Old Westland/Chapter 6

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Thomas Brunner The year 1848 did not open auspiciously for Brunner, who was still resting at the Mawhera Pa. He was thoroughly run down and his teeth at this time became a source of great trouble to him, his face becoming so badly swollen that he could not eat for some days. Recovering somewhat, he walked twenty miles south to Okitika for a kit of dried fish a Maori had given him. This was a very welcome addition to the scanty store of food he had managed to get together to be used on the return to Nelson, via the Mawhera (Grey) River.

The weather being favourable, Brunner on January 25th set out on this historic journey, a journey which was to prove momentous in the history of Westland, as it was marked by his discovery of the famous coal seam near the site of the town which to-day bears his name.

​The discovery is thus graphically described by the traveller in his journal:—

“This morning we freighted our canoes with provisions, clothes, and fishing apparatus. I considered myself on board the admiral’s canoe, which was the largest and first to start, having in company three others. The names of the canoes that ascended the river with me were Te Wairakou, with myself and nine natives; Te Maikai, with my four natives and Aperahama; Te Paiekau, with two natives carrying nets, etc., for fishing; and Te Matamata, with four natives; so I think I am well equipped, considering I had nothing to give the natives for all their trouble, except good wishes.

“There was much crying when I left, and apparently some good feeling towards me. They told me to return amongst them and share what they had, and, although tobacco is very much valued among them, they offered me two sticks, the half of all their stock.

“It is really an exciting scene to see four canoes poling and paddling up a fine stream on a clear day. We came up about five miles of the river, and camped at an old fishing station, prettily placed on an island called ‘Moutapu,’ which rises about 100 feet above the level of the river. At this point the river is confined between two low black birch hills, part of the coast range.

​“The level land of the coast reaches to this point—all timbered, chiefly with rata, on either side of the river.

“About a mile above Moutapu is a seam of coal, apparently of very fine quality, which presents itself under a stratum of mica slate. The coal is very hard and brittle, very bright and sparkling, burns freely, and is free from smell. The seam is some feet deep and level with the river’s edge, but at least 100 feet below the surface of the earth.”

On the 27th the party proceeded up the Mawhera to the point where it joins with the river now known as the Arnold, and here they remained for two days, this being a particularly good fishing ground. On the 29th they ascended the Arnold, reaching the lake which now bears Brunner’s name, in the evening. This lake the explorer describes as “a fine sheet of water, about six or seven miles square, near the middle of which is an island where we camped.”

This island is where the Maoris kept their prisoners and was the scene of the last cannibalistic feast on the West Coast. From time to time, in later years, many greenstone ornaments and weapons have been found here, and old-time Coast natives asserted that much fighting had taken place in the vicinity.

On January 30th, Brunner made the following entry in his diary: “This is the lake ​frequented by the natives on their way to the East Coast. This is a memorable day for me, having just put my last bit of tobacco in my pipe. I am afraid time, or rather wet weather, will seem long as I now have no amusement left. . . . There is a fresh water mussel, called Kaichau, abounding in this lake which we also found in Rotoroa, which, when boiled with the roots of the raupo, or bullrush, makes a palatable dish, and is the favourite meal of the celebrated savage Rauparaha.”

On the following day the return journey to the Mawhera River was made, and on February 1st Brunner said good-bye to the Coast natives and with his original party set out for Nelson. He travelled up the Mawhera-iti, or Little Grey, and, crossing the Waimunga Saddle, dropped down into the valley of the Inangahua, following this river down to its confluence with the Buller, which was reached just four weeks later.

April was ushered in by very bad weather and the river they were traversing soon became very high. On the 3rd the rain continued to pour down, and at midday a stream came rolling down the cliffs at the foot of which the travellers were camped, totally destroying the shelter they had erected. So rapid was the rise of the river that they were compelled to build a ladder and so reach a ledge some twenty feet higher up the cliff. ​Here they found shelter from the wind but none from the rain, and it was with the greatest difficulty that they managed to keep their food from being spoiled.

They were compelled to remain in this uncomfortable position until the 10th, by which time their supplies were consumed and they were forced to proceed in the hope of procuring sustenance of some kind. Later in the afternoon they managed to obtain a small supply of fern root, but on the day following they had no food whatever. On the 12th and 13th they managed to net a quantity of grayling, and, the weather clearing, good progress was made on the 14th.

