CHAPTER XXIII.
The first building erected by the Bank of New South Wales at Hokitika was a corrugated iron one, 12 x 20, divided into bank office, 12 x 12, and sleeping apartment, 12 x 8. In the smaller room four of us slept on the floor, on a bed of straw. Our meals we took at an eating-house close by, for which we paid 50s. per week each. This building did duty until the rush fairly set in, when a more commodious bank chamber was erected, with manager’s residence at the rear. The front of this building had three French windows in it, facing and abutting the pathway. One night when I was away from home, a horse camped in front of one of the windows and backed into the bedroom, nearly frightening the life out of my wife. Mrs. Preshaw was one of the first ladies on the West Coast, and for a long time had to do all her own work, no servants being obtainable. After some months we succeeded in getting one, £1 a-week being the wages paid, which was equivalent to £2, inasmuch as living was so dear; flour, 1s. 4d. per lb.; meat, from 1s. to 2s. 6d.; milk, 4s. per quart; washing, 12s. per dozen; and other things in proportion. Vegetables were not to be had at any price, an occasional carrot from a bag of horse carrots, and dried peas, were all we could get. The horses were fed out of nose-bags, my little nag (Nobby) like his master, was a capital fossicker; his own feed finished, and nose-bag taken off, he would make for the nearest horse, quietly take off his nose-bag and feed away; he would kick out right and left; no getting near him till the feed was finished. Oftentimes, when horse feed was scarce, I have seen horses eating sugar bags and post-and-rail fences.
As an instance of the discomforts of the early days, and the servant-girl nuisance, a friend of mine, Mr. B., a well-known magistrate, was appointed warden, &c., of a certain goldfield, and proceeded to the field of his future labours, leaving his wife and family behind until he could secure some place for them to live in. He was successful so far, and wrote to Mrs. B. to join him. The weather was extremely wet. On Mr. B.’s return from visiting some outlying district, the rain was descending in torrents, and on entering the house he found Mrs. B. and her children in bed, Mrs. B. with an umbrella over her
