HISTORICAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1765, 19 September 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

HISTORIC AL.

REMINISCENCES OF A TIUP TO THE UUNSTA.N DIGGINGS IN 1802. The excitement of the Gabriel's Gully and Tuapeka gold discovery had already almost subsided ; tin dishes, shovels, tents, and cradles no longer occupied the foremost rank at store doors in the good City of Dunedin — sure sign that the rush was over, and that these articles had ceased to be looked upon as the staples of commerce. It was the month of July or August, 1862. I was quietly wending my way to my usual humdrum office life in the firm of D. R. and Co., when, passing the Post Office and Custom House (at that time a primitive wooden structure at the corner of Jetty street and Princes street), my attention was attracted by the excited, eager looks of little groups of people standing round the building in question. To my natural inquiry of " What's up ? " I was told that two diggers had deposited the previous evening in the hands of the Collector of Customs some eighty or Jiinety pounds weight of gold, which they had collected in the course of a few months in some unknown El Dorado far in the interior of the Province. Being on terms of some intimacy with Collector Logic, I proceeded at once to assure myself of. the truth of the rumour by a direct inquiry, ta which I received from the old gentleman* the> cautious and characteristic reply, " Well, MrG , all I can say is that a bag has been deposited with me weighing so many pounds and ounces, but whether it contains gold or not I cannot say, as I have not seen the contents !" A few hours, however, sufficed to make the news authentic that indeed Hartley and Reilly had made a " great haul " on the banks of the Clutha River, about 120 miles from Dunedin. The excitement was intense. No digging required— only the sand and gravel of the river-bed to be washed in order to secure a fortune. Who wouldn't go ? I had resisted! the temptations of Gabriel's Gully and the Tuapeka, sticking to my desk and to the good old proverb that " A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Nor was it the gold fever or hope of making a rapid fortune which now led me to " try a spell " at the new diggings, but rather the intense desire to have a long holiday after some years of very close hard work. Finding two of my " familiars " of a like mind with myself, our plans were soon completed. Fully equipped with tent, provisions, and digger's paraphernalia, solidly strapped on the back of our good pack-horse Nugget, and with about thirty pounds each on our own backs, the Ist of September 1862 saw us en • route for the Dunstan, or Hartley and Reilly's diggings, via Waikouaiti and the Shag Valley. Great was the amusement afforded our friends seeing us three well-known young swells, hitherto seldom seen without our kid gloves and black belltoppers, now rigged out in moleskin trousers, blue serge shirts, and wideawake hats ; and many were the prognostications as to how far we would get on the road before we either turned back or got robbed and were forced back. Such " chaff " was anything but agreeable, but I verily believe that the recollection of it had frequently a most beneficial eft'ect in screwing up our courage and determination to carry out our programme hi spite of hardships and difficulties to which we were but little used. Pass- . ing ■ through the North-East Valley and over the high wooded mountains at its head along the then only half-formed road, on which snow was lying ankle-deep, we reached Blueskin Bay, where our troubles began. We had been told in a general way that this bay had to be crossed when the tide was out, but neither track nor stake nor stone existed to indicate the road, so we had to go at it a rude pays, or, in plain English, follow our nose, and a pretty time we had of it through slush and mud for nearly a mile aud a-half, our poor horse, with over two hundredweight on his back, running the imminent risk at every step of being bogged. We had purposed making Waikouaiti the terminus of our first day's journey, but the fatigue of crossing the mud flat was too much for us, so that about 4 p.m., selecting a fine grassy spot on the borders of the Blueskin forest, we pitched our. tent for the night. Rashers of bacon and a bi^billy of tea were soon prepared, and disposed &£." with greater gusto than all the dainty dishes, arranged to tempt the weak appetite of sedentary life. I have often remarked that tea madebush fashion in a billy is seldom equalled,, but whether the mode of decoction has anything to • do with the fact, or is the seeming superior quality to be ascribed wholly to the extra appetite with which bush tea is usually partaken, 1= can scarcely venture to affirm. " Sticking tcp;}' ' was not of very frequent occurrence, but' as ta few cases had happened on the road, where* well-provisioned parties had been " rushed"" and " pillaged by half-starving pilgrims, we thought it well, by firing a few rounds from our revolvers, . to let any such who might be in our vicinity • know that we were prepared to resist any such ■ free use of our property, and then,.rolling into . our 'possum rugs, with red worsted, nightcaps.*

