CHAPTER III. The Interior of Otago...
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CHAPTER III.
The Interior of Otago. --Difficulties to be Surmounted. -- Rush to the Lindis. --First Goldfields Act and Export Duty Act. --M'lntyre's Claim for Reward. --Docherty --Reports of Robert Short and Frederick Walker. --Mr. Stafford's Statement. --Failure. --Gabriel Read's Letter. --Doubtful Feeling. --John Hardy's Statement. --Major Richardson's Message to the Provincial Council. -- Resolution of the Council.
THE reader who is unable to draw upon memory and personal experience, cannot possibly conceive more than a very faint idea of the absolute solitariness which in those days pervaded and enveloped the Interior of Otago--the solemn loneliness of its mountains; the ineffable sadness of its valleys; the utter dreariness of its plains. The weary traveller pursued his lonely way from point to point, always viewing around and before him a continuous and apparently interminable expanse of lofty hills--range succeeding range in monotonous uniformity, everywhere clothed in a sober livery of pale brown vegetation, relieved only by grim, grey rocks of fantastic form, sharing the desolation to which they contributed --backed by distant mountain peaks, which bounded and encompassed the horizon in every direction, piercing the blue ether, and clad in dazzling snows--an expanse diversified by no pleasant forests; devoid of animal as of human life; where the profound stillness was painful in its prolonged intensity; and the only sound that greeted the ear from dawn to dusk was the melancholy wailing of the wind among the tussocks.
Such was the character of the country through which the gold-seekers of that time had to find or make their way, unaided by roads of any description, and seldom assisted even by "tracks"
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of a defined character. To this account must be added the uncertainty prevailing as to the locality of the "new" goldfield, the length of the journey, and the inclement season of the year. The news reached Dunedin at the end of March--that is to say, at the commencement of winter. That the country was then covered with snow is apparent from the frequent warnings, having reference to this form of danger, which appear in the newspapers of the period. The provisions also were scarce and dear on the field. Lindis was far away from the ports where ships discharge cargoes; and cultivation was in its earliest infancy, and flockowners had only stock sufficient for breeding purposes--the hoped-for foundation of future fortunes--when the remote solitudes were suddenly invaded by a host of people, all athirst for gold. So meat sold at a shilling the pound, and flour at the rate of £60 per ton. The only other items of diet of which [find any record are--Sugar, one shilling; butter and cheese, two and sixpence the pound; and pickles, three and sixpence per bottle. These seem to have exhausted the possible bill of fare at the Lindis.
Nevertheless, and in despite of distance and doubt, of snow and dear food, there was in some sort, a "rush" to the Lindis. Before the end of April it was reported that there were 300 persons at the "diggings." And then we read in the newspapers of the day that--"The discovery of gold has caused much alarm amongst the runholders, especially those in the neighbourhood of whose runs the precious metal has been found. The alarm is natural enough; but the Goldfields' Act has made provision for compensating a runholder whose run may be declared a Goldfield."
This assurance was well founded, for the legislators of New Zealand were wise betimes. An "Act to Regulate the Gold-field" was passed in 1858, before any well-defined Goldfield had been discovered. And in the same year, still taking time by the forelock, they also passed an Act imposing an export duty of 2s. 6d. per ounce on gold, extending (unless the clause is wrongly punctuated) to foreign coins, and "articles of plate jewellery or
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ornament actually worn upon the person or made elsewhere than in the colony."
And now, having become possessed of the long-desired Gold-fields, the settlers regarded their new acquisition with something like dismay. "Gold," writes the Editor of the Witness, who, no doubt faithfully reflected the prevailing opinion, "is not an unmixed blessing.... We are not of the number of those who look upon the discovery of gold as the greatest of blessings."
But circumstances do not halt for opinions. For a brief space there was a very general stampede to the Lindis, though it does not appear that the number of working miners actually on the ground at any time exceeded 400. Letters from well-known settlers began to appear in the papers. Mr. Edward M'Glashan writes of the possible resources of the field in terms of great expectation. The same gentleman forwarded to the Superintendent a document, claiming the "Bonus" offered for the discovery of a "remunerative goldfield" on behalf of Samuel M'Intyre. I have thought it worth while to reproduce this paper, which runs as follows:--
"We the undersigned Diggers in the Lindis Valley hereby certify that Samuel M'Intyre was the first discoverer of this Goldfield, and that he is entitled to the reward offered by the Government, the field being a payable Goldfield.
Lindis, 15th April, 1861.
J. Angus M'Donald
John Falconer
Edward Wm. Wilkins
John Jones
John Wilson
James Cotter
W. Campbell
C. Grant
George M'Rae
Edmund King
John Jerrold
Edward Jones
William Scott
Charles Horner
C. W. Zlieber
Wm. Sims
J. M'Donald
W. H. Patterson
Charles Reese
David McCartney
John M'Cormack
William Docherty
James Kerby
John Hunt
W. Hunt
A. Winton
William Adams
Thomas M'Ray
W. C. Baudinet
G. Pope
D. M'Connochy
George Butterworth
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James Gairn
James Beattie
James Spence
Edward M'Cartney
Alfred Mears
Edward Jackson
James Ferguson
E. Forsyth."
The consideration of M'Intyre's claim was postponed for the decision of the Provincial Council, and ultimately it was altogether set aside, in favour of a claimant whose discoveries completely eclipsed and overshadowed all others.
