Page:Rambles on the Golden Coast of New Zealand.djvu/33

Rh followed Messrs Mackay and Rochfort’s tracks, but he with his assistant, the late Mr James Burnett, land surveyor, contributed materially to our knowledge of the geological formation of the West Coast districts. Dr Haast has since resided at Christchurch, where he has rendered good service to the cause of science. He recently received a medal from the Royal Geological Society, London, in recognition of his Alpine explorations.

Messrs Waite and Martin were the first settlers at Westport in 1860; and immediately thereafter the Buller goldfields became an established fact. The Grey district was visited in 1863 by R. A. Sherrin, who found gold there, and it was occupied by miners shortly afterwards.

Messrs Lee, Dobson, Harper, Walker, and Hewitt of Canterbury, paid visits to the West Coast at various times between 1858 and 1863, but their explorations were of small extent, and not to be compared with the services rendered by Brunner, Heaphy, Mackay, and Rochfort.