on the ground that his people were well acquainted with the gold deposit and had showed it to Captain Dixon. The Rev. T. Stack, of Kaiapoi, supported Ihaia's claim, but no award was made. The bonus was afterwards claimed by Messrs. Alexander Campbell and Co., in October, 1863, for a discovery at Matiri, a tributary of the Buller, but was never awarded.
Harper's Pass, over the Hurunui Saddle, was for some time the only overland route to the West Coast; Arthur's Pass, discovered by and named after Mr. Arthur Dobson, was not practicable until a track could be formed down the precipitous sides of the Otira Gorge.
In January, 1863, Dr. von Haast discovered the Haast Pass, leading from the head of Wanaka to the West Coast. It is the lowest pass across the Southern Alps (1,716 feet), but too far south of the goldfields to be of service. During May, 1864, Messrs. Browning and Griffith discovered Browning's Pass, from the head of the Rakaia to Hokitika, but the difficulties of roadmaking proved so great that the route was not adopted.
In his opening address to the Provincial Council, the Superintendent, on August 11, 1864, referred to the probability of important goldfields being opened on the West Coast. Mr. Bealey's anticipation was realised, and by the following December, a number of men were getting payable gold in the Teremakau, and the rush had fairly set in. During the next few months, Christchurch had a strong attack of “gold fever,” and on March 2, 1865, the Westland District was officially gazetted under the title of the West Canterbury Goldfield, and a warden, Mr. George Sale, afterwards Professor of Classics, Otago University, and a Resident Magistrate, Mr. W. H. Revell, were appointed.
A practicable road between Christchurch and the West Coast was a matter of urgent necessity. The Harper Pass route was much too difficult to be of any use for the conveyance of merchandise, and it seemed likely that the
