"To the West"

[gray_marian]

I was reading about ship wrecks and gold prospectors in Hokitika,
South Island NZ and came across Charles Thatcher an Englishman,
entertainer of some charm and wit in the local saloons, the following
is one of his.

"To the West."
To the West, to the West, where the diggers repair,
There's no flies about it, the gold is all there,
And chaps who've been digging a very short while
Walk into the Bank and dispose of their pile.
Where the rain falls in torrents, and leaves such a flood,
And you sleep on the ground, and your mattress is mud;
Where a fresh in the river may come down some day,
And very near sweep Hokitika away.

Chorus—
To the West, &c.

To the West, to the West, where the ships run ashore,
Of wrecks we have witnessed two dozen or more ;
Where bushrangers congregate, as you've been told,
And simple bank clerks are deprived of their gold.
Where beef's eighteen-pence, and' where diggers devour
Rusty bacon, and bread made of vile damaged flour :
How pleasant in Nelson to get a nice rest,
'Stead of knocking it out in the Land of the West.
Chorus— -To the West, &c.

Air - "Beautiful Star."
Perilous bar, to sailors a blight,
Filling new chum's with terrible fright
In a deuce of a state they are
When they get in the surf to cross over the bar;
Perilous bar !
Bar to the West Coast, terrible, perilous bar !
Perilous bar for the Wallaby !
They must mind it don't cook the Kennedy ;
Edwards has done very well so far,
But he dreams every night of this perilous bar.
Perilous bar !
Bar to the West Coast, terrible, perilous bar !
The Nelson's to try her luck once more ;
Walker must mind he don't run her ashore :
The nice little game of old Cross it might mar,
If Two-Thousand-a-Year should get stuck on the bar.

Perilous bar !
Bar to the West Coast, terrible, perilous bar !

[cappy]

sounds like the gold diggers in the ferry tavern and the eagle in shields in the 50s and 60s

[Keith at Tregenna]

Sang in my head to the tune of Agadoo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POv-3yIPSWc&feature=kp

Seemed a good tune to hum to ?

K.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Marian.
I have been to most of the ports in NZ but not Hokitika. One thing he was right about being afraid of the bar and not the bar in the saloons, most small NZ ports had a bar to cross when entering port, and many a wreck ensued if the pilot or skipper were a bit lax.
Cheers Des

redc.gif

[Peter F Chard]

Hi Marian, I have just had a few days in Nelson, surveying a " Remote area passenger ship " on the slipway. This ship take divers, scientists and the like to remote spots such as Pitcairn Island, Raoul Island, The Kermadecs and some sub - Antarctic islands. Everyone who has done the trip have enjoyed themselves and often go back for a repeat dose of the action. The first night I was in Nelson some of the crew decided to go hunting, they drove out of Nelson for about half an hour and went into the bush and within a hour had bagged a Hind and a wild boar. They gutted and dressed these beasts and hung them over the gangway to ' age ' . It was just weird to see. I did not have time to wait for the meat to age so I went to the supermarket and stocked up with smoked swordfish, marlin, and wild boar bacon and some of the locally made Pates ( smoked mussel and scallop ) to take back to Auckland. Now this is living !! Regards Peter in NZ.

[happy daze john in oz]

Hi Marian.
I have been to most of the ports in NZ but not Hokitika. One thing he was right about being afraid of the bar and not the bar in the saloons, most small NZ ports had a bar to cross when entering port, and many a wreck ensued if the pilot or skipper were a bit lax.
Cheers Des

redc.gif

And there were some bars that once you crossed them it was hard to get out still standing, hic, hic

[cappy]

Hi Marian, I have just had a few days in Nelson, surveying a " Remote area passenger ship " on the slipway. This ship take divers, scientists and the like to remote spots such as Pitcairn Island, Raoul Island, The Kermadecs and some sub - Antarctic islands. Everyone who has done the trip have enjoyed themselves and often go back for a repeat dose of the action. The first night I was in Nelson some of the crew decided to go hunting, they drove out of Nelson for about half an hour and went into the bush and within a hour had bagged a Hind and a wild boar. They gutted and dressed these beasts and hung them over the gangway to ' age ' . It was just weird to see. I did not have time to wait for the meat to age so I went to the supermarket and stocked up with smoked swordfish, marlin, and wild boar bacon and some of the locally made Pates ( smoked mussel and scallop ) to take back to Auckland. Now this is living !! Regards Peter in NZ.

#####a good feeder then ....sounds like one of runcimans in the 50s .....lol....regards cappy