In Mr. M'Glashan's letter he says:-- "Two men, Docherty and Falconer, who have been working together for several weeks, assured me that they had averaged over an ounce per day each." Docherty, whose name is appended to M'Intyre's petition, is the well-known prospector of Dusky Sound. I have not been able to ascertain what has become of any of the rest. Others testified to the value of the field; and amongst them Mr. Robert Short, an officer of the Land Department, declared his opinion that it was a "payable Goldfield" of very great extent. "The country in every direction is literally teeming with gold" --writes Mr. Frederick Walker, a member of the Provincial Executive. In the General Assembly, the Premier, Mr. Stafford, stated that "with respect to Lindis Pass diggings the Superintendent of Otago thought it likely some thousands would be attracted there after the winter." The wildest reports gained easy credence. It was gravely stated that the Goldfield was "calculated to cover forty square miles." Some portions of the country which have never yet produced an ounce of gold were pronounced, on what appeared at the time good evidence, to be richly auriferous. A shepherd had picked up some gold in a creek flowing into Lake Wanaka, and therefore, it was argued, all the country between Wanaka and the Lindis must be gold-bearing. And so the rumours ran. But the earlier forecast of the writer in the Lyttelton Times proved to be correct. The field was an exceedingly limited one, and early in July the Witness was enabled to state, with an approximation to accuracy that the Lindis was a "complete failure."
Before that time came, however, the people of Otago had
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been thoroughly aroused by the following letter, which appeared in the Witness of the 8th June, 1861:--
Tokomairiro, 4th June, 1861.
To Major Richardson, &c.
Sir, --I take the liberty of troubling you with a short report on the result of a gold prospecting tour which I commenced about a fortnight since, and which occupied me about ten days. During that period I travelled inland about thirty-five miles, and examined the ravines and tributaries of the Waitahuna and Tuapeka rivers.
My equipment consisted of a tent, blankets, spade, tin dish, butcher's knife, and about a week's provisions. I examined a large area of country and washed pans of earth in different localities. I found at many places prospects which would hold out a certainty that men with the proper tools would be munificently remunerated--and in one place, for ten hours work with pan and butcher's knife, I was enabled to collect about seven ounces of gold.
I have now had constructed proper machinery and tools, and will be able in the course of a few days to report with more certainty. Mr. John Hardy, the Member for this district, will accompany me, and on his return, communicate personally with your Honor. His earnestness in favour of a Goldfields discovery has so pleased me that I have been induced to make him my confidant, and he has kindly placed his time at my disposal.
Had I made anything like an exhibition of my gold, the Plain would have been deserted by all the adult inhabitants the next day, and the farmers would have suffered seriously from a neglect of agricultural operations at this season of the year.
Although the being able to work secretly for a time would greatly benefit me, I feel it my duty to impart these facts. To know that the stream of population must set through Waihola rather than Oamaru, I consider it important for you to know.
These communications are made in confidence that my secret is safe with Major Richardson, but if a disclosure is of any benefit to the public interest, you are at liberty to treat this as a public communication to the Superintendent. Mr. Hardy will be in town in the course of a week, and I think you might perhaps do well to await his return, when he will impart the result of his trip. At all events, I leave myself as a client under your Honor's patronage, convinced that by so doing I take the most certain course to insure the benefit to which I may some day be considered entitled for this important discovery.
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Mr. Hardy will be able to show you what I think may be specimens of copper ore; if it is so, there is a great quantity in the mountains, and rich seams of coal in its vicinity.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient servant,
THOS. GABRIEL READ.
Read's statement was at first received with incredulity. The news seemed too good to be true. Prospectors had been seeking gold for ten years, and reputed discoveries had been numerous and frequent; but nothing had come of them. The Lindis had indeed raised expectations to a high pitch. For a time it promised well, but already it was apparently failing. And now this letter of Gabriel Read's opened up prospects that dazzled only to bewilder the people. He was represented, and truly so, to be possessed of Californian and Australian experience; but after all, there might only be a small "patch" of payable ground. There was a brief period of suspense, during which none but the bolder spirits went up to Tuapeka, while the prudent and wary waited for more sure information.
It was not long in coming. Mr. Hardy--referred to in Read's letter--returned from his trip, and on 28th June he announced the result of his investigations. From his place in the Provincial Council Chamber he told the members, who with eager attention and bated breath listened to his words, that in company with Mr. Read, he had prospected country "about thirty-one miles long by five broad, and in every hole they had sunk they had found the precious metal."
On the same day the Superintendent--Major Richardson-- transmitted to the Council a message which, following upon Mr. Hardy's announcement, must have greatly exercised the public mind. In it he stated:-- "The accounts received late last evening from the Tuapeka and Waitahuna districts indicate, in those neighbourhoods, the existence of gold in large quantities and easily obtainable. These Reports bear all the evidence of truth, and necessitate the adoption of immediate and active measures
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for the preservation of order, and the safe conveyance to Dunedin of the gold accumulated and accumulating."
The Message then proceeds to ask that the Superintendent may be invested with general powers, in the following terms:--
"Under these circumstances, and with the prospect of more extensive discoveries, and the probably resulting influx of population from beyond seas, the Superintendent asks the Council to invest him with such powers as the urgency of the case may from time to time demand him to exercise, in order to protect property and open out communication."
It was further suggested that it would be expedient to secure the services of an Inspector of Police and a contingent of experienced constables from Melbourne.
The glad and gratified Council was not slow to respond. Before rising, a resolution moved by Mr. Cutten was unanimously assented to, empowering His Honor to "take such action in the various matters as may to him seem fit, and cordially placing in his hands the necessary powers, confident that the necessary provision will be properly made, and no unnecessary expenditure of public money incurred."
The confidence of the Council was not misplaced; for the practically unlimited powers thus unreservedly entrusted to Major Richardson's disposal were wisely and judiciously exercised during the critical period that ensued.
