REUBEN WAITE, A WEST COAST PIONEER.

Kumara Times, Issue 2649, 4 March 1885, Page 2

REUBEN WAITE, A WEST COAST PIONEER.

It will be gratifying to the numerous friends of Mr Reuben Waite to learn that the four counties on the West Coast have agreed to unite iu makin« some slight recognition of the great service lendered to the West Coast and the Colony ly Mr Wai/o as an explorer of th« K>uiuU-YY'eoi fcukifields,

The Buller, Inangahun, Grey and Westland Counties have decided to contribute the sum of 5s weekly each to the veteran prospector as some slight rewa.id tor the share he bore in opening up the West Coast gold§elds. It may not be generally known that Waite visited the West Coast as early as June 1860. In that year he was storekeeping at Collingwood, and a party of Maoris coming overland from the Buller showed n sample of gold they had found twenty miles up the Buller river. Waite was struck with the report of the Maoris and decided at once to start an expedition to the West Coast, then an almost unknown land. The undertaking was at the time laughed at by the Nelsou people, but this did not deter Waite from his purpose. He accordingly chartered the ketch Jane, Jacobsen, master, and with his companion Rogers, and fourteen miners from Collingwood and a cargo of provisions very shortly after set sail for the Buller. Amongst the live stock on board were ten cats. After a troublesome voyage of several days the Jane reached the Buller, where a large number of Maoris were found, and who quickly bought up the cargo in exchange for gold. Waite made an effort to get up the Buller river in the ship's boat to where the gold was obtained, but the month being June and the River much swollen, he was unable to go more than ten or twelve miles up, and as supplies were running oat he put back to the vessel, deciding to return at once to Nelson for a fresh cargo. Bad weather, was, however, experienced on the run up, the voyage occupying no less than sixteen days. Waite received an ovation at Nelson on his return, and when he showed the gold, excitement was created and from this date the rush to the Buller may be said to have commenced. Numerous parties went overland, but the Otago goldfields being still fresh, it was some time after that the big rush to the Coast took place. In 1862 the Tasmanian Maid arrived on the West Coast with diggers from Otago. This was the first steamer placed on the berth. In 1864 Waite chartered a steamer in Nelson for the Grey, and reaching there shortly after opened the fiist store on the present site of Greymouth. It will thus be seen that Mr Waite played an active part in opening up and settling the West Coast, and, beiug now in the decline of life, he will no doubt appreciate the public recognition of his services thus accorded.— Inangahua Times, Monday, March 2.