On the 15th Brunner became seriously ill, his entry for that day being as follows: “This morning I could not stir, having lost the use of my side, and although I had never before been a hindrance to the natives, always carrying my full share of the loads and helping to get firewood, etc., yet I had the mortification of hearing Epiki propose to Ekehu that they should proceed and leave me, saying that I appeared too ill to recover soon, if ever, and that the place where they were was devoid of food, but Ekehu refused to leave me; Epiki and his wife then moving onwards. I received great kindness from Ekehu and his wife for the week I was compelled to remain here, the woman attending me kindly and Ekehu ​working hard to obtain food for us, always pressing on me the best. He frequently told me he would never return to Nelson without me.”

The next three days were fine, but food was desperately scarce. Ekehu, it is recorded, was able to snare three thrushes and find a small quantity of fern root only. On the 20th Brunner was able to drag himself about, but was still without the use of his side. Two days later he states: “Although I could only stand on one leg, yet I resolved to try and proceed. Ekehu had scoured the country but could find nothing eatable within reach, and he would not leave me for a night, so he carried my bed clothes forward for some distance and partly by carrying and partly by leading assisted me along.”

For the next three days this dauntless man, more dead than alive, battled on without food; then Ekehu found two fern trees, the roots of which they cooked in a Maori oven and ate. Shortly after this they came across Epiki and his wife, who were also starving and scouring the country for food.

At this stage Brunner was very far through, will power alone driving him on, for he could not now travel without assistance and to add to his misery heavy rain fell almost continuously and he was wet through all the time. Yet still he battled on. At length they reached ​a stream called by the natives Muri-ira, which they attempted to ford but it was too deep and rapid for them in their weakened state. No material with which to construct a raft being available, they were obliged to ascend the river four miles before they could cross. On reaching the other side they found firewood to be plentiful and building a huge fire they sat round it in the rain. No shelter of any sort was nearby, nor had they any food.

On Sunday, the 28th, they reached the banks of the Buller once more and here they again put in the night without food or shelter. On the last day of April they arrived at their old camp at the Matukituki which was still standing, and, collecting a great supply of fern root, they made, with the utmost dispatch, a meal of it. Here they remained for three weeks, Brunner being desperately ill again, and as he says, “unable to proceed through inability.” So bad was he that his left eye and hand as well as his side were affected. To add to his trials he “was seized with a violent vomiting,” which he attributed to the badness of the living and continued exposure to the cold weather. On May 20th he resumed his struggle onward, covering a little ground and coming up with Epiki and his wife, who meantime had caught some wekas which provided at long last a good supper. Two days later there was a fall of snow and they were forced to take shelter.

​On the 24th they reached a camp they had occupied the year before and here a very serious misfortune overtook Brunner. Being wet through they had hung their clothes, etc., up to dry and during the night a kit belonging to the explorer fell into the fire and was burnt. This contained all his sketches, several skins of birds, some curiosities, and two letters which he carried for the Messrs. Deans (the original settlers on the Canterbury Plains) in case he should cross over to the East Coast. During the early part of June it snowed every day, the weather generally being very bad and progress slow. It was also very cold and this seriously affected Epiki and his wife who suffered from cramp and were forced to rest at intervals. Proceeding slowly on they reached Lake Rotoroa on the evening of the 5th and found the canoe they had left there the year previously in excellent condition. The night was spent in their old camp, and the following day they crossed the lake without any difficulty. On the evening of the 7th they erected two shelters. These were made of black birch, “one of which,” states Brunner, “fell down and struck my lame side while I was sleeping by the fire and hurt me very much.” For the next three days there was continuous snow and rain, and they had no food at all. On the 12th they struggled on to their old quarters at Lake Roto-iti, where they saw six sheep and the ​tracks of a large flock which very much astonished them. It was still snowing heavily. On the following day they with great difficulty crossed the Roto-iti River which was in heavy flood. On the 14th they managed to catch fourteen woodhens and all were able to enjoy a good meal again.

An old survey camp which had fallen was reached on the 15th. “Ekehu and his wife much wished to stop here,” writes Brunner, “as Epiki and his wife were behind. I said that I should push on and endeavour to spend the night at Fraser’s, at all events on the side of the Motueka, and when I mentioned tea and bread the woman agreed to follow me. I pushed on to prevent hearing the grumbling of Ekehu about sore feet, for after dark we were sorely pricked by the ground thorn, and reached Fraser’s at ten o’clock at night. He rose and gave me a real hearty welcome, and a smoke of good tobacco. So I thanked God that I had once more reached the abode of civilised man, of which I had many fears during my illness, the thought of which preyed on my mind. It is a period of nearly five hundred and sixty days since I wished Fraser good-bye on the banks of the Roto-iti River and my seeing him at his house this evening. I have never during this time heard a word of English save the broken gibberish of Ekehu and the echo of my own voice, and I ​rather feel astonished to find I could both understand and speak English as well as ever, for during many wet days, I had never spoken a word of my own language, nor conversed even in Maori, of which I was well tired.” From Fraser’s it was a comparatively simple matter for the little expedition to reach the rising settlement of Nelson from which they had been absent for over eighteen months.

