THE CHURCH IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12, 25 March 1909, Page 452

THE CHURCH IN NEW ZEALAND

MEMOIRS OP THE EARLY DAYS

(Contributed.) GREYMOUTH (continued).

Owing to the sad and tragic death of Father Colomb, Father Binsfeld found himself alone again, and occupying the same position as before Father Colomb's arrival, with the difference That, besides the responsibilities of the parish, he keenly realised the loss of his late confrere. Father Binsfeld remained -at Greymouth /until September of the following year, 1872. ' At Greymouth events marched on in a satisfactory manner, but the number of ' new diggings that were opened out on the goldfields country increased, with a corresponding increase in his labors. Among the new discoveries was Murray's Creek, on the Inangaliua, the present Reefton. This was at that time the Ultima Thule of gold-seekers, situated about 70 miles from Greymouth, most,, difficult of access, and reached by circuitous tracks. The miners called it jocularly the ' penal settlement,' and the hardships encountered in getting to it and experienced there justified the appellation. There was again the difficulty of getting provisions to such a place; these had to be carried on the shoulders of carriers over very rough country from the Upper Grey — a distance of twenty odd miles. The cost of carriage alone to Murray's Creek amounted at the beginning to £28 per ton. Father Binsfeld came on the scene when the quartz reefs were being opened up. The means of communication consisted of a saddle track through the little Grey River over the Razorback range to the junction of the Inangahua and BuDer rivers, and from thence up the Inangahua river bed to Murray's Creek or Reefton. It was a venturesome journey, so much so that newspaper writers were in the habit of gathering information about it from travellers who returned to Greymouth. The Little Grey River Valley is up to the mountain range an open country and so far an advantage to the wayfarer of those days, but there is (or then was) a large swamp several miles long in the upper part; this had to be passed through. Flax sticks stuck in as finger posts indicated the erratic course to be steered. When the wind blew one or more of these sticks down, the rider and the poor horse had their trouble to keep on high ground and get on the right track again. Happily there was shingle at the bottom,- but still nothing but the thirst for gold could find out such a passage. It was not an unusual thing to pass a dead packhorse that had perished in the attempt to extricate' itself. Higher iip in the forest the wet surface of .the ground was in parts covered with a network of spongy roots that would catch the horse's hoofs trap-like, and when that happened, were it not for the seriousness of the case, the position of the rider would have caused hilarity among expert horsemen. A number of culverts hastily constructed over deep, narrow creeks had to be crossed at considerable risk^ On one occasion the narrator counted no fewer than six dead horses that had perished on this part of the journey from exhaustion or accident. From the Buller to Reefton the river bed of the Jnangahua formed a safe passage in good weather.

The Beginning of Reef ton.

No wonder the miners called the Inangahua goldfields the 'penal settlement ' ; only those among them that were hard-up or most daring penetrated into that ' confusion of nature' — dense forest, dragged mountains, and swift torrents. In alluvial diggings the miner gets a quick return for his labor, for when gold was found -he washed and sold it. Not so here, however, as the gold was embedded in quartz, which required expensive machinery to crush. Two years elapsed before such a method of gold-saving could be secured. Meanwhile they had to live on credit, and truly men of , that stamp deserved credit. The miners here, a.s in other places, were capital fellows, the majority of whom were Catholics. They felt the want of a priest, and one poor man came all the way to Greymouth to make known to Father Binsfeld their state of spiritual destitution, and his arrival among them was heartily welcomed. It was the first time a minister of religion had come to the Inangahua, and the good Irishmen were proud of the fact that it was their priest. They Had the benefit of a three days' mission and attended well. The facilities

for the celebration of Mass were primitive, but the miners erected a new altar out of beautiful slabs cut from the trunk of a virgin forest" tree. The short mission was greatly appreciated by this small community. They had but one regret, their want of money to compensate the priest in providing his travelling expanses, which were no trifle, as a horse-feed, for instance, cost six shillings, ' the hire of the* horse alone being eighteen shillings a day. Priest and people parted with joyful hearts, but the joy of the' former was of short duration 3 as he had to make a very perilous journey. It had been raining, and reaching the Inangahua river it was found to be rapidly rising. There was a journey of eight miles along the river-bed be-" fore him, still it was thought by some that it would bo safe to start. * This river, down to its junction with the Buller, runs through a narrow gorge, with heavily bushclad banks down to the water on either side. In good weather when the stream is low the stony bed is mostly dry and the riveif winding from one side to the other may be crossed a number of times with ease. Whilst in flood the. case is 'different, the stream then becomes a furious torrent with, a bed of rolling boulders. Father Binsfeld had not proceeded far when he perceived 'that danger existed both in front and rear. The flood was gaining on him, and" there was no escape except pressing onwards with the current, over moving boulders," and at the best each crossing meant facing death anew. This crossing and recrossing lasted four hours, when, finally reaching accessible high ground, he was N safe. The one thought absorbing his, mind during the struggle was , of eternity, and when the struggle was at an end he could scarcely realise being still among the living. Here he intended to pass the night, but, meeting three horsemen who were surveyors, and in a similar plight to himself, and all being blocked by the river from further progress, they decided to make for a so-called accommodation house not far distant. By 1 cutting their way through supplejacks and along deep narrow creeks, they succeeded in reaching the house, and were amused at the accommodation offered. It was a tworoomed hut occupied by a family. Everything was of the most primitive description, the food being salt junk and' paste warmed in the pan for bread. A private corner was .provided for Father- Binsfeld, to liis great satisfaction, during the night. The sun was high up in the heavens when he awoke, and found that his companions had already started. He finally reached home in good spirits, and thankful for his escape from danger. Failing health and the nature of the work wore him down, and the necessity for a change arising, Bishop Viard appointed Father Binsfeld assistant to Father^ Garin at Nelson, Father Billiard replacing him at Grey mouth.

(To be continued.)