ifso,persevereasbefore,andinabouttenminutesasinglesheepwillbeseeneyeingtheoppositebank,andevidentlymeditatinganattempttogainit。Pauseamomentthatyouinterruptnotaconsummationsodevoutlytobewished;thesheepboundsforwardwiththreeorfourjumpsintomidstream,iscarrieddown,andthenceontotheoppositebank;
immediatelythatonesheephasentered,letonemangetintotheriverbelowthem,andsplashwaterupatthemtokeepthemfromworkinglowerandlowerdownthestreamandgettingintoabadplace;letanotherbebringinguptheremainderofthemob,sothattheymayhavecomeupbeforethewholeoftheleadingbodyareover;ifthisbedonetheywillcrossinastringoftheirownaccord,andtherewillbenomoretroublefromthemomentwhenthefirstsheepenteredthewater。
Ifthesheepareobstinateandwillnottakethewater,itisagoodplantohauloneortwooverfirst,pullingthemthroughbythenearhindleg;thesewilloftenenticetheothers,orafewlambswillencouragetheirmotherstocomeovertothem,unlessindeedtheyimmediatelyswimbacktotheirmothers:thefirstwastheplanweadopted。
AsIsaid,oursheepweregotacrossthefirsttwostreamswithoutmuchdifficulty;thentheybecamecompletelysilly。Theawfulwind,sohighthatwecouldscarcelyhearourselvestalk,theblindingsand,thecoldglacierwater,renderedmorechillingbythestrongwind,which,contrarytocustom,wasverycold,allcombinedtomakethemquitestupid;thelittlelambsstuckuptheirbacksandshuttheireyesandlookedveryshakyontheirlegs,whilethebiggeronesandtheeweswoulddonothingbutturnroundandstareatus。Ourdogsknocked-upcompletely,andweourselvesweresomewhattiredandhungry,partlyfromnight-watchingandpartlyfromhavingfastedsinceearlydawn,whereasitwasnowfouro’clock。Stillwemustgetthesheepoversomehow,foraheavyfreshwasevidentlyabouttocomedown;theriverwasyetlow,andcouldwegetthemoverbeforedarktheywouldbeathome。Irodehometofetchassistanceandfood;thesearriving,byourunitedeffortswegotthemovereverystream,savethelast,beforeeighto’clock,andthenitbecamequitedark,andweleftthem。Thewindchangedfromverycoldtoveryhot——itliterallyblewhotandcoldinthesamebreath。
Raincamedownintorrents,sixclapsofthunder(thunderisveryrarehere)followedinsuccessionaboutmidnight,andveryuneasyweallwere。Nextmorning,beforedaybreak,wewerebytheriverside;thefreshhadcomedown,andwecrossedovertothesheepwithdifficulty,findingthemuptotheirbelliesinwaterhuddledupinamobtogether。
Weshiftedthemontooneofthenumerousislands,wheretheyweresecure,andhadplentyoffeed,andwithgreatdifficultyrecrossed,theriverhavinggreatlyrisensincewehadgotuponitsbed。Intwodays’
timeithadgonedownsufficientlytoallowofourgettingthesheepover,andwedidsowithoutthelossofasingleone。
IhardlyknowwhyIhaveintroducedthisintoanaccountofatripwithabullockdray;itis,however,acolonialincident,suchasmighthappenanyday。Inalifeofcontinualexcitementonethinksverylittleofthesethings。Theymay,however,servetogiveEnglishreadersaglimpseofsomeofthenumerousincidentswhich,constantlyoccurringinoneshapeorother,renderthelifeofacolonistnotonlyendurable,butactuallypleasant。
CHAPTERIX
PlantsofCanterbury——Turnip——Tutu——Ferns——TiPalm——Birds——ParadiseDuck——Tern——Quail——WoodHen——Robin——Linnet——Pigeon——Moa——NewParroquet——
Quadrupeds——Eels——Insects——Weta——Lizards。
