Page:Banking Under Difficulties- Or Life On The Goldfields Of Victoria, New South Wales And New Zealand (1888).pdf/130

Rh On one of my trips from the Greenstone, the Teremakau being flooded, I had to walk from the Hohuna to the Teremakau, carrying with me about 300 ozs. of gold. I was in company with Harry Revell (a brother of the warden), a big powerful man, who kindly exchanged swags with me occasionally, I taking his blankets, and he my gold, which for me was a pleasant exchange.

The following week, the river being still flooded, and knowing that my customers had a lot of gold on hand, I rode up over night from Greymouth and stayed at Broham’s, intending to make a start from Teremakau at daylight. However, on talking the matter over with him, and finding that I would have to walk first twenty miles up and then back that distance, with about 50 lbs. weight of gold, and possibly alone, I changed my mind; not but what the will was good to do the deed, but simply because I did not feel up to it. So next morning I returned to the Grey. Later in the day I learned that Walmsley started from the Grey at daylight, that he then rode to the Teremakau and walked the rest of the way, returning on Monday evening with between 500 and 600 ozs. of gold. For the first time since our arrival on the Coast he had the largest escort, he having purchased my gold in addition to his own. My customers kept their gold up to the last, making sure I would turn up, but finding I did not put in an appearance, they sold to him. What will a zealous banker not do? What we should have done was to erect offices at the Grey, and to allow storekeepers and diggers to come to us, instead of our running after them. In place of this, each manager was chasing the other all over the country, crossing (often swimming) dangerous rivers, carrying gold on our backs like beasts of burden, sleeping on the damp ground, camping out in all weathers, and of course risking our lives. It’s all very well to see these things afterwards, but at the time, with an opponent in the field, one is anxious to do his best.