Brunner in his report to the New Zealand Government made a strong appeal for the natives scattered along the West Coast, who were isolated and cut off by natural barriers from the rest of their countrymen. They had received no assistance from the Government or the two missionary bodies who were doing their best for the native race in other parts of the colony. He further suggested the introduction of goats which he considered would do well, and greatly assist in solving the food problem, none knowing better than he the difficulty of subsisting on the meagre natural production of the wild and broken country that he had been the first to explore.

To-day, thousands of tourists, passing through the City of Nelson en route to Westland’s Scenic Wonderland, speed along well-constructed highways, traversing some of the most magnificent seascape, forest and mountain scenery in the world, and reach in a few hours the Waiho, where is situated the ​famous Franz Josef Glacier and near the termination point of Brunner’s “southing.” Because of the luxurious comfort enjoyed during this never-to-be-forgotten motor drive, some may be prone to disparage the explorer’s achievement of nearly a century ago. But it should ever be remembered that the forest through which he walked (or crawled when the undergrowth became too thick) was then in its primeval condition, with innumerable spurs and gullies to be reconnoitred, with flooded rivers (which held him up for weeks on end) to be crossed, and miles of howling black birch country, utterly devoid of natural food of any sort, to be traversed. Remember, too, that at times he was starving, and so weakened by constant exposure to the weather, that he fell ill, and had it not been for the devotion of the Maori Ekehu and his wife, would have died. Yet even when all these things are taken into consideration, the actual extent of the privations suffered by Thomas Brunner could only have been known in reality to the adventurous explorers who followed, and to the fearless gold miners, who travelled, years later, over much of the same ground in their frenzied search for the metal royal.

Brunner’s services were recognized in the colony and in London, the Royal Geographical Society’s medal being awarded to him; and who was more entitled to receive ​this distinction than he who proudly stated in his diary that he believed he had overcome the two greatest difficulties to be met with by bushmen in New Zealand, “the capability of walking barefoot and of subsisting on fern root”?

The intrepid Brunner blazed the trail and in so doing gave to the world the first authentic information pertaining to Old Westland, incidentally adding his name to the scroll of fame as a great explorer.

Brunner was subsequently appointed Chief Surveyor for the Province of Nelson. He died in 1874, aged 50 years, his early death being the direct result of the hardships and privations endured while exploring the Coast.

Charles Heaphy, Brunner’s companion during the expedition of 1846, removed to Auckland after his return to Nelson, and served with distinction in the Maori Wars, during which campaign he rose to the rank of major, and was decorated for conspicuous gallantry, being awarded the V.C. Upon the cessation of hostilities he received the appointment of Chief Surveyor for the Auckland Province, and for several years represented Parnell in the House of Representatives, besides being the holder of various public offices. Broken in health he ultimately retired from public life and settled in Brisbane, where he died in 1881.

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John Rochfort It was not until nine years after the departure of Brunner that Europeans again visited Westland, and then they came by way of the sea. These adventurous voyagers were the Oakes brothers, Thomas, John, and Joseph, who set out in March, 1857, from Port Cooper (Lyttelton), in the schooner Emerald Isle, bound for the West Coast, in quest of gold. They sailed down the East Coast and round the southern end of the South Island, then beating up the West Coast reached Martin’s Bay where they landed and spent some days prospecting. Coming further north they put into Jackson’s Bay, where they obtained a little gold, afterwards proceeding to the Hokitika River which they entered in good style, theirs being the first known vessel ​to do so. Here a few days were spent in prospecting with very encouraging results. Proceeding still further north they arrived off the Grey River, and standing boldly in, successfully crossed the bar and made fast to the trees of the forest. The Emerald Isle was thus the first vessel to enter the Grey, though many writers give this honour to the Gipsy in 1860, and in the case of Hokitika, to the S.S. Nelson in 1864, the Oakes Expedition being entirely overlooked. Safely inside, the brothers proceeded up the Grey River in the ship’s boat, and located the coal seam discovered by Brunner, believing they were the first to do so. They carried out prospecting operations in various parts of the district, obtaining some good gold, later returning to Port Cooper where they reported their discovery. In 1895 the leader of the party, Thomas Oakes, petitioned Parliament for some recognition for being the first to discover the metal royal in Westland, but without avail.

