Johnstone - Okitiki Terra Incognita Hokitika / Westland

Okitiki Terra Incognita Hokitika / Westland

Published by John Johnstone at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 John Johnstone

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Attribution:

This book is my compilation of newspaper itemstaken from the "Papers Past" website of the National Library of NewZealand.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz

I make no claim to own the original 19th centurywriting in this book. In fact I encourage you to do as I have done.Much of our history was actually written by the history makers andrecorded in newspapers of the time. With this book I am providingyou with an opportunity to access a very small but, I believe,important and often bypassed, portion of recorded history writtenwith firsthand knowledge in what we might now refer to as realtime.

Out of respect for the long dead authors I havedone my best to faithfully reproduce each original work in itsentirety. Except as explanatory comment, I have avoidedinterpretation.

I hope you will find the clarity and imagery ofthe original works I have compiled as fascinating and informativeas I have.

As you read, let the original writer transportyou to the time of the opening up of their new world, the challengeand adventure of pioneering and exploration. Consider andappreciate the difficulties and rewards encountered and achieved inthe age where telegraph was new, steam was still struggling tosurpass sail for long distance transport and when looking out forone and another was required because self reliance was not quitesufficient.

It is true that my work is derivative. It is,however, more than copying and pasting. I have searched the NewZealand newspapers of 1863 through to 1865 to find the materialthat, tells of the beginning of colonial development in Westland,as and when it was happening. Using my local knowledge I have madean effort to, without embellishment or bias, present the realcircumstances and stories of our pioneers as they meant them to beknown.

I hope this compilation will take you back intime and provide an insight into the reality of mid 19th centuryopportunity, hardship and adventure.

This book is a sample of the wealth of thematerial made so easily accessible on the Papers Past website,check it out, what you find will not disappoint.

Papers Past "Copyright guide"

"The Papers Past website provides access todigitised copies of historical New Zealand newspapers. Thiscopyright statement relates specifically to the digitised newspapercontent on Papers Past. Additional information about specificpapers can be found on each newspaper title page."

"Material on this website has been provided ingood faith for users by the National Library on the basis that:

the newspaper publications provided from the 19th andearly 20th century are out of copyright

in most cases digitised copies replace microfilmversions previously provided to the public

for more recent newspaper publications (up to 1945),permission has been sought from the publisher to reproduce thematerial on this website"

Contents:

"... the West Coast is still a terra incognita, andthe crossing the Great Southern Alps from. East to West has onlybeen accomplished within the last two years ..."

"Dr Hector, however,after carefully examining it, pronounced it the track of somebirds"

"... the vast natural advantages of this district toaccount before a settlement takes place from either of theneighbouring colonies of Victoria or New South Wales, oppositewhose shores the district lies in a temptingly direct line ..."

"... account of Mr Whitcombe's journey from theRakaia saddle, and subsequent loss by drowning in the Teremakau,taken from the notes of a conversation with Jacob Louper[Lauper], the Swiss, who accompanied him."

"... For many weeks past reports have been stealinginto the place respecting the gold on the West Coast, and theprospect of a rush thither in the spring, ..." "... A very fewmonths at the first opening of a gold-field will determine whetherwe are to share any of its benefits, or whether the West Coast isto become merely an out-port of Melbourne."

"... The Daily Times has the following: Some furtherinteresting particulars concerning the West Coast of the CanterburyProvince ..."

Mr. Dobson has handed to us [Canterbury Press]for publication, a letter from his son, Mr. Arthur Dobson."

"The Lyttelton Times says:- It will be in therecollection of most of our readers that a surveying party under MrA. D. Dobson started not long since for the West Coast via Nelson...". Description of the bars of the Rivers Wanganui, Hokitika,Taramakau and Grey.

William Sherrin's account of the drowning of MrCharles Townsend, superintendent of the Government Store, PeterMichelmore and Solomon _.

The story is concluded in extracts from:

And;

Exploration of the Hokitika River

A person thrown suddenly into a new country almostdifferent from any other on earth, must possess a considerableamount of experience to be enabled accurately to describe thephysical peculiarities that he carries with him the power ofobserving. Not a hurried visit in sunshiny weather will enable himto form a just opinion of the country he beholds; but he requiresto become sometimes a resident at different seasons, that, theclimate, the rivers, and pastures of the country may be familiar tohim at the different seasons, and that he may be enabled to knowwhat changes take place either in the climate, the directions ofthe wind, and the quantity of rain that falls during the course ofthe year.

Exploration of the Hokitika River, concluded

From the Canterbury Press, continued

The search for Charlston Howitt and the "monsters" inLake Brunner

The "monsters" in Lake Brunner continued and Hokitikato Okarito

Kotukuwakeoko

Okarito and Whataroa

Okarito

Search for an alpine pass Whataroa.

Search for an alpine pass Whataroa, concluded andjournals concluded.

The Steamer Nelson arrived here from the Grey and theBuller Rivers

News from the Grey diggings

An exaggerated account of gold at the Totara

IMPORTANT FROM THE WEST COAST

Refers 30 November, 1864, Greenstone Creek, November30, 1864.

The steamer Nelson, which arrived here about threeo'clock on Wednesday afternoon, was the bearer of very satisfactoryproofs of the present prosperous state of this gold-field

Gold from the Lyell

A party of diggers arrived in town on Saturday,November 12, bringing with them from Lyell Creek, a tributary ofthe Buller, a splendid lot of nuggets, and other gold, weighingaltogether 212 ounces

News of the Week. Reprinted "FROM THE DAILYTIMES."

Reports a "chapter of accidents at the West Coastdiggings.

We observe that the steamer Nelson, which sailsto-morrow evening for the West Coast, after calling at the Buller,will proceed on to Okitiki, twenty-three miles below the Grey, andfive miles only from the Totara river, the scene of the chiefdiggings on the West Coast

Advertisement - The screw steamer Wallaby will departfor the Grey Goldfields

The steamer Nelson left on Saturday evening, with afull complement of passengers for the West Coast. Such was thedesire of diggers to reach the Okitiki ...

This trim, little steamer, the property of Messrs NEdwards and Co, went outside the harbour on Saturday afternoon, torun the measured mile and to ascertain the improvements to hersteering apparatus ...... She leaves, for the Buller, the Grey,and the Okitiki, this day.