Page:Discovery of the West Coast Gold-Fields Waite 1869.pdf/14

 their countenances—the solemn and monotonous roar of the distant breakers, together with the surrounding mountain scenery in all its pristine grandeur, formed a romantic picture, rude and wild in the extreme. There were a great many men round the fire waiting for me, and when I made my appearance they began to ask questions of me. I may as well state here, that all the Maoris, men and women, were then close by, and ready to give me any assistance. There is no need to tell what they were armed with, but there would have been some blood shed that night had the diggers interfered with me; some of the men had taken the potatoes out of the Maori pits at TeremakauTaramakau [sic]. The first question put to me, was by the aforesaid Dutchman. “Vell, what did you corse dis rush vor?” I answered I did not cause the rush, and that I was in Nelson to get a small vessel to bring me to the Grey; that I had called them all together in Nelson, and told them that I was only going prospecting; that I did not lead them to believe they were going to a gold-field; but that, according to the letters I had received, I thought there was gold in the country, which I still believed, and that a proper trial would prove it. The next question put to me was by a Cockney—I am sure he was, for he so murdered the letter h. “Vell, Mr. Vaite, ow wud you like to cum ere without money, an ave to starve as ve ave to do?” My answer was, that I did not ask him to come; he had pleased himself. “Vell, Mr. Vaite, you seems to treat this ere matter werry lightly, but hi thinks hits no joke to come down ere and spend hall vun’s munny, and not to git eny gold.” The aforesaid Dutchman then spoke up again, and said, “Vell, poys, ve vill tak vat ve vants vrom Vate's store, and ve vill hang him afterwards.” Just at that moment, an Irishman whispered in my ear the words, “Cheer up, my boy, don’t be frightened; you have more friends than enemies in this crowd.” With that, I felt I was safe, but just at that moment a man who had come down to hear what was going on, one of Mr. John Rochfort’s men, fell down in a fit close to my feet, and that put an end to the meeting. But I was still annoyed by the discontented, and the most of them brought back what provisions they had, with their picks and shovels, tin dishes, &c., and I gave their full value for them. One man, an Irishman, assaulted me one night and tore my coat, and had it not been for two of his countrymen who were friendly to me, I have no doubt I should have had everything smashed in the store. The two men referred to took him away, and gave him a good drubbing. I shall ever feel thankful to a person named Peter Hawkins (now in Nelson) who happened to be in the store at the time. A fellow had a bottle in his hand about half full of old tom, ready to strike me a blow on the back of the head; Peter stayed his hand by grasping the bottle, or perhaps I should not have been here to write this account.

The men who came down and were engaged in this business,