Thefloraofthisprovinceisverydisappointing,andtheabsenceofbeautifulflowersaddstotheuninterestingcharacterwhichtoogenerallypervadesthescenery,saveamongthegreatSouthernAlpsthemselves。ThereisnoburstofbloomasthereisinSwitzerlandandItaly,andthetreesbeing,withfewinsignificantexceptions,allevergreen,thedifferencebetweenwinterandsummerischieflyperceptiblebythestateofthegrassandthetemperature。Idonotknowonereallyprettyflowerwhichbelongstotheplains;Ibelievethereareoneortwo,buttheyarerare,andformnofeatureinthelandscape。Ineveryetsawablueflowergrowingwildhere,norindeedoneofanyothercolourbutwhiteoryellow;iftherearesuchtheydonotprevail,andtheirabsenceissensiblyfelt。Wehavenosoldanellasandauriculas,andAlpinecowslips,nobrilliantgentiansandanemones。
Wehaveoneverystupidwhitegentian;butitis,tosaytheleastofit,uninterestingtoacasualobserver。Wehaveviolets,verylikethoseathome,buttheyaresmallandwhite,andhavenoscent。Wehavealsoadaisy,veryliketheEnglish,butnotnearlysopretty;wehaveagreatuglysortofMichaelmasdaisytoo,andanyamountofspaniard。I
donotsaybutthatbyhuntingonthepeninsula,onemightfindoneortwobeautifulspecies,butsimplythatonthewholetheflowersarefewandugly。TheonlyplantgoodtoeatisMaoricabbage,andthatisswedeturnipgonewild,fromseedleftbyCaptainCook。Somesayitisindigenous,butIdonotbelieveit。TheMaoriscarrytheseedaboutwiththem,andsowitwherevertheycamp。Ishouldratherwrite,USED
tosowitwheretheyCAMPED,fortheMaorisinthisislandarealmostathingofthepast。
Therootofthespaniard,itshouldbeadded,willsupportlifeforsomelittletime。
Tutu(pronouncedtoot)isaplantwhichaboundsupontheplainsforsomefewmilesneartheriver-beds;itisatfirstsightnotmuchunlikemyrtle,butisinrealityawhollydifferentsortofplant;itdiesdowninthewinter,andspringsupagainfromitsoldroots。Theserootsaresometimesusedforfirewood,andareverytough,somuchsoasnotunfrequentlytobreakploughs。Itispoisonousforsheepandcattleifeatenonanemptystomach。
NewZealandisrichinferns。Wehaveatree-fernwhichgrowsashighastwentyfeet。WehavealsosomeoftheEnglishspecies;amongthemI
believetheHymenophyllumTunbridgense,withmanyofthesametribe。I
seealittlefernwhich,tomyeyes,isourEnglishAspleniumTrichomanes。EveryEnglishfernwhichIknowhasavarietysomethinglikeithere,thoughseldomidentical。Wehaveonetocorrespondwiththeadder’stongueandmoonwort,withtheAdiantumnigrumandCapillusVeneris,withtheBlechnumboreale,withtheCeterachandRutamuraria,andwiththeCystopterids。IneversawaWoodsiahere;butIthinkthateveryotherEnglishfamilyisrepresented,andthatwehavemanymorebesides。Onthewhole,theBritishcharacterofmanyofthefernsisratherstriking,asindeedisthecasewithourbirdsandinsects;but,withafewconspicuousexceptions,theoldcountryhasgreatlytheadvantageoverus。
Thecabbage-treeortipalmisnotatruepalm,thoughitlookslikeone。Ithasnottheleastresemblancetoacabbage。Ithasatuftofgreenleaves,whichareratherpalmy-lookingatadistance,andwhichspringsfromthetopofapithy,worthlessstem,varyingfromonetotwentyorthirtyfeetinheight。Sometimesthestemisbranchedatthetop,andeachbranchendsinatuft。Theflaxandthecabbage-treeandthetussock-grassarethegreatbotanicalfeaturesofthecountry。Addfernandtutu,andforthebackcountry,spear-grassandIrishman,andwehavesummedupsuchprevalentplantsasstriketheeye。
