Items related to Travelling about Over New and Old Ground (by Lady M.A....
Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1872 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VII. THE MIDDLE ISLAND. I HOPE I have made you understand the geographical position of this island sufficiently for us to follow Sir Charles Dilke without delay across Cook's Straits, up Queen Charlotte Sound, past Picton and Nelson--which he calls a gem-like little Cornish village--to Hokitika, the chief town of the famous goldfield on the west coast of the Middle or South Island. When I saw it, the evening shadows were coming rapidly on, a thick grey mist creeping up from the gorges of the mountains, and all was blurred and indistinct. Still it was a most suggestive picture which lay before me as I stood on the deck of the little Albion, and strained my eyes towards the dim shore. On board our tiny mail-steamer all was hurry and confusion; every moment of the fast-flying daylight was precious, for no man could tell in how long, or rather how short, a time, it might become impossible to land the impatient diggers who crowded the forecastle, all ready to drop into the pilot-boats alongside. We had brought these men, over 200 in number, from Melbourne; and as it was in the full flush of the west coast gold-fever, every vessel conveyed as large a crowd. Besides these professional diggers who arrived by sea, the long list of new arrivals from inland was swelled by men of all ranks and grades from other parts of the island. Shepherds left their sheep, bankers their till, farmers their crops, and they all poured in one continuous stream by narrow mountain-passes, over incredibly bad roads, down to the mouth of the river Grey, from whence they dispersed, according to the rumours of the day, up the narrow gorges, following the "lead of the gold." I am speaking of the year 1865. Now it is quite different; there is still a large town, with a great population...
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- PublisherGeneral Books LLC
- Publication date2012
- ISBN 10 1150195630
- ISBN 13 9781150195631
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages92
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