pulled well down over our ears — for the spring nights of Otago were still cold and bitter — we were soon in the land of dreams, and passed as pleasant a night as if we had been secure within the best stone walls and lying on the softest feather bed. . The 2nd of September broke upon us bright and' glorious. All nature seemed to revel in an atmosphere of vivacity on that clear spring morning, so that despite our somewhat stiff joints, as yet unused to hard work, we felt the reanimating influence, and at an early hour were again on the route towards Waikouaiti. Within a few miles of this district, whilst descending a rather steep hill, my foot slipped so that I fell, aud at the same time slipped from my grasp the leading bridle of our pack-horse. Like Mr Sawins' captive nigger, Master Nugget was not slow to take advantage of his opportunity, and " pulling foot quicker an' ye would wink," was off like a shot and back, " along the very footsteps of our happy mornIng track." Not a word, but a look of blank dismay passed between us, as no doubt the same thought crossed each of our minds that this was the conclusion of our expedition, for not only •was our truant horse careering along the back track, but every few minutes was using his utmost efforts, with nose to the ground and heels in the air, to disencumber himself of his load. The wisest horse, however, does not know that there are generally shorter roads to an end than following a beaten track, so striking across country as hard as our legs could carry us, and after a good hour's run we managed to circumvent and capture the- runaway in a gully. Beyond our tinware being considerably bruised and the handle of our cradle smashed, to our great joy we found that nothing had been lost and no irreparable damage done. Reaching the station of Brooklands the same evening, we were hospitably entertained by Mr Hepburn, the proprietor, all three being well known to him, and. had no need to pitch our tent for that night.

September 3. — Bidding good-bye to hospitable Brooklands, we entered the Shag Valley, and after some sixteen miles' tramp over a rough road, and crossing the Shag River no less than five times, we camped at Rowley, Hamilton, and Wayne's Station. Here we experienced the first scarcity of firewood, and had a very hard job to cook our mutton chops, bought at the station, with a fire of tomatagoura scrub. The effects of the rugged road and constant wetting of our boots crossing the river were painfully visible next day in our swollen anldes and chafed feet — so much so that after proceeding for about three miles I had to give in, and we camped for the day. The repose and constant application of wet bandages during the twentyfour hours following were so effective as to enable me, with the heels cut out of my boots, again to take the road, and we reached Shingly Creek, where we had rather a lively campinggroundalongside of five or six drays, thirty or forty bullocks, about a d,ozen of horses, and some thirty or forty men. A goodly number of the.se latter were returning from a pilgrimage of disappointment and hardship, and looked, as one of my companions remarked, " very sheepish " ; and no wonder, I thought, poor devils ! for many of them had had nothing but mutton to eat for some five or six days past ! Passing over Steep Hill — so steep that we saw six men hanging on with ropes to the back of an empty dray coming down to prevent its capsizing — we entered on the Upper Taieri Plains. Being Saturday, we had determined to make that night the station of Messrs Hepburn and M'Master, where we were sure of a hearty welcome, to pass the Sunday in repose. Early in the afternoon we were informed by a passing dray•man that the station was only some ten miles further ; but trudging on till dark, and still no friendly habitation in view, we began to think about camping, when the appearance of a bright light far ahead of us across the plain inspired us with fresh courage to push forward. Our disappointment, however, can better be imagined than described when we found that we had passed the station about two miles, lying only some half a mile off the track we had just followed, and that we had reached one of the out wool-sheds, converted temporarily into a shanty for passing travellers. Learning the exact direction of the station, and despite our weariness and the darkness of the night, guided only by the faint glare of a distant bush fire, •we struck into the trackless plain through swamps and creeks, someti mes up to our waists in water, and at 10 p.m. at last reached the welcome homestead of Padanaram. Here our perseverance was amply rewarded by the kindness of our good host, Mr M'Masber ; and dry clothes, bowls of reeking whisky, a good supper, and jovial companionship soon made us forget the fatigues of the day.

Sunday, September 7. — The morning being clear arid unclouded, gave us an opportunity of enjoying the truly magnificent view from Padanaram. The wide plain of the Upper Taieri lying in front, bounded far off on the north and north-west by the mighty Hawkdun and Dunstan Ranges, with Mounts Ida and St. Bathans in their white robes of snow towering high above the rest in the sheen of the glorious sunshine, formed a panorama of truly surpassing beauty. Bidding a regretful good-bye to our kind host of Padanaram on the following day, we continued our route across the plain, and passing the Eden and Wetherburn Streams with some lijbtle difficulty, camped for the night at the foot of the Rough Ridge. Here during tha night we had our tent blown' down about our ears twice by a heavy gale of wind and rain, tiut fortuuately the succeeding day rose -with bright sunshine, so that our soaking teut and garments were soon dried, and ,we continued our way up and over the truly horrible and appropriately named Rough Ridge, through mud and slush up to our ankles for some seven or eight miles. Descending into the Ida Valley, we camped close to M'Pherson's Station, where we found an old acquaintance — an ex-coal and timber merchant . of Dunedin — keeping a sort of shanty or diggers' rest, and to his rough but ample cuisine of beefsteaks, solid damper, and tea we did full justice at the moderate charge of 3s 6A per head. Here we experienced a bitterly cold night, the intensity of which may be guessed from the fact that our condensed breath formed little icicles on the edge of our 'possum rugs. Crossing the Ida Valley and the Raggedy Ranges, so called from their rough, gravelly surface being strewn with jagged rocks and boulders, we reached the Manuherikia, a wide stream with shingly bottom, which we crossed with some little difficulty owing to the rapid current. Within a mile of Mr Sheenan's Station we camped, having still about eight miles to do before reaching our destination, the newly-created township of " Dunstan," on the left bank of the Clutha River.

