Spit and on the wharf where work went on with feverish haste.
Before arriving at Hokitika I counted seven vessels at anchor in the roadstead, amongst them a large Melbourne steamer; whilst in the river itself, five steamers and a large number of sailing vessels, were discharging their cargoes, reminding us of life in a European port. Owing to the shifting nature of the channel, which leads through the surf into the river, several vessels had been stranded amongst which were two steamers; however, one of them the Stormbird, was that day brought into deep water again. I pitched my tents in the Government camp, in which, in canvas houses, the Provincial Government Commissioner, Mr G. Sale, and the other Government officers, were living, and which contained also the Police camp, jail, and the offices of the Resident Magistrate and of the Goldfields Warden. For several days we had quite a deluge of wet weather, as it rained almost incessantly.
As soon as the weather had cleared up again, I started for the Waimea goldfields, to which the road was in a most wretched state, owing to the enormous traffic along a swampy forest track, although the Government had already begun to corduroy the worst portions. In the evening we reached the Waimea township, for which room had to be made by felling a number of trees in the luxuriant forest, here clothing the whole country. Although surrounded by a large digging population, there was very little loafing to be seen here. Of course diggers were coming and going, but the whole intercourse had a healthy appearance, and showed that its mining population was busily engaged on its claims. During several days I visited all the principal diggings in the neighbourhood, making myself acquainted with the mode of occurrence of the precious metal, and following the main branches of the Waimea to near their sources. I also went to Fox’s rush and some other goldfields on Fox’s and Red Jack’s gullies, falling into the Arahura; afterwards I proceeded to the source of the Kapitea, and visited Callaghan’s and German Creeks and some others in the neighbourhood, and thus obtained an insight into the nature and extent of the goldfields in that part of the West Coast.
I may state, that the whole goldfields as far as visited, were found to be deposits of a very large river of pre-glacial age, those portions being only preserved which had not been reached during the Great Glacier period of New Zealand by the advancing gigantic glaciers, or by the enormous torrents issuing from them.
The next stage was to Greymouth, which showed signs of wonderfully rapid progress. Five years ago I had camped at this spot in solitude, with no European excepting three companions near me for a hundred miles, and only a few Maori whares in my neighbourhood, and now rows of large houses were built and a busy life gave signs of healthy progress all round. Several days were devoted to a visit of the Grey Coal Measures, where I found a hearty reception from the Manager of the coal mine on the Nelson side.
Returning to Hokitika on the 9th. May, I examined, on my way, several claims on the seabeach which appeared remunerative and which would thus offer additional ground for a great number of diggers without any additional outlay. Intending to ascend the Hokitika and its tributary, the Kanieri, I obtained not without trouble, a canoe from the Maoris, for which I had to pay two punds sterling a week (they
