stay, gold being found on the southern bank and close to the sea beach.
Meantime the Grey depôt, which was in the course of erection, was visited by Charlton Howitt and two of his men. They came from Lake Brunner, having run short of provisions. A few days later R. A. Sherrin and his prospecting party arrived from the Hokitika River, where they had obtained a little gold.
July, 1863, was a busy month at the Grey, for despite the fact that it was mid-winter, perhaps the worst month in the year, the pioneer prospectors continued their frenzied search for the gold they had reason to believe they would strike at any moment, and the depôt was the centre from which all activities radiated. Here on August 1st, the Grey River Post Office, the first in old Westland, was established, Charles Townsend being the first Post-master; he was succeeded by W. H. Revell, who, in 1865, handed over to Reuben Waite.
On August 6th Charles Townsend received information from Peter Mutu, a Maori, that Charlton Howitt and two of his survey hands had been drowned at Lake Brunner on the 4th. James Hammett, cook to the party, had been left in camp and he had arrived at the Taramakau with the dire news. Townsend met him the following day at the Saltwater (Paroa), some five miles south of the Grey. Five days later Hammett, accompanied by