The Oakes brothers were a splendid type of adventurous men, who dared and overcame the perils of a wild uncharted coast. They were the first Europeans to report the existence of gold in Westland, for which they received no reward and have long since passed by, like ships in the night, without recognition.

The next to carry on the work of exploration was James Mackay, a Government Land ​ ​ ​Purchase Officer, who reached the Mawhera Pa in March, 1857. This daring explorer of the West Coast, described to the writer by the late Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson as “the peer of them all,” was born in Scotland in 1831, and some fourteen years later landed with his parents at Nelson. In his youth he explored the greater part of the mountainous country in the vicinity of his home—a task which fitted him well for the strenuous years ahead, when he was to lead many expeditions successfully through wild and trackless lands, and to earn for himself, by self sacrifice, determination, and outstanding ability, an honoured place in the annals of New Zealand’s pioneer explorers. Mackay’s career from the outset was a most remarkable one, he having the distinction of being made a Goldfields Warden in 1858, then being only twenty-seven years of age, this appointment being the first of its kind in the colony.

Mackay’s first expedition took place in 1856, when he traversed the whole of the mountainous country lying between the head waters of the Aorere, Heaphy (Wakapoai), Mackay (Karamea), and Anatoki Rivers, and also a portion of the country between the sources of the Takaka and Karamea Rivers; whilst in 1857 he travelled along the sea-coast from West Wanganui to the Grey River. In ​his first exploration he was accompanied by John Clarke, of Pakawau, two Massacre (Golden) Bay natives going with him on his second trip.

On this latter occasion soundings were taken when at the Buller which was found to be navigable for coasting vessels of considerable draught. Proceeding south, the little party arrived at the Miko Cliffs (better known afterwards as Jacob’s Ladder), near Romney Point. The ladders which were used by the natives to scale the cliffs were found to be decayed and had to be restored. This took some considerable time, and when they had at length ascended and hoisted up their swags and dogs they heard voices exclaiming, “He Kuri Pakeha! He Kuri Pakeha!” (a dog of European breed), they having encountered a party of Maoris bound for the Buller, who immediately took to the bush and there remained for some time, being afraid to approach the exploring party. Gaining confidence somewhat later, the natives seemed very pleased at seeing a European as no white man had been there since Brunner’s visit in 1847. At Mackay’s request they agreed to cancel their trip to the Buller and to return to Mawhera with him. On arrival there Mackay made known his intention of exploring some open grass land at Ahaura, in the Grey Valley, and he made arrangements with the natives to convey him there in a ​canoe by way of the Grey River, agreeing to pay them the sum of £10 for so doing. All went well until they had proceeded a few miles on their journey, when the Westland natives persuaded the Massacre Bay Maoris not to proceed further unless Mackay divided £50 between them. The explorer, who was then a strong athletic young man of about twenty-five years of age, declined to do so, and on being threatened threw one of the Maoris into the river, and knocked another down in the canoe. Tarapuhi, the local chief, then appeared on the scene, acted as peacemaker, and volunteered to go as guide. When the industrial history of Westland comes to be written, this incident should be regarded as the first of the many strikes that have taken place in the province and also noted as being of the shortest duration to date.

Mackay explored the grass and open country at the Ahaura, Totara Flat, and Mawhera-iti (Little Grey), and then returned to the mouth of the Grey River where he took soundings in a canoe, with the result that he found the river navigable for small craft. He afterwards returned to Nelson by the coastal route, carrying with him the first sample of Brunner coal that ever left the district. After his return he was appointed Assistant Under-Secretary for Native Affairs as there were grave disputes between the Maoris and Europeans who were ​at that period working the Aorere Goldfields. It is necessary to note here that although Messrs. Brunner and Heaphy had pronounced the rivers of Westland “for the most part unfit for vessels to enter,” Mackay by actual soundings proved this to be incorrect, with the result that from this date small ships were always used when food supplies were needed.

The same year is marked by the fact that for the first time white men crossed the Southern Alps from the Canterbury side, and after a terrible journey duly reached their objective, the Mawhera Pa. These men were Messrs. Harper and Locke, who travelled by way of the Hurunui River. This was the pass most generally used by the Maoris, and had been known to them centuries before the coming of the pakeha.