Asforthebirds,theyappearatfirstsightveryfewindeed。Ontheplainsoneseesalittlelarkwithtwowhitefeathersinthetail,andinotherrespectsexactlyliketheEnglishskylark,savethathedoesnotsoar,andhasonlyalittlechirrupinsteadofsong。Therearealsoparadiseducks,hawks,terns,red-bills,andsand-pipers,seagulls,andoccasionally,thoughveryrarely,aquail。
Theparadiseduckisaverybeautifulbird。Themaleappearsblack,withwhiteonthewing,whenflying:whenontheground,however,heshowssomedarkgreysandglossygreensandrussets,whichmakehimveryhandsome。Heistrulyagoose,andnotaduck。Hesays\"whiz\"throughhisthroat,anddwellsalongtimeuponthe\"z。\"Heisaboutthesizeofafarmyardduck。Theplumageofthefemaleisreallygorgeous。Herheadispurewhite,andherbodybeautifullycolouredwithgreensandrussetsandwhite。Shescreams,anddoesnotsay\"whiz。\"Hermateismuchfonderofherthansheisofhim,forifsheiswoundedhewillcometoseewhatisthematter,whereasifheishurthisbasepartnerfliesinstantlyoffandseeksnewwedlock,affordingafreshexampleofthesuperiorfidelityofthemaletothefemalesex。Whentheyhaveyoung,theyfeignlameness,liketheplover。Ihaveseveraltimesbeenthustrickedbythem。Onesoon,however,becomesanoldbirdoneself,andisnottobecaughtwithsuchchaffanymore。Welookaboutfortheyoungones,clipoffthetopjointofonewing,andleavethem;thus,inafewmonths’time,wecangetprimeyoungducksfortherunningafterthem。Theoldbirdsareverybadeating。Iratherbelievetheyareawareofthis,fortheyareverybold,andcomeveryclosetous。Therearetwothatconstantlycomewithintenyardsofmyhut,andIhopemeantobuildintheneighbourhood,fortheeggsareexcellent。Beinggeese,andnotducks,theyeatgrass。Theyoungbirdsarecalledflapperstilltheycanfly,andcanberundowneasily。
Thehawkissimplyalargehawk,andtotheunscientificnothingmore。
Thereisasmallsparrow-hawk,too,whichisverybold,andwhichwillattackamanifhegoesnearitsnest。
Theternisabeautifullittlebirdabouttwiceasbigasaswallow,andsomewhatresemblingitinitsflight,butmuchmoregraceful。Ithasablacksatinhead,andlavendersatinandwhiteovertherestofitsbody。Ithasanorangebillandfeet;andisnotseen4inthebackcountryduringthewinter。
Thered-billis,Ibelieve,identicalwiththeoyster-catcheroftheCornishcoast。Ithasalongorangebill,andorangefeet,andisblackandwhiteoverthebody。
Thesand-piperisverylikethelarkinplumage。
Thequailisnearlyexterminated。Itisexactlylikeasmallpartridge,andismostexcellenteating。Tenyearsagoitwasveryabundant,butnowitisveryrarelyseen。Thepoorlittlethingisentirelydefenceless;itcannottakemorethanthreeflights,andthenitisdoneup。Somesaythefireshavedestroyedthem;somesaythesheephavetrodontheireggs;somethattheyhaveallbeenhunteddown:myownopinionisthatthewildcats,whichhaveincreasedsoastobeverynumerous,havedriventhelittlecreaturesnearlyoffthefaceoftheearth。
Therearewoodhensalsoontheplains;but,thoughveryabundant,theyarenotmuchseen。Thewoodhenisabirdratherresemblingthepheasanttribeinplumage,butnotsohandsome。Ithasalong,sharpbillandlongfeet。Itisaboutthesizeofahen。Itcannotfly,butsticksitslittlebob-tailupanddownwheneveritwalks,andhasacuriousPaul-Pry-likegait,whichisratheramusing。Itisexceedinglybold,andwillcomesometimesrightintoahouse。Itisanarrantthief,moreover,andwillstealanything。Iknowofacaseinwhichonewasseentotakeupagoldwatch,andrunoffwithit,andofanotherinwhichanumberofmen,whowerecampingout,lefttheirpannikinsatthecamp,andontheirreturnfoundthemallgone,andonlyrecoveredthembyhearingthewoodhenstappingtheirbillsagainstthem。Anythingbrightexcitestheirgreed;anythingred,theirindignation。Theyarereckonedgoodeatingbysome;butmostpeoplethinkthemexceedinglyrankandunpleasant。Fromfatwoodhensagooddealofoilcanbegot,andthisoilisveryvaluableforalmostanythingwhereoiliswanted。
