Page:Rambles on the Golden Coast of New Zealand.djvu/95

Rh returns met with in some instances were positively fabulous, and it is not to be wondered that some of the diggers, who perhaps had toiled for years previously for mere “tucker,” were so startled at their luck on this beach, that they gave way at times to the wildest extravagance and riot. The steamer “Bruce” was bringing up to Hokitika 3000 to 4000 ozs. of gold every other trip, and I knew one party of four miners who forwarded 1000 ozs. on their own account. Such a heavy parcel amongst four men is something astonishing, and the natural conclusion surely is, that the heavier gold must be distributed inland from these golden beaches with no niggard hand, and will be discovered some day, when better facilities are afforded for prospecting. Prices of sections in the town of Okarito increased in value seven-fold in the course of a few weeks, but as soon as the southern beaches were worked, which took about six or nine months, prices as speedily fell, and the population gradually but surely diminished to a very limited number indeed.

The Bruce Bay, Gillespie’s Beach, and the Haast rushes followed in quick order after Okarito. The wild-goose chase to Bruce Bay, led on by the memorable Hunt, will not be forgotten by those who were induced to follow bis footsteps. On the Haast Beach, between the rivers Haast and Okura, a few fairly payable claims were worked, and at one time there was a considerable stir in the temporarily formed township on the southern bank of the Haast, but it was one of the mushroom townships, which lasted for a few weeks or months and then utterly collapsed.

Before leaving the southern part of the Coast, to review the doings on the rushes which had broken out on the Nelson South-Western district, I will further refer to the prosperity which had, in the early part of 1866, manifested itself in Westland. News of the most cheering nature was constantly coming to hand, telling nothing but a tale of uninterrupted prosperity, the discovery of new fields and the extension of old ones. From north to south the same cry was heard, and the most hopeful anticipations were indulged in. Beginning at a point 15 miles north of the Grey where several hundreds were located on the beach, and following the coast-line down, the same results were met with, wherever a community of miners were found,—results that will challenge competition with any other goldfield, since the early days of Victoria, so graphically depicted by Mr Bracken in his famous poem

Five miles north of the Grey, in shallow ground, near the beach, from 7 ozs. to 30 ozs. to the paddock was by no means uncommon, whilst at the Black Fellows rush, on the side of the range, at an elevation of 100 to 200 ft. above the sea-level, the sold was still better. Here a few of the claims were extraordinary rich, the washdirt turning out from 12 ozs. to 20 ozs. to the load. Thence to the Grey, scattered parties were working on the low terraces and beach, most of them obtaining very handsome returns. In the Arnold district one party of three miners got off the bottom of one paddock 80 ozs., and numbers were reported as earning £15 to £20 per week per man. The celebrated Three Mile rush south of the Grey was then supporting a large