Death of a West Coast Pioneer.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 4, Issue 20, 14 March 1893, Page 2

Death of a West Coast Pioneer.

AN ADVENTURE IN 1860. (From the Westport Times.) The death of Mr J. Fraser, late of Leithfield, recalls an episode of the early pioneers of the West Coast, which certainly deserves more than passing notice, as illustrating the adventurous spirit and hardy natures of the early settlers. Hearing that the Maoris, pnder the guidance of Mr John Eoehfort, were getting payable gold at the spot now known as the Old Diggings, a party was raised in Canterbury, among whom the late Mr Fraser was the leading spirit, to try their luck on the newly-found goldfields. The schooner Phantom, Captain Tochig, was chartered to carry the party, 17 in number, and six months’ provisions, to the then almost unknown Duller River. Arriving here, one half of the party started to clear a piece of land, (known as the Canterbury Gardens, where the Railway Manager’s house now stands), and put in a crop of potatoes, and the other half to make a canoe out of an immense red pine log. They, in spite of;their heavy unwieldy canoe, managed to reach the foot of Long Fall, near the Blaekwater, prospecting every bar in the river, and in one or two cases only just missing small payable leads, notably one at the foot of the Long Fall, to which their shaft penetrated to within a few inches, but the continuous bad weather, and the weight of their canoe, prevented them reaching the diggings. Upon returning they found that the rain and rats had destroyed their provisions, and starvation was staring them in the face. It iwas determined at once to start for Collingwood, a distance of about 220 miles along the beach. Their troubles began in earnest at the Mokinui—now miscalled the Mokihinui. As one of the party was crossing the river on a moki, with the balance of the provisions, he was swept out to sea, but after 12 hours was fortunately carried ashore again by the tide. After struggling manfully for nearly a month, two of the strongest of the party reached Wanganui Inlet, where a few Maoris were living, who, upon hearing of the distress of the party crossed over to Collingwood, and a large party of warm-hearted diggers, with provisions and medical comforts, soon brought the gallant stragglers out of their difficulties. Mr Fraser came back to Canterbury just in time to start for Gabriel’s Gully in 1864. He soon after took up a claim on the Dunstan, and was fairly successful. The year 1864 found him farming at Leithfield.