Itissovereignforrheumatics,andwoundsorbruises;itemforsofteningone’sboots,andsoforth。Theeggisaboutthesizeofaguineafowl’s,dirtilystreaked,andspottedwithaduskypurple;itisoneofthebesteatingeggsIhaveevertasted。
Imustnotomittomentionthewhitecrane,averybeautifulbird,withimmensewings,ofthepurestwhite;andtheswamphen,withatailwhichitisconstantlybobbingupanddownlikethewoodhen;ithasagooddealofbluishpurpleaboutit,andisveryhandsome。
Thereareotherbirdsontheplains,especiallyabouttheriver-beds,butnotmanyworthyofnotice。
Inthebackcountry,however,wehaveaconsiderablevariety。Ihavementionedthekakaandtheparroquet。
Therobinisaprettylittlefellow,inbuildandmannersverylikeourEnglishrobin,buttamer。Hisplumage,however,isdifferent,forhehasaduskyblacktailcoatandapalecanary-colouredwaistcoat。Whenoneiscampingout,nosoonerhasonelitone’sfirethanseveralrobinsmaketheirappearance,pryingintoone’swholeproceedingswithtruerobin-likeimpudence。Theyhaveneverprobablyseenafirebefore,andareratherpuzzledbyit。Iheardofonewhichfirstlightedontheembers,whichwerecoveredwithashes;findingthisunpleasant,hehoppedontoaburningtwig;thiswasworse,sothethirdtimehelightedonared-hotcoal;whereat,muchdisgusted,hetookhimselfoff,Ihopeescapingwithnothingbutablisteredtoe。Theyfrequentlycomeintomyhut。Iwatchedonehopinafewmorningsago,whenthebreakfastthingswereset。Firsthetriedthebread——thatwasgood;
thenhetriedthesugar——thatwasgoodalso;thenhetriedthesalt,whichheinstantlyrejected;and,lastly,hetriedacupofhottea,onwhichheflewaway。Ihaveseenthemlightonacandle(notalightedone)andpeckthetallow。Ifear,however,thatthesetameonesaretoooftenkilledbythecats。ThetomtitislikeitsEnglishnamesakeinshape,butsmaller,andwithaglossyblackheadandbrightyellowbreast。
Thewrenisabeautifullittlebird,muchsmallerthantheEnglishone,andwithgreenaboutitsplumage。
Thetuiorparson-birdisastarling,andhasasmalltuftofwhitecravat-likefeathersgrowingfromhisthroat。Truetohisstarlingnature,hehasadeliciousvoice。
Wehaveathrush,butitisratherrare。ItisjustliketheEnglish,savethatithassomeredfeathersinitstail。
Ourtealis,ifnotthesameastheEnglishteal,solikeit,thatthedifferenceisnotnoticeable。
OurlinnetisalittlelargerthantheEnglish,withaclear,bell-likevoice,asofablacksmith’shammeronananvil。Indeed,wemightcallhimtheharmoniousblacksmith。
ThepigeonislargerthantheEnglish,andfarhandsomer。Hehasmuchwhiteandglossygreenshotwithpurpleabouthim,andisoneofthemostbeautifulbirdsIeversaw。Heisveryfoolish,andcanbenoosedwithease。Tieastringwithanooseattheendofittoalongstick,andyoumayputitroundhisneckandcatchhim。Thekakas,too,willletyoudothis,andinafewdaysbecomequitetame。
Besidesthese,thereisanowlortwo。Theseareheardoccasionally,butnotseen。Oftenatnightonehearsasolemncryof\"Morepork!morepork!morepork!\"Ihaveheardpeopletalk,too,ofalaughingjackass(nottheAustralianbirdofthatname),butnoonehaseverseenit。
