ea >t. we had pi unit a day be I ore We couhl proee.’tl on our hazardous journey, the siirl bctoo ht‘a\y for tin* boat to hi* launched. At last, eaily on the* morning "t the 20th of March, tin* sea was so calm that we could veiiiuie to take the boat across the suit. It was a ■Jorinus hriiiln tnorniiiii, the sea smooth and the air as with a liyht breeze we piuceeded im iidy on

The moilili of the I’o in a tiger "as leached aliotll eight o flock, " tiieli river Indue well pi elected Imm the south hy lucky dills nlld icels. allordcd Us an entrance without ilia least trouble. I have no doubt that in years to come, when tla; portion ot New /.calami is Ittoie settled, a rood barb m can easily lie provided in that locality. Halm e pinfceding up lla' i n ci. I examined tin- fol ks on ils Miinlicrii banks, and found them to consist ol pints and sandstones, shale*, identical in charactc i with those ol t l.e ! : :e\ i ive . w hidi led me io infer that some dai v.mkah! coal scams would also 1 ' |m:nd i a tnis

~ j, .i ~f the coast. a conclusitui " iiiclt I,is since been partly i oiilirua’d b\ da diseovetv ot sine seam- b. I) dvtly a few years ago. The view up Hie l-ivwi is most ( hat tiling. The ii. et led h.-x uni :i I»Sj* u ill:11 ;n> ;illn\i:il fI;U on liojli suit'"*. »•fi‘s I ' luxuriant f«uvst vo'ifiaiiun. wuoiU**! hills of model afe siz • am! diversified I'm ms I m ill iit I the va I h'V, I lea had,y i out nl lad tin I'm med by l hi' hi.'.li serraled ridge of Mount I looki r, eli-sti-n----iny w iI b ice and snow .

Al'tei a short interval, we pm e,sled up tin- river, which nwinp to ils inpid current, was not done without pleat exert inns, the I mat having m lie lowed up all the time. Altm having ttsceml d a Hun l three miles, the liver I'.ilet begin to exhibit a division in two well-deline I colours ; water of the pah bluish t ing‘‘ peculiar pi "lacier rivets dm my line wea l Inn tlou illy: on Ibe line side, and el a da t k lirown colour on lie ot! .r. Si io 11 at let, ive teadied '.lie mouth ol a sutithein tiihulary I which the dark brow u water is detived. and w bieli by a lone shingle hat thrown up by the mam river lias been dammed up lor a

considerable distance. We now advanced i npidlv lor about a mile oil l' o broad and deep water, bottleted on both sides hy magnificent forests, alter w bieb the licit naiuowed eotisidertil.lv. am| tile elllienl Is'enme yia.lmillv stronger ; rapid succeeded rapid, and numerous diilt trees lying •‘•‘■toss t,ie meek now made out advance so laborious and slow, that we could not Had evening reach the lake of which one of mv companions kit"" the existence.

We passed a terrilil" night, owing to millions of mosquitos, which together with a similar torment hy dav Irom legions of sandtlies, tluil had almost devoured us. did not improve our tempers. Next morning, alter passing several very nasty rani H. the ri'.ei ;,,,aiii assumed annthm ehartieter, becoming 11road and deep with search any current observable, and now reM'tnl'ling a canal. Xumermts waterfowl enliveiled its surface, from wltr'i I ole aim'll several rare specimens, as weh ie additions to my collections. Although well accustomed to New /calami forest scenery. I could never cease

admiriu" the particularly stately trees appeared in endless variety ol form and feature with every new icneh id the river. At last we reached tin* hike which 1 named Lake Mall, alter my friend the Mon John Mall. It is a ni<e sheet of water about vhree miles lonti and two miles wide. * ‘ a proumuotery entering it for a considerahle disitaiK'O from the west, and surroumk'il everywhere* by densely wooded hill- c no considerable hepyh’.. .Merrily w«* puiletl across it. and camped "O ••

npp'isiu' side on ;i rtsti n :l> ' e lb". Ktit Uu (hi.vs ivc 1 enntiiH' lin this . lip.ici! little spnl. (Inline: which I exmnined its slmrcs in every diicetinn »ml nseemled Iho I'linciim! nll'lnelP ii-m, which its '•-.(t-,s ine deriv'd Willin’in it I d every (l-si ript h>:i jit.i.iiml Klv.i end Kiihup> v.cic J.o'-ncnt! 1,.■:i •! dili'ini: the m ’* ■ shied n numbei id 1 I : >■< 1 1 ml lmll-t i mit v. liicli ;>r vided ns "d- - It t -.1: (he bint jiiore rendily t'.i.n the eel. ->! wlnr 1 ,i:cri> were nUo ninny nnd very nil S' ones

To !•,• concluded in o'" "e* l )