PIONEERING DAYS.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17468, 31 July 1928, Page 9

PIONEERING DAYS.

MR COATES' EXPERIENCES. SECURES A SECTION. (JOED HUNTING AT KENNEDY BAY. In my last I had arrived back to Hamilton from my tour in the upper portion of that large district, and called again on Captain Steele. .My mind was about made up lo accept the offer of a suitable block close to Cambridge that the owner offered me for £i pel acre; but Captain Ste'ele told me that I was too late, as -Mr James Taylor had bought it. However, the Captain (old me that Dr. Bcal's 200 acres would suit me. The' situation of the land was good and the soil fairly good, but a portion of it would require to be open-drained. After a day or two of Consideration I agreed to take Bcal's selection, and I paid Captain Steele the £2OO and took his receipt for same. Before leaving Hamilton for Auckland 1 staved a few clays with Captain Steele. He told me that he had a draught horse that belonged to a farmer who lived about half-way between Drury and Papakura I could have to ride down to the farm of the owner. I got to Hangiriri the first day and lo the farm by 5.30 p.m. on the second day. J then walked the rest, about 20 miles, and arrived in Queen Street, Auckland, just as the town clock struck twelvet paid a visit' lo I he office of the firm OJC Messrs Morton, Smith and Firth, and there had an interview with Mr Brook Smith, who introduced me to another friend, a Yorkshire man, a Mr ■Ukinson, who , fold me that he had made up his mind to go that night to a new goldllcld rush. He asked mc if I would go with him, and 1 agreed. So we set about getting the necessaries for the journey to the Kennedy. Bay goldfleltl. A vessel was advertised"to leave that evening, so we got on board. She was a sailing smack like a big barge. It so happened that there was' a strong favourable wind, so that next morning we were within the heads of Kennedy Bay and got landed in time for breakfast. At that time there was a sawmill at this place, and my. friend Mr Atkinson was the owner of the mill- Hence, the reason for his great inclination to go gold-seeking. We had a look round, and found that there were several people about on the same lay as we were. We soon found that

although we could always get the colour of gold in fossicking in the creek, we could not get gold in anything like payable quantities. Mr Atkinson met two old mill-hands and they agreed to join us as partners in the prospecting. The idea was to continue until wo struck a gold vein or a pocket-