Thursday, September 11, brought us to the embryo city above mentioned, then only a motley collection of tents, of which a large proportion was devoted to grog-selling. We camped a mile or so up the river from the township, and commenced in earnest our search for the hidden treasures of the soil, hut already the approaching summer had begun to melt the snow on the mighty ranges at the sources of

the Clutha, so that the boiling, seething river, daily augmenting in volume, had quickly covered the low gravelly beaches where Hartley and Reilly reaped so rich a harvest in the winter season, and many, like ourselves, were doomed to disappointment, hardly finding a spot where even " tucker" could be made. Fortunately we had brought with us a good supply of provisions, for this item of " tucker " was indeed a serious one, with flour at 3s 6d per pound and other things proportionably dear. Timber of any description brought fabulous prices, and old pack-ing-cases were eagerly sought after. I saw an empty brandy box, without a lid, sold for' 10s. After passing a week of fruitless search at the Dunstan, we proceeded up the left bank of the Clutha to the junction of the Kawarau — a terrible road, amongst rocks and stones, and frequently along the face of precipitous cliffs, where the slip of a foot would have led to certain death in the boiling river below. At the junction of the Clutha and Kawarau Rivers an enterprising digger had established a ferry with a small flat-bottomed boat, and in this we crossed over with all our baggage, pitching our tent on the high terrace or flat lying in the angle of the two rivers, where now stands the township of Cromwell. Owing to the high precipitous banks of the river at the junction our horse could not be got across, and one of our party had therefore to climb with him over the rugged ridges on the left bank of the Clutha, a distance of some, six or seven miles higher up, to find a ford. Mistaking, however, the indications given him, our mate took the river at the wrong place, got into deep water, and narrowly escaped drowning. Fortunately both man and horse were good swimmers, and got over with a thorough drenching, but as they did not reach our camp until after dark we were kept in a very uneasy state of mind about them for some hours. A considerable number of claims were already being worked on the banks of the Kawarau and in the numerous valleys stretching, back from its right bank, and on the day following our encampment at the junction we were quite besieged by diggers from the surrounding neighbourhood, attracted no doubt by our rather showy green-painted tent-poles which we had brought with us all the way from Dunedin. They supposed we had come to open a store, and were greatly disappointed to find that we had no such intention, for the poor fellows had to " hump " all their supplies from the Dunstan township — a heavy tax on their strength and time. So urgent were they that we should set up a store, seeing we had a good pack-horse to bring up supplies, and so glowing was the picture they drew of what we could gain by ifc, that we decided at least to give it a trial. Some ten or twelve miles higher up the Clutha River, and on the left bank, several stores had been started during the short time of a rush to that quarter known as the Lindis diggings, and these stores, which had been abandoned for some considerable time, we learned were again being stocked with provisions brought up by way of the Waitaki, in view of their proximity to the new fields opened. on the Dunstan and Kawarau. To these depots, therefore, we turned our attention, they 'being both ; nearfer and more convenient than the Duastan. The great obstacle, however, was that we had the river to ci'oss, and no boat. A ford existed some three or four miles above our camp, but a very bad one, and only practicable when the river was exceedingly low. Monday, September 22. — Blowing a perfect hurricane — and it can blow at the junction. My two mates were just about to start with the pack-horse in search of M'Leod and Gibson's depot, when an extra gust of wind caught our tent, tearing the fly into ribbons and the tent itself half along the ridge-pole. With this a heavy fall of rain was evidently approaching, so- that all hands had to turn to at once and repair damages. The sewing up of the torn canvas was my portion of the work, whilst my two mates made an excavation in the side of a slight rising ground in which to pitch our tent for shelter. Before we had finished, however, • the deluge of rain came upon us, and we passed a sorry night in wet clothes and on a bed of mud. I should mention that just before our arrival at the junction the whole country round for miles had been swept by fire, so that it was impossible to find a handful of grass or even a few light bushes to make a bed of : we had therefore to content ourselves with the bare hard ground, and a precious hard bed it was. (To be continued.)