THE BIG BAY EXPEDITION.

Kumara Times, Issue 3093, 1 October 1886, Page 3

THE BIG BAY EXPEDITION.

[From the Southland Times.]

According to the legend, the Grecian •xpedition that set forth in quest of the Golden Fleece consisted of fifty heroes. These, after long wanderings and strange adventures, were fortunate enough to secure the coveted prize. The party of modern argonauts that set sail in the Hinemoa on a similar errand on Monday morning was thrice that number, but whether it would be reasonable to expect that their chances of success are threefold can only be a matter of conjecture. They have, at leaßt, this advantage over their predecessors in the prospecting business—they know where they are going. Nearly, if not quite, twenty years have elapsed since the existence of gold was known in the locality of their destination, while it was generally supposed that other miueral treasures lay waiting the "open sesame" of the pick and shovel. There was one man in particular, who, when all others had left, ■wearied out by the failure of their search, remained patiently seeking the concealed treasure. We refer to Andrew H. Williamson, who was, up to the lime of his unfortunate death by drowning a few years back, the solitary denizen of Big Bay. When opportunity offered, he occasionally came round to Invercargill. and was wont to drop into the office of this paper to report progress. Reference to our files would show repeated paragraphs in which the persevering prospector expressed himself strongly as to the capabilities of the district. But nobody paid much heed. There is a saying that "Sweet are the uses of adversity." Probably but for the depression, other twenty years might have elapsed without anything being done to set at rest the question as to the value from a mineralogical point of view of that section of country. It was certainly a capital idea of the Minister of Mines to favourably entertain the proposal originated by Mr W. Todd, of aiding the equipment of the Southland Prospecting Association. If he had stopped there, no one could have taken any exception ; but he was shrewd enough to se« and seize the opportunity of improving the situation. In view of

the unemployed difficulty, he announced that the Hineraoa would be available for as many as chose to satisfy a Government officer that they were provided with proper appliances and provisions for at least four months' sojourn on the coast. Whatever may b« the result of the expedition, one thing is at least certain, that it has withdrawn some 150 men from the overstocked labour market. The best of it is that this has been done with next to no expense. As a matter of fact the Government contribution amounts to £l5O and the use of the steamer. Seeing that for two years past the Governmeut has been providing work for the unemployed, frequently of anything thing but a useful or reproductive character, Mr Larnach may fairly be congratnlated on having done a stroke. A further and important consideration is, that while there was neither present nor prospective gain in much of th* •work done, the band of miners that ■will this summer explore the recesses of the West Coast ranges may come upon something that will tend to give a much-needed impetus to the sluggish pulse of the colony. No pioneering or prospecting party of soch numerical strength has probably ever before set out. Of course hundreds and thousands have gone to rushes simultaneously, but that is a very different thing to what the Big Bay party is doing. Certainly there was the report of Carey and Hyndman, but this by a curious telegraphic error was most misleading. Their first announcement was made to read "gold in pleuty in all the creeks." This was immediately corrected by Carey, who telegraphed from Mokitika that "gold" should have read "quartz." It is needless to say that the several parties are not going on a picnic. With them it is no work, no pay. Indeed, even with work, the pay must necessarily be uncertain. They have one great advantage over previous prospecting parties. From time to time, during many years past, adventurous Spirits have prospected at virion:-: points on the coast for minora's oth'M' fhnn gold, with the result of frequently bringing back with them what, they fondly Bupposed to bftfipecimensof vuliiiibleores, These, under test, have almost a'ways proved to be worthless lumps of rock. This time, however, such disappointment cannot happen, the Government having told off a mineralogist, to whom they will be able to refer at once as tr th? value of whatever may be met with, The men composing the expedition n> - ?, we he'ieve, for the most part, well fitter! for the work. Severn! of th?m are, ir fact, experiencpd West No' £ few, it was found by the Inspectoi

authorised to nee that thev were properly equipped, had provided themselves with seed in order, as they said, to make a bit of a garden and fend off scurvy, the ever p'esent enemy of those who have to live long upon silted or preseived meats. In many respects our little New Zealand Kimberley has advantages over the Australian one. Nobody will suffer from heat or the want of good water. They will have neither alligators, hlaokfellows, snakes, centipedes, scorpions, nor tarantulas to fear. The tiny sandfly, it is true, will make things pretty warm as summer comes on, and tqxm many will inflict a considerable amount of torture. Happily one gets used to them after a time, just as, according to M. Pasteur, the vims of certain diseases becomes weakened by repeated innoculation. It is perhaps rather to be regreted that the expedition should have started thus early in the season. Sett'ed weather can hardly be expected till November, and, in the meantime, existence in the bush will he anything but cheerful. Anyone who tins travelled through the West Coast forests knows that at the best of times they are damp, but that during the winter or spring seasons, they are absolutely dripping. So fatas tents and sleeping appliances ;ire concerned this has been provided against, but in cutting tracks, or traversing the bush in search of likely places for prospecting, the men must go lightly clad. No man could afford to wear a macintosh while forcing his way through scrub. Ho must just do so in the ordinary digger's costume, and take his chance. To be wet through from daylight till dark must tax the strongest constitution, and it would be no cause for surprise if one of the first requisitions was for a medical man. Meantime we can only wish thn harly band of pioneers the success their courage met its. Whatever may happen much desirable knowledge will have be.'n gained of a hitherto comparatively unknown part of the colony.