Page:Banking Under Difficulties- Or Life On The Goldfields Of Victoria, New South Wales And New Zealand (1888).pdf/118

Rh prices, and afford every encouragement to prospectors. On the 2nd October, Liddle started south of the Hokitika River, with a party of Maories, and Donnelly with two whites, on a prospecting expedition. Every day small parties of diggers arrived, but none went further south than the river, nor would they push inland to prospect, but spent their time in sports, such as running, jumping, leap-frog, &c. In the meantime Hudson and Price sent their horses two trips to the Grey, and then turned them out at the Arahura. A fortnight passed, and no news of the prospectors; many of the miners camped around left for Canterbury, but at the end of the third week the camp was surprised by hearing a “coo-ey” from the opposite or south side of the river. A canoe was at once despatched to bring them over, the whole of the population waiting and anxiously watching their arrival. On their stepping ashore their first report was no gold. This was a great damper to all, but from the wink of Jimmy Liddle, Hudson knew it was all right. The others disbelieved their report, the prospectors appearing too jolly for men returning disappointed. Every move they made was closely watched. A meal was at once prepared, which consisted of hot tea, bacon, and eels. In passing through the store to get tea, the eyes of the self-constituted detectives being off for a moment, Liddle slightly raised his jumper at the waist, just enough to show Hudson that there was a good-sized bag of gold hanging to his waist belt. He then knew all was right. Shortly after this, Price came in from a fishing expedition, and Hudson told him what had transpired. It was arranged that Price should at at once proceed to the Grey and buy all the provisions obtainable. He slipped away to the Arahura for the horses, and after some trouble drove them in about eleven o’clock at night, The difficulty now was how to get the saddles, as the miners were all congregated in the back of the store, with the object of gathering information. Hudson spoke to his partner and arranged that he and Liddle, with a Maori half-caste, should leisurely walk towards the river, knowing that the crowd would follow, which would give Price an opportunity of abstracting the saddles from the tent, which being done, he at once saddled up and went off to the Grey, where he engaged two packers, De Silva and Ray, at the same time purchasing goods sufficient to load all the horses, Soon after Price had started, two Maories made their exit in order to inform their friends at Greenstone, Teremakau, Grey, and many other places. Many schemes were devised to entrap the prospectors, but failed. An idea was then hit upon to make the prospectors drunk so as to loosen their tongues. The run on Hudson’s liquor was so great that by four next morning the stock of spirits had entirely run out. The “bohoys” blood being up, they informed the prospectors that they must either disclose their secret or they would be “kilt.” A general fight took place, many taking the side of the prospectors,