A TRIP TO GABRIEL'S GULLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15100, 24 March 1911, Page 7

A TRIP TO GABRIEL'S GULLY

END OF MAY, 1851.

By John Blair.

■ Wo had been harvesting for tho lato Mr Arthur Burns, and had just finished, when tho Government started to niako the Saddlo Hill road, so wo went roadmaking. This ro;id was principally made by early settlers and runaway sailors. Tho engineers at that timo wero the Into Mr Thomas Oliver and -Mr Abbott; tho inspector of works was tho lato Mr Caldcr, of CaVersham. Our ganger was Mr Jones, and tho other ono was tho late Mr Sniaill, of Kaitangata. It was while working on tho road that- Mr Hardy came from Tokomairiro to report tho discovery .of gold by his man Gabriel Read. As wo know Mr Hardy very well, he took us asida and showed us a sample of the gold, and told us that-his son and Rca'd wcro going up with a loaded bullock tea.ni, and that if we reached Tokomairiro ve might got our swags taken up by the team. So wo bado good-bye to road-naj;ing, it being our pay week, and got up on Monjay at 5 a.m. and made a start for Gabriel's. It took us soma timo to get our swage ready. Each consisted of a 'possum rug, a blanket, home-made loaf baked in a camp oven, piece of boiled bacon, etc., also a billy and pannikin slung to our bolts. After saying gcod-bye to our friends wo took tho road. Our swags were light when we started, but soon got heavy, and each ono resembled a bag of I was pretty good on 'Chunks' pony' at that time, being only 16 years of age. We reckoned on making 25 to 30 miles a day, which was good travelling with heavy boots and swag. Our first day's halt was at Murdoch's Accommodation House at Tokomairiro, where tho police camp now stands. This was a olay hut with thatched roof. Next morning we arrived at M'Gill's flourmill. They directed! us to the Woolshed. There was a large waahpool at the mouth of the Woolahed, which we had some difficulty in getting ronnd. Wo got to Mr Murray's homestead, now called Mount Stuart, and after having a feed wo were directed to the highest hill wo oouldi see, known ae the Bound Hill. At that timo thekakas were so plentiful that'wo could kick them over. Our next stage was Peter Robertson's hut, situated about four miles'from Gabriel's. I bolievo this hut is still standing, : and was a refuge for tho old miners. Next morning we went down with-Mr Musgrove (Murray's partner), and he directed us to Gabriel's Gully. Wo got thero on a bright May morning long ago. Wo ,had a good look round' and dis- ( covered two tents in- the first bend above the Flourmill. One of theso tents wag

Hardy's and tho other was owned by men. ' from the Clutha. We stayed there all night and next morning , we went to the top of tho gully and saw a big clump of bush, and when we got baok to the tents the minors had been prospecting and showed) us some very good gold, so wo decided to return to the Taicri. We mada Daw-sort's at Tokomairiro Gorge that night/and next morning we arrived home and fold our friends what we had seen, and nearly everyone wanted to go and get gold. We jrot a team of horees from the late Mr Joseph Allan, with two of his men aa mates, and wo started back a second time. This trip took us eight days, and wo had to carry part of our load up some of tho hills and then had , to go back, and assist the team. Some of the earliest diggers on the ground were Burns's party, Jeffrey's party, Thomas Richard Simpson (Allanton), Blackie ("from tho Taieri), tho Allans, and Donald Reid and' party. Tha sinking was seven or eight feet, and the gold was easily got by those who were iuoky enough. I might mention a few of the rushes at that time. They were: — Wctherstoiies ami Bluo Mountain, Waitaliuna, Taieri, Hindon and Dimstiin, Lawrence (called after General Lawrence), Havelock ' (after General Havelock), Outram (after General Outram), and Duneta.:! (after Lord l Dunstan). Tho jubilee is coming, and I want to let you know ! How wo worked at Gabriel's Gully 50 years ago. We built a hut of sods and thatched it well with snow (grass): That's tho way that huts were built 50 years ago. Wo mede a bunk of manuka, with tussocks for a bed; Our boots made tis a pillow, and we slept as we were dead. Wβ. had no cares nor sorrows—our aim wasgold, you know; ' But ail that glittered was not gold SO years.ago.. '.... ... Each morning in our claim wo sank a great and deep big 'hole, And tho water when we left it 6oon got beyond control. We'd set to work .and bail it out, and flood our friends beknv, And-every vasser-by was hailed fami'iaily as "Joe." I wish all miners heartily a happy nibilce, And trust that many ancient friends at Gabriel's I'll see. The Robertsons we'll not forget, nor Mr •and Airs Munro— Their faces fitill remind us all of 50 years ago.