Page:Discovery of the West Coast Gold-Fields Waite 1869.pdf/3



OF THE

CHAPTER I.

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As it may perhaps be interesting to the public to know something of the early history of the Nelson South-west Gold-fields, I have drawn up the following account of the events which led to their discovery and development.

As there have been many different stories in connection with the discovery, and also many claimants for the discovery of the various districts that in reality are not correct, I therefore in the following narrative shall endeavour to give as far as possible the correct names of the principal pioneers, together with a detail of incidents exactly as they occurred.

On or about the month of May, 1860, I was on the Collingwood gold-fields, distant about seventy miles from Nelson, when a party of Maoris came overland from the River Buller by travelling up the sea coast, and thence by the Aorere to Collingwood (there being no other way for them to come in those days), bringing with them a parcel of gold, which they said they had obtained from a place some twenty miles up the River Buller.

When this gold, which was a splendid sample, was shewn to me, I immediately conceived the idea of going on a prospecting expedition to "that outlandish country," as it was termed by the Nelson people. Accordingly, I, together with some others who were favourable to the project, called a meeting of the diggers to lay my plan before them. I received a great many promises, and made sure that we should get a good meeting, but when the day came I was surprised to find that only one, Mr. Saunders Rogers, attended. My plan was that there should be a party of not less