Occasionallywehearrumoursofthefootprintofamoa,andtheNelsonsurveyorsfoundfreshfoot-tracksofabird,whichweremeasuredforfourteeninches。Ofthistherecanbelittledoubt;butsinceawoodhen’sfootmeasuresfourinches,andawoodhendoesnotstandhigherthanahen,fourteeninchesishardlylongenoughforthetrackofamoa,thelargestkindofwhichstoodfifteenfeethigh。Weoftenfindsomeoftheirboneslyinginaheapupontheground,butneveraperfectskeleton。Littleheapsoftheirgizzardstones,too,areconstantlyfound。Theyconsistofverysmoothandpolishedflintsandcornelians,withsometimesquartz。Thebirdgenerallychoseratherprettystones。
Idonotrememberfindingasinglesandstonespecimenofamoagizzardstone。Thoseheapsareeasilydistinguished,andverycommon。Fewpeoplebelieveintheexistenceofamoa。Ifoneortwobeyetliving,theywillprobablybefoundontheWestCoast,thatyetunexploredregionofforestwhichmaycontainsleepingprincessesandgoldintonblocks,andallsortsofgoodthings。AgentlemanwholivesattheKiakoraspossessesamoa’segg;itisteninchesbyseven。ItwasdiscoveredinaMaorigrave,andmusthavebeenconsideredpreciousatthetimeitwasburied,fortheMaoriswereaccustomedtoburyaman’svaluableswithhim。
Ireallyknowoffewotherbirdstotellyouabout。Thereisagoodsprinklingmore,buttheyformnofeatureinthecountry,andareonlyinterestingtothenaturalist。Thereisthekiwi,orapteryx,whichisaboutaslargeasaturkey,butonlyfoundontheWestCoast。Thereisagreengroundparrottoo,calledthekakapo,anightbird,andhardlyeverfoundontheeasternsideoftheisland。Thereisalsoaveryrareandasyetunnamedkindofkaka,muchlargerandhandsomerthanthekakaitself,ofwhichIandanothershotoneofthefirst,ifnottheveryfirst,observedspecimen。Beinghungry,farfromhome,andwithoutmeat,weatetheinterestingcreature,butmadeanoteofitforthebenefitofscience。Sincethenithasfounditswayintomoreworthyhands,andwas,afewmonthsago,senthometobenamed。Altogether,I
amacquaintedwithaboutseventyspeciesofbirdsbelongingtotheCanterburysettlement,andIdonotthinkthattherearemanymore。Twoalbatrossescametomywool-shedaboutsevenmonthsago,andadeadonewasfoundatMountPeelnotlongsince。Ididnotseetheformermyself,butmycook,whowasasailor,watchedthemforsometime,andhiswordmaybetaken。Ibelieve,however,thattheircomingsofarinlandisaveryrareoccurrencehere。
AsforthequadrupedsofNewZealand,theyareeasilydisposedof。
Therearebuttwo,akindofrat,whichisnowbanishedbytheNorwayrat,andananimalofeithertheotterorbeaverspecies,whichisknownratherbyrumourthanbyactualcertainty。
Thefishes,too,willgiveuslittletrouble。Thereareonlyasortofminnowandaneel。Thislastgrowstoagreatsize,andisabundantevenintheclear,rapid,snow-fedrivers。Ineverycreekonemaycatcheels,andtheyareexcellenteating,iftheybecookedinsuchamannerastogetridoftheoil。
Trythemspitchcockedorstewed,They’retoooilywhenfried,asBarhamsays,withhisusualgoodsense。IamtoldthattheothernightagreatnoisewasheardinthekitchenofagentlemanwithwhomI
havethehonourtobeacquainted,andthattheservants,gettingup,foundaneelchasingacatroundabouttheroom。Ibelievethisstory。
Theeelwasinabucketofwater,anddoomedtodieuponthemorrow。
Doubtlessthecathadattemptedtotakelibertieswithhim;onwhichasuddenthoughtstrucktheeelthathemightaswelleatthecatasthecateathim;andhewaspreparingtosuittheactiontothewordwhenhewasdiscovered。
