A Romance of Lake Wakatipu; A Legend of the Lakes

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. The Devil's Staiecase--Wakatipu Tbade--Footing It To The Nevis--Getting Over The Devil's Staircase--The Old Man's Shanty--Daddy Campbell, Of The Arrow--The nancy Creeps Up Alongside Queenstown Wharp. The Wakatipu trade through Southland experienced a sudden check. Stung to madness at the sight of this lucrative husiness diverted to Bluff Harbour and Invercargill, Dunedin merchants spurred on the local authorities, on whose part great efforts were made to find a viable route to the lake. Hosts of engineers and surveyors were sent out in all directions, with an army of navvies in their trail. Swing-punts were erected at the various river-crossings, the result being that in an incredible short space of time the loaded teamster made his way to the Wakatipu by the Dunstan. Southland had its advantages in point of distance, but these were not sufficient to counterbalance the superior commercial enterprise of Dunedin. The result was that, although Bill Pox's freights were reduced in price, there still remained a serious falling-off in quantities. This gave Bill the opportunity he sought for--of paying a visit of inspection to the Upper Nevis. Accordingly, one fine morning, while the dew was on the blade, Bill boarded the Nancy at Kingston, and sent her shooting up the lake. Shaping his course for a convenient landingplace, and having made the Nancy secure, Bill footed it all the way to the Nevis. Looked at in the light of the match, which in the hands of the little old man produced such marvellous results, a journey to the Upper Nevis appeared a simple undertaking. Divested See Appendix, Note 7. of that supernatural refulgence, the journey in its realities was widely different. First there was the Devil's Staircase to get over: that meant cre...