Leonard Harper, the leader of the party, was the son of the first Bishop of Christchurch, and he persuaded Tainui, the Maori Chief, who was on a visit to Kaiapoi, to guide Locke and himself across the Alps. He started from Kaiapoi on October 30th, 1857, and overtook the Maoris who had gone on in advance near the station now known as “Horsley Down.” All their equipment and provisions were carried on pack horses and they made excellent progress until they came to the south bank of the Hurunui. There they came across an old canoe and packing all their equipment into it, they towed ​it along the bank until they came to Lake Sumner. Here they turned loose their horses owing to the rough nature of the country, and dividing their food, tents, etc., among themselves, proceeded on foot. Bad weather set in when they reached the foot of the saddle, and for two days they were compelled to stay in camp. As soon as the weather cleared they started again and reached the top of the pass without mishap. From here they were able to see about twenty miles down the valley of the Taramakau. For some distance this valley was narrow and very rough, high boulders being strewn in every direction, while the bush was thick and hard to travel in—being almost impenetrable. After they had battled their way about fifteen miles down the Taramakau, they came to the Otira River, where they were compelled to camp for some days owing to the bad weather prevailing. Again resuming their journey, they made rapid progress to Lake Brunner. Here they rested a few days, the Maoris with them advising that the Arnold River was navigable for canoes, and that they could make the Mawhera Settlement easily in one day, but the party decided to proceed by way of the Taramakau. The going from this point became much rougher and it was decided to construct a raft of flax sticks and use this as a means of transport. The raft being completed, they camped for the night on an island ​in mid stream. Before morning, rain commenced to fall in torrents and the river rapidly rose and commenced to flood the island. The rain continuing, there was nothing left but to take to the raft. On their embarking, they were at once whirled away by the current, and in dire peril. After travelling down stream for some distance they were able to land on another island and there remained until the flood subsided. From this point they dropped down the river without further adventure until they came to the Maori Pa not far from the mouth. Here they were well received by the natives and rested for some days. The journey to this point had occupied 23 days, much longer than was expected, and in consequence their food supply had run out, and they were compelled to live on what they were able to catch. In this respect the Maoris showed wonderful ingenuity in trapping birds, while eels were also in good supply. From the pa they proceeded north to the Mawhera, accompanied by Chief Tarapuhi. Here Locke broke down, his feet giving out with the rough travelling he had undergone.

Leonard Harper, after resting for some time, decided to proceed south, and he continued down the Coast for over 200 miles. On this trip he saw the great glaciers, the Franz Josef, and the Fox, which he named the Albert and the Victoria respectively, after the Prince Consort ​and Queen Victoria. These names were not adopted. Still proceeding south, Harper and Tarapuhi reached Big Bay. Here they stayed some time, then came back to the Taramakau by easy stages, many Maoris accompanying them. At the Taramakau, Locke was met, having recovered completely and at once preparations were made for a return journey across the alps. Tarapuhi was engaged as guide, as two of the natives who had made the trip over decided to remain. On this occasion the party went as far as possible up the river in canoes, and in eight days they had reached the top of the pass and had crossed into Canterbury. Here they met with bad weather and were snowed up for some time. To make matters worse their clothes, which were torn to pieces, gave but little protection against the intense cold. Somehow or other they managed to battle their way on to Lake Sumner, where they sheltered in a shepherd’s hut for some time before proceeding to Christchurch. The whole trip occupied over three months and was very strenuous throughout, great hardships being suffered. At the same time much valuable information was obtained, the most notable being the fact that gold was to be found in many places. Some splendid specimens were obtained and brought back to the Provincial Government officials, but they, fearing a wave ​of undesirables, did not make public the story of the discovery, and strange to say, it was not until seven years later that the news leaked out, and when it did, thousands of fortune hunters poured over this pass to Westland, the new El Dorado.

By way of an interlude, and in an endeavour to tell this story in its chronological sequence it must be noted that in the year 1858 there came the first persistent whispers that gold was existent on the West Coast. So much was this so that on April 17th of that year the Nelson Examiner, then one of the foremost and best informed papers in the colony, announced the discovery of gold at the Buller, in the south-west portion of the Nelson Province, stating that: “A West Coast Chief, Tarapuhi, and his brother, Tainui, returned to Canterbury with G. W. H. Lee, who had taken up the first run on the West Coast, in the Grey district. They brought specimens of small scaly gold with them, stating that it had been brought down in great quantities from a hill called Whakapoi, on the north bank of the Buller River, and that it could be found in abundance.” In the latter part of the year 1858 James Mackay and Major John Lockett did a considerable amount of exploration between the head waters of the Takaka, Karamea (Mackay), and Wangaro Rivers, and discovered Mount Lockett, Mount Peel and the Diamond Lakes.