Theinsectsareinsignificantandugly,and,liketheplants,devoidofgeneralinterest。Thereisoneratherprettybutterfly,likeourEnglishtortoiseshell。Thereisasprinklingofbeetles,afewants,andadetestablesandfly,that,onquiet,cloudymornings,especiallynearwater,ismoreirritatingthancanbedescribed。Thislittlebeastisrathervenomous;and,forthefirstfortnightorsothatIwasbittenbyit,everybiteswelleduptoalittlehardbutton。Soon,however,onebecomescase-hardened,andonlysufferstheimmediateannoyanceconsequentuponitsticklingandpricking。Thereisalsoalargeassortmentofspiders。Wehave,too,oneoftheugliest-lookingcreaturesthatIhaveeverseen。Itiscalled\"weta,\"andisoftawnyscorpion-likecolourwithlongantennaeandgreateyes,andnastysquashy-lookingbody,with(Ithink)sixlegs。Itisakindofanimalwhichnoonewouldwishtotouch:iftouched,itwillbitesharply,somesayvenomously。Itisverycommon,butnotoftenseen,andliveschieflyamongdeadwoodandunderstones。IntheNorthIsland,Iamtoldthatitgrowstothelengthofthreeorfourinches。HereIneversawitlongerthananinchandahalf。Theprincipalreptileisanalmostubiquitouslizard。
Summingup,then,thewholeofthevegetableandanimalproductionsofthissettlement,Ithinkthatitisnottoomuchtosaythattheyaredecidedlyinferiorinbeautyandinteresttothoseoftheoldworld。
YouwillthinkthatIhaveaprejudiceagainstthenaturalhistoryofCanterbury。IassureyouIhavenosuchthing;andIbelievethatanyone,onarrivinghere,wouldreceiveasimilarimpressionwithmyself。
CHAPTERX
ChoiceofaRun——Boundaries——Maoris——Wages——Servants——Drunkenness——
Cooking——Wethers——ChoiceofHomestead——Watchfulnessrequired——BurningtheCountry——YardsforSheep——EwesandLambs——LambingSeason——WoolSheds——SheepWashing——PuttingupaHut——Gardens——Farewell。
Inlookingforarun,somedistancemustbetraversed;thecountrynearChristChurchisalreadystocked。Thewastelandsare,indeed,saidtobewhollytakenupthroughoutthecolony,wherevertheyarecapableofsupportingsheep。Itmay,however,beamatterofsomesatisfactiontoanewsettlertoexaminethispointforhimself,andtoconsiderwhatherequiresintheprobableeventofhavingtopurchasethegoodwillofarun,withtheimprovementsuponit,whichcanhardlybeobtainedunder150poundsper1000acres。
Ariverboundaryismostdesirable;thepointaboveorbelowtheconfluenceoftworiversisstillbetter,astherearethenonlytwosidestoguard。Stonygroundmustnotbeconsideredasanimpediment;
grassgrowsbetweenthestones,andadraycantraveluponit。Englandmusthavebeenamostimpracticablecountrytotraversebeforemetalledroadsweremade。Herethesurfaceisalmosteverywhereacompactmassofshingle;itisforthemostpartonlyneartheseathattheshingleiscoveredwithsoil。Forestandswamparemuchgreaterimpedimentstoajourneythanafargreaterdistanceofhardgroundwouldprove。A
riversuchastheCamorOusewouldbefarmoredifficulttocrosswithoutbridgesthantheRakaiaorRangitata,notwithstandingtheirvolumeandrapidity;theformeraredeepinmud,andrarelyhaveconvenientplacesatwhichtogetinorout;whilethelatteraboundinthem,andhaveastonybedonwhichthewheelsofyourdraymakenoimpression。Thestonygroundwillcarryasheeptoeachacreandahalfortwoacres。Suchdiseasesasfoot-rotareunknown,owingprobablytothegenerallydrysurfaceoftheland。
