saying, “There was no gold—no food and nothing but starvation to look forward to.” Three days later they reached the “natural paddock” at Lake Brunner. Here they rested a day to give themselves and their horses a spell. While here, another well-known pioneer, Dick Ward, arrived; he was bringing across a horse, a mule and a donkey for transport purposes. The following morning he and Hudson started for the Greenstone in an endeavour to obtain some horseshoe nails. After many difficulties they reached their destination, finding that great dissatisfaction existed among the diggers, the majority of them proclaiming the rush a duffer. Horseshoe nails were not to be had for love or money, and it was necessary to push on to Blaketown where they were obtained at an exorbitant price. Hudson remained here, erecting a flax whare, while Ward at once set out for Lake Brunner with the horseshoe nails. Making good progress he soon reached his objective, and after shoeing the horses he and Price got on the road to Blaketown. On the way down the donkey was drowned, and subsequently thrown up on the beach, the body being an object of great curiosity to the Maoris who travelled many miles to see it, having never seen-such an animal before.
Hudson and Price upon completion of the flax whare decided to purchase stores from