​In 1859 James Mackay, accompanied by his cousin, Alexander Mackay (one time Commissioner and Judge of the Native Land Court), again travelled to Westland, their mission being to purchase from the natives all the lands, comprising about seven and a half million acres, between Kahurangi Point and Milford Haven, and extending inland to the watershed of the East and West Coasts. On this occasion Mackay elected to travel by way of the alpine route, and when the party reached Lake Sumner they found John Rochfort, who had entered into a contract to survey the southern boundary of the Province of Nelson, and to traverse the Grey and Buller Rivers, and a portion of the coastline, camped there waiting for the weather to improve before attempting the crossing into Westland. The two parties for mutual protection and assistance joined forces, and towards the end of April tried to cross the saddle dividing the Hurunui and Taramakau Rivers. A very heavy fall of snow, however, made this impossible, and they were forced to go into camp again, where they remained for one week. When the weather cleared Mackay and Rochfort took the lead and good progress was made until they came to a bluff which compelled them to cross the Taramakau. In so doing Rochfort lost his footing on a slippery ledge of rock, and was rapidly carried down the ​river, the current tossing him about in all directions, and as he was carrying a very heavy swag he had but little chance of helping himself.

Fortunately Mackay had chosen a place further down the river to make his effort to cross, and seeing the danger that Rochfort was in, he grasped, when in mid-stream, a large rock with one hand and with the other was able to get a firm hold of his companion as he was being carried past. With the utmost difficulty and at great personal risk he managed to hold Rochfort’s head above water until the rest of the party came to his assistance.

In official records this incident, like many others of a similar nature, is not commented upon. Such happenings were all in the day’s work. Mackay, in a spirit of brotherhood almost beyond human understanding, was as a matter of course prepared to lay down his life for his friend, and he was no exception to the rule. The pioneers of Westland, in common with the pioneers of the whole of the Dominion, put service before personal safety, be the cost of that service what it may . . . . even life itself.

Proceeding, the parties kept together until they reached the Otira Stream, where Rochfort commenced his surveying operations, traversing the Taramakau to the Pakihi Plain, thence to ​Lake Brunner and then down the River Arnold to the Mawhera Pa. The Mackays on the other hand followed the Taramakau down to the sea and then proceeded north along the coast to Mawhera, where negotiations were begun for the purchase of lands from the natives, who agreed to take two hundred pounds, but declined to sell the block lying between the Grey and Hokitika Rivers.

The Mackays, thus being unable to come to terms with the Maoris, decided to return to Nelson by way of Maruia Plain and the Upper Buller, but after a desperate struggle, during which they suffered many privations, they were forced to retrace their steps to the Mawhera Pa, later proceeding by the coastal route to the Buller, where they found the cutter Supply and embarked for Nelson.

It is necessary to state here that Mackay and Rochfort had chartered this little vessel (John Walker, Master) to bring provisions to the Grey, but owing to bad weather she had been unable to enter there and had landed their supplies at the Buller. With regard to the cutter Supply, many writers state she was the first vessel to enter the Buller, but this is not so, the schooner Three Brothers, Captain Thoms in command, having done so in January, 1844, some fifteen years previously.

Reverting again to Rochfort, who had meantime proceeded to the Buller, it should ​be noted in view of his subsequent activities in Westland, that he had had considerable Australian experience before settling in Nelson, and also that he was a first-class Maori scholar, who trained natives to assist him. Being also without peer as a bushman, he was admirably equipped for the dangerous and strenuous duties pertaining to his profession in a wild and almost unknown land. It has been written of John Rochfort that, “in traversing the mighty Buller River from its source to the sea, he accomplished a feat unparalleled in the history of surveying in this colony, that is, he managed for many months to carry out his work in a dense forest country without stores and provisions, other than the indigenous natural production of the district”; for he had the dire misfortune to lose all his provisions when a canoe was upset at the commencement of the work. He discovered the famous coal seams at Mount Rochfort, near Westport, and found several small pieces of gold at the Old Diggings in November, 1859, and was thus the first to discover the existence of the precious metal in the Buller. Later he carried out a series of surveys in Westland, traversing the coastline in 1864, while the following year when laying out the town of Greymouth he named its principal street Mackay in honour of his friend and fellow explorer.