TO THE COAST FOR GOLD

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22337, 26 February 1938, Page 21

TO THE COAST FOR GOLD

WE managed to get over the pass without' mishap, and reached the station in good

time. We were made very welcome by the Fowler family. The squatter again showed us the utmost kindness, insisting on our staying with him for several days. My father had a way with him that most people appreciated; he was very talkative and had travelled extensively to various parts of the world, having served on the Crimea and in India, and had been in Cape Colony, and the Californian and Australian goldfields. Therefore he became particularly friendly with Mr Fowler. We were told that the winters there were very severe, sometimes the snow lay very deep, and the rafters of the houses had to be very strong to carry the weight for weeks at a time.. The place was very lonely, and it was a marvel how the people could endure such loneliness. They were almost "out of humanity's reach." It is almost incomprehensible how some people can be content in such solitudes, and others not satisfied away from the towns.

Our kind host gave us directions as to our journey to the Ada Saddle

A Journey 50 Years Ago

(Specially Written for "The Press" by HENRY

BETTS.)

and through the Cannibal Gorge, he having made the journey right through to Reefton from his place several years before. We left the homestead with gratitude for the kindness shown to us, and continued our way to the Ada. We did not reach the saddle that night, as we noticed a storm was brewing, sc we hastened to unpack the horses and pitch our tent. We had hardly done so when the thunder reverberated through the mountains, vivid lightning flashed, and the rain came down in torrents. We and the poor horses had a bad time for several hours, everything but our food was drenched, and we had great difficulty to keep it dry. Another Storm We passed a very miserable night, but the next morning was bright and sunny. We were thus enabled to dry our blankets, etc., but it was near noon before we could make another start. If the storm had continued we would have had a very bad time indeed. We went over the Ada Saddle that evening and into the Cannibal Gorge. We noted where the streams flowed in opposite directions. Although the after- | noon was fine and sunny, we could

see that another storm was threatened, and we hastened to pitch camp.

We had hardly boiled the billy and had our tea when the storm broke upon us with the utmost fury, the lightning flashed vividly and the thunder resounded amongst the mountains with such terrifying effect that one might imagine that they would come together. Huge drops of rain came pelting down, and we were lucky to have a little cover, but the poor horses, as on the previous evening, had to bear the brunt of the violent storm. This storm so flooded the stream through the Cannibal Gorge, the head waters of the Maruia river, that we could not continue our journey for three days. Luckily there was plenty of rough feed for the horses, and we had enough provisions for ourselves: and it was an easy task to bake bread in the camp oven. While flood-bound near the Ada Saddle, we prospected for gold, but could not obtain the colour, although there is quartz in abundance, huge boulders being strewn about in a-1 directions. (To be Continued.) . "?>„ ■■ .-.'