TherearefewMaorishere;theyinhabitthenorthisland,andareonlyinsmallnumbers,anddegenerateinthis,somaybepassedoverunnoticed。Theonlyeffectualpolicyindealingwiththemistoshowaboldfront,and,atthesametime,dothemagoodturnwheneveryoucanbequitecertainthatyourkindnesswillnotbemisunderstoodasasymptomoffear。Therearenowildanimalsthatwillmolestyoursheep。
InAustraliatheyhavetowatchtheflocksnightanddaybecauseofthewilddogs。Theyards,ofcourse,arenotproofagainstdogs,andtheAustralianshepherd’shutisbuiltcloseagainsttheyard;herethisisunnecessary。
Havingsettledthatyouwilltakeupyourcountryorpurchasetheleaseofit,youmustconsidernexthowtogetadrayontoit。Horsesarenottobethoughtofexceptforriding;youmustbuyadrayandbullocks。Theriversherearenotnavigable。
Wagesarehigh。PeopledonotleaveEnglandandgotoliveattheantipodestoworkforthesamewageswhichtheyhadathome。Theywanttobetterthemselvesaswellasyoudo,and,thesupplybeinglimited,theywillaskandgetfrom1poundto30s。aweekbesidestheirboardandbillet。
Youmustrememberyouwillhavearoughlifeatfirst;therewillbeagooddealofcoldandexposure;agooddealoftentwork;possiblyafeverortwo;tosaynothingoftheseedsofrheumatismwhichwillgiveyousomethingtomeditateuponhereafter。
YouandyourmenwillhavetobeonratheradifferentfootingfromthatonwhichyoustoodinEngland。There,ifyourservantwereinanyrespectwhatyoudidnotwish,youwerecertainofgettingplentyofotherstotakehisplace。Here,ifamandoesnotfindyouquitewhathewishes,heiscertainofgettingplentyofotherstoemployhim。Infact,heisatapremium,andsoonfindsthisout。Onreallygoodmenthisproducesnoothereffectthanademandforhighwages。Theywillberespectfulandcivil,thoughtherewillbeaslightbutquiteunobjectionabledifferenceintheirmannertowardyou。Badmenassumeanairofdefiancewhichrenderstheirimmediatedismissalamatterofnecessity。Whenyouhavegoodmen,however,youmustrecognisethedifferentpositioninwhichyoustandtowardthemascomparedwiththatwhichsubsistedathome。Thefactis,theyaremoreyourequalsandmoreindependentofyou,and,thisbeingthecase,youmusttreatthemaccordingly。Idonotadviseyouforonemomenttosubmittodisrespect;thiswouldbeafatalerror。AmanwhoseconductdoesnotsatisfyyoumustbesentabouthisbusinessascertainlyasinEngland;
butwhenyouhavemenwhoDOsuityou,youmust,besidespayingthemhandsomely,expectthemtotreatyouratherasanEnglishyeomanwouldspeaktothesquireofhisparishthanasanEnglishlabourerwouldspeaktohim。Thelabourmarketswillnotbesobadbutthatgoodmencanbehad,andaslongasyouputupwithbadmenitservesyourighttobetheloserbyyourweakness。
Somegoodhandsareveryimprovident,andwillforthemostpartspendtheirmoneyindrinking,averyshorttimeaftertheyhaveearnedit。
TheywillcomebackpossiblywithaDEADHORSETOWORKOFF——thatis,adebtattheaccommodationhouse——andwillworkhardforanotheryeartohaveanotherdrinkingboutattheendofit。Thisisathingfatallycommonhere。Suchmenareoftenfirst-ratehandsandthoroughlygoodfellowswhenawayfromdrink;but,onthewhole,savingmenareperhapsthebest。Commendyourselftoagoodscrewforashepherd;ifheknowsthevalueofmoneyheknowsthevalueoflambs,andifhehascontractedthehabitofbeingcarefulwithhisownmoneyhewillbeapttobesowithyoursalso。Butinjusticetotheimprovident,itmustbeownedtheyareoftenadmirablemensaveintheonepointofsobriety。
Theirpoliticalknowledgeisabsolutelynil,and,werethecolonytogivethempoliticalpower,itmightaswellgivegunpowdertochildren。
Howmanyhandsshallyouwant?
