Page:Discovery of the West Coast Gold-Fields Waite 1869.pdf/13

13 fifty ounces of the finest gold I had ever seen. I was pleased to see it, and purchased it ofoff [sic] them. These natives told me that the whole of the men that went up were coming down with the intention of killing me, and soon afterwards two white men came down and advised me to get out of the way, as the whole party were close at hand, and were coming down to ransack my store, and hang me. It appears that they had not been up to the Greenstone Creek, but merely to the TeremakauTaramakau [sic]. From what I could understand, the white men were led astray, owing to the Maoris having heard from some of their own people that a great number of pakehas had arrived by a steamer at the Grey. They accordingly came down from the Greenstone and commenced working in the TeremakauTaramakau [sic], where they could not earn their salt, for the purpose of leading the diggers to suppose that the gold had been got in that quarter. Here let me add, that shortly after the Greenstone had been discovered, I was informed that the Maoris had completely stopped up the track thus it was that the new arrivals went wrong. I cannot vouch for the truth of this, but it was told me by a half-caste, and it is exceedingly probable. I stood my ground, however, and the Maoris promised to help me if I was interfered with. Next day the whole crowd came down, and camped near the store, so that I could hear some, as they passed the store, cursing and swearing at me, while others said nothing. There was a Dutchman who had most to say, and who stole a case of gin from my store that night. This same Dutchman came into the store, and said I was wanted outside. He had been round to the diggers' tents trying to incite them against me, and although the case had assumed a serious aspect, I could hardly refrain from laughing at the horrible attempt on the English language displayed by this man, more especially owing to the state of excitement into which he had worked himself, from imagining that he was a deeply-injured individual. I had neither arms nor ammunition of any kind, for up to that time they were not wanted on the West Coast. I went to the fire, a large one, which, by-the-by, was being fed by coals that had been brought down the river for the Nelson Government.

It was rather an exciting moment as, stepping outside the store, the thought struck me that my life hung as it were upon a thread—that the weight of a feather would probably turn the scale either way. I was there standing accused, though wrongfully, of having wilfully brought a number of my fellow-countrymen to an outlandish district, probably to suffer want and ruin. I knew that nothing but self-possession would avail me, so I made the most of my position, and put my trust in Providence. I shall never forget the impression of that scene as it first met my gaze; the bright glare of the huge coal-fire, the motley group of roughly-attired figures around it—some silent and thoughtful, others fierce and clamorous, with every species of anger and revenge visible on