‘Vell, vot did you corse dis rush vor?’ I answered I did not cause the rush, and that I was in Nelson to get a small vessel to bring me to the Grey; that I had called them all together in Nelson, and told them that I was only going prospecting; that I did not lead them to believe that they were going to a goldfield; but that, according to the letters I had received, I thought there was gold in the country, which I still believed, and that a proper trial would prove it. The next question put to me was by a Cockney—I am sure he was, for he so murdered the letter ‘h.’ ‘Vel, Mr. Vaite, ’ow wud you like to cum ’ere without money, and ’ave to starve as we ’ave to do?” My answer was, that I did not ask him to come; he had pleased himself. ‘Vell, Mr. Vaite, you seems to treat this ’ere matter werry lightly, but hi thinks hits no joke to come down ’ere and spend ’all vun’s munny and not to git eny gold.’ The aforesaid Dutchman then spoke up again, and said, ‘Vell, poys, ve vill tak vot ve vants vrom Vaite’s store, and ve vill hang him afterwards.’ Just at that moment an Irishman whispered in my ear the words, ‘Cheer up my boy, don't be frightened; you have more friends than enemies in this crowd.’ With that I felt I was safe, but just at that moment a man who had come down to hear what was going on, one of Mr. John Rochtort’s men, fell down in a fit close to my feet, and that put an end to the meeting. But I was still annoyed by the discontented, and the most of them brought back what provisions they had, with their picks and shovels, tin dishes, &c., and I gave their full value for them.
“One man, an Irishman, assaulted me one night and tore my coat, and had it not been for two of his countrymen, who were friendly to me, I have no doubt I should have had everything smashed in the store. The two men referred to took him away, and gave him a good drubbing. I shall ever feel thankful to a person named Peter Hawkins (now in Nelson), who happened to be in the store at the time. A fellow had a bottle in his hand about half-full of Old Tom, ready to strike me a blow on the back of the head; Peter stayed his hand by grasping the bottle, or perhaps I should not be here now.
“The men who came down and were engaged in this business were now only waiting for a steamer to take them away, but while they were waiting, two parties with more patience than the rest had penetrated a little farther up the country, and had found out a track which led them to the Greenstone Creek. Having by chance during their researches discovered the fresh prints of men’s feet, they followed them up till they came to the desired spot. I will now give an account of what followed. They came into the store, and one of them (Michael Spillan) asked me when I was going to get my bullocks and dray down. I told him I was sorry to say they would be down by the next steamer. ‘You ought to be glad,’ he said; ‘look here, my boy, I have got this in
