Page:Banking Under Difficulties- Or Life On The Goldfields Of Victoria, New South Wales And New Zealand (1888).pdf/111

102 a day with a dish off the bottom of a paddock 6 ft. deep by 7 ft. square.’ They had 7 ozs. 12 dwts. The other party had 3 ozs. of the same kind of gold, and the same as that which I had purchased of the Maories. The parties who were waiting for the steamer came in, and seeing the gold, could searcely believe their eyes, but when I showed them the 50 ozs. I had bought of the Maories they wanted to know why I had not shown them that before. My answer was that they would not have believed me had I shown it to them. Then came a rush for stores again, and those who had been among the grumblers I charged an extra price, as they had compelled me to take back their stores and tools. From that time commenced the great rush, which up to the present date has brought out of the earth forty tons of gold, and for which I was to be hanged, because those first arrivals chose to call the expedition a duffer rush.

“After this the gold began to come down pretty freely, and all were satisfied; in fact, I believe that the Greenstone was as good as any diggings afterwards found on the Coast. I have seen many of the crowd since who were in that circle to hang me, but I have not seen the Dutchman. Perhaps he did not forget the case of gin, and kept out of the way. But the worst had to come, for in consequence of the disappointment I have narrated about the rush, I had ordered no more goods to be sent down. By the second arrival of the steamer she brought more passengers, but no provisions, so that we ran short of them, and I had to curtail a great many, and especially those who had been so hard on me. These I put on half rations until the steamer came in again. When she came she brought my bullocks and dray, and with two horses and a mule I had purchased from Mr. Dobson, C.E., who had just completed the survey of the coast, I sent goods to the mouth of the Teremakau, and up that stream to its junction with the Hohuna, by canoe, about nine miles, where it was carried by the diggers (until some more pack horses came) to the Greenstone Creek. I started a store at the mouth of the Hohuna.

“After this I returned to Nelson by the first opportunity for the purpose of obtaining goods, and also to make arrangements for transport. I was greatly astonished on my landing to find myself an object of notoriety. It appears that a report had reached Nelson that I had been hanged at the Grey during the little adventure before described; and so great was the excitement of many people, who were glad to see me return safe and sound with a good parcel of gold, that it was with difficulty that I was enabled to get away from them at the wharf.”

About a mile south of the landing place were two stores, one kept by Horsington of Lambing Flat celebrity; the other by Isaac Blake, after whom the township “Blaketown” was named.

The diggings were between twenty and thirty miles from the Grey, at a place called Greenstone. I hired a horse and got