Wewillsayacoupleofgoodbushhands,whowillputupyourhutandyardsandwool-shed。Ifyouareinahurryandhaveplentyofmoneyyoucanhavemore。Besidestheseyouwillwantabullockdriverandshepherd,unlessyouareshepherdyourself。Youmustmanagethecookingamongyouasbestyoucan,andmustbecontenttowashupyourself,takingyourfullpartintheculinaryprocesses,oryouwillsoonfinddisaffectioninthecamp;butifyoucanaffordtohaveacook,haveonebyallmeans。Itisagreatnuisancetocomeinfromalongroundaftersheepandfindthefireoutandnohotwatertomaketea,andtohavetosettoworkimmediatelytogetyourmen’ssupper;fortheycannotearntheirsupperandcookitatthesametime。Thedifficultyisthatgoodboysarehardtoget,andamanthatisworthanythingatallwillhardlytaketocookingasaprofession。Henceitcomestopassthatthecooksaregenerallyindolentanddirtyfellows,whodon’tlikehardwork。Yourcollegeeducation,ifyouhavehadone,willdoubtlesshavemadeyoufamiliarwiththeartofmakingbread;youwillnowproceedtodiscoverthemysteriesofboilingpotatoes。Theusesofdrippingwillbegintodawnuponyou,andyouwillsoonbecomeexpertinthemanufactureoftallowcandles。Youwillwashyourownclothes,andwilllearnthatyoumustnotboilflannelshirts,andexperiencewillteachyouthatyoumusteschewthepromiscuoususeofwashingsoda,temptingthoughindeeditbeifyouareinahurry。Ifyouusecollars,IcaninformyouthatGlenfieldstarchistheonlystarchusedinthelaundriesofourmostgraciousSovereign;Itellyouthisinconfidence,asitisnotgenerallyadvertised。
Toreturntotheculinarydepartment。Yournaturalpoetryofpalatewillteachyouthepropertreatmentoftheonion,andyouwillerelongbeabletohandlethatinestimablevegetablewiththebreadthyetdelicacywhichitrequires。Manyotherthingsyouwilllearn,whichforyoursakeaswellasmyownIwillnotenumeratehere。Lettheabovesufficeforexamples。
Atfirstyourwetherswillrunwithyourewes,andyouwillonlywantoneshepherd;butassoonasthemobgetsuptotwoorthreethousandthewethersshouldbekeptseparate;youwillthenwantanothershepherd。Assoonasyouhavesecuredyourrunyoumustbuysheep;
otherwiseyoulosetime,astherunisonlyvaluableforthesheepitcarries。Bringsheep,shepherd,men,stores,allatoneandthesametime。Somewethersmustbeincludedinyourpurchase,otherwiseyouwillrunshortofmeat,asnoneofyourownbreedingwillbereadyfortheknifeforayearandahalf,tosaytheleastofit。Nowethershouldbekilledtillitistwoyearsold,andthenitismurdertokillananimalwhichbringsyouinsuchgoodinterestbyitswool,andwouldevenbebetterifsufferedtolivethreeyearslonger,whenyouwillhavehaditsvalueinitssuccessivefleeces。Itwill,however,payyoubettertoinvestnearlyallyourmoneyinewes,andtokillyourownyoungstock,thantosinkmorecapitalthanisabsolutelynecessaryinwethers。
Startyourdray,then,fromtownandjoinitwithyoursheeponthewayup。Yoursheepwillnottravelmorethantenmilesadayifyouaretodothemjustice;soyourdraymustkeeppacewiththem。Youwillgenerallyfindplentyoffirewoodonthetrack。Youcancampunderthedrayatnight。Inaboutaweekyouwillgetontoyourrun,andverygladyouwillfeelwhenyouaresafelycometotheendofyourjourney。
Seethehorsesproperlylookedtoatonce;thensetupthetent,makeagoodfire,putthekettleon,outwiththefrying-panandgetyoursupper,smokethecalumetofpeace,andgotobed。
Thefirstquestionis,Whereshallyouplaceyourhomestead?Youmustputitinsuchasituationaswillbemostconvenientforworkingthesheep。Thesearetherealmastersoftheplace——therunistheirs,notyours:youcannotbearthisinmindtoodiligently。Allconsiderationsofpleasantnessofsitemustsuccumbtothis。Youmustfixonsuchasituationasnottocutuptherun,bysplittingoffalittlecornertoosmalltogivethesheepfreescopeandroom。Theywillfightrathershyofyourhomestead,youmaybecertain;sothehomesteadmustbeoutoftheirway。YouMUST,however,havewaterandfirewoodathand,whichisagreatconvenience,tosaynothingofthesavingoflabourandexpense。
Therefore,ifyoucanfindabushnearastream,makeyourhomesteadontheleesideofit。Astreamisaboundary,andyourhut,ifbuiltinsuchaposition,willinterferewithyoursheepaslittleaspossible。
Thesheