FRENCHMEN'S GOLD

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 129, 5 June 1929, Page 15

FRENCHMEN'S GOLD

STILL UNDISCOVERED

A WEST COAST LEGEND

The story of the Frenchman's gold at the Cascade, in South Westland, 30 or 40 years ago, is fresh in many minds. Ac recently as three years ago an article appeared in a Southland paper, with the result that the imagination of two men became fired with visions of wealth, and the residents of Makarora—at the head of Lake Wanaka—witnessed two heavilyladen trampers pass through westwardbound. These two explorers, however, failed to reach their destination. The swampy, mosquito-infested area below the mouth of the Haast river proved too deadly a barrage, and the tw.o hopeful strangers retreated. i

Tlie story has many variations, but the popular one is related by Mr. Eric James in the "Otago Daily Times." Many years ago, before Europeans settled on the West Coast, and when Nelson was iv its infancy, a quantity of stolen gold from the early Australian goldfields was said to have been landed at the Cascade river mouth, not through' intent, but as a result of misadventure. Some say a shipwreck was the cause; others that there was a mutiny, and others still that the persons concerned were pirates. It appears, however, that two individuals of French nationality, who were strandat the Cascade, were in possession of a large quantity of gold,, and it was decided by them to proceed in the direction in which they considered Akaroa lay, as they knew there had been a French settle-, ment there. They carried their gold 'in solid bars; packed in jack boots, so the story runs. After they had travelled about eleven miles the rough nature of the country proved top much for them with their heavy loads, and it was then decided that one man should proceed in & % northerly direction and that the other should pick another route.

TREASURE IN A CAVE,

Prior to their parting company the men •were 1 supposed to have buried their gold in a cave. One of, the men was never heard of again, and it was believed that he perished, but the other reached civilisation near Nelson. What his plans .were for recovering his buried gold is \ not known, but it is supposed thatl he died shortly afterwards. ' . About that time the death occurred in the Old Men's Home or hospital in Nelson o£ an old man who, shortly before. he passed away, handed to a companion a rough sketch plan indicating where the gold had been hidden. Whether this dying person was.-one of the two. men who had been stranded, or whether the plan had been given to him by either of them, haß never been ascertained. It was the dying man's intention, however, to endeavour to try and locate, the gold if death had not claimed him.

The new owner of the plan proceeded to Kiverton.or Invercargill, where his story interested moneyed men of that day, with the result that a. company was formed to commence a systematic search. The members of the company were- said to have been keen, calculating business men, and as they belonged to a' Scottish district there is,, says Mr. James, no reason to disbelieve this. Provisions, tools, and equipment were shipped to Big Bay, the present boundary between Westland and Gtago. Men were employed cutting a track through dense and hilly bush, and this task occupied a long period, as the distance to traverse to the Cascade, was about 60 miles. :

v "MAORI BILL." Among these hardy packmen was one Maoh Bill," who was not, as his name would imply, a Maori, but an ex-Guards-man inn Her Majesty's regiment of Guards of the Line. 'Maori Bill"—the only name by which he was konwn—was a powerful .hermit of the forest in the .search for alluvial gold. For many years lie \yas the only resident on the wild stormy shores of Big Bay (Awarua Bay) Later he tramped right up to the coast to Hokitika, about 30 miles of dense, and in many parts trackless, bush, with scores of dangerous rivers and "creeks to cross, in order to^clainr the old-age- pension. He died at Hokitika in the earlier period of the, Great .War.,: -y •.--.■ ■"■ "-I ■. ■-■+ ijess^ than three years ago nis lonely hut near the sea beach was still standing, but ip has since fallen to pieces, but not before a mate on the Hinemoa, the then Government lighthouse boat, had made a search of his hut, to find^lying among remnants on the dusty earthen Boor a sum of 30 golden sovereigns in a canvas bag. Strange ° -f ?' v Jew weeh> eariier the hut was visited by two hard-up prospectors who whilp hT%^^ °f ,fi f dln ß something worth J lle. bu* failed to notice the little bag ?^i $"lv om hat tJtne-about 1921—until the writer, with companions,, paid a visit to the district, about two years ago,, the place-was never re-visited.

SEARCH ENDED BY DISPUTE,

c jA;mon.S"the,many things carried to the spot where the hidden Cascade treasure was supposed to be were many picks andsnoyels, as it was thought a large slip had buncd th.e-ca.ve in/which the gold was $ ace.d/,, Small; gangs were put on, but dissatisfaction arose within the camp, and two factions soon became evident. After a period of disputes one set packed their w agSL °iir to. he flowed a short time later by the other^jarty, and so ended the search for the Frenchman's hidden gold. . .several thousand pounds were spent in this _ enterprise, and none of the original participators is believed to be alive The story, however, still lives. One old miner is'fcnn m his belief that the story is no legend, and when his grandson returned trom the war he tried hard to persuade him, in company with the writer's broth-er-m-law to commence a new search, offering to supply the funds for the * pedition. The two returned men were not having any," and the = Frenchman's gold still remains undiscovered. There are many who entile whenever the story is revived, and there are others who ask the scoffers rather difljcult questions.

SAW EMBEDDED IN A TREE.

It: is known that a slip of gome extent recently .occurred where the treasure lay hidden, according to the plan, and the old rusty picks and shovels are still to be found there. During later years a local squatter was surprised one day to find a large tree in which an old saw was so embedded as to be almost hidden from view. Inquiries were made, and it was learned that a saw-embedded in the trunk of a tree was one of the principal landmarks shown upon the plan. Further, the plan snowing the winding course of the river was a true plan though at that time no maps existed of that country, because no person was known to have ever been within many miles of it. ,

lhere appeared to be a missing link Eomewhere in the story. It is* still likely that there may be something ifi it. - At least the business men of the South thought so sufficiently to invest money in the search scheme. But, adds Mr. James, few have asked what became of the man who never turned up after the treasure was safely stowed away and the two "pirates" parted company. Did he return secretly and remove the treasure, or part of \t, or did he find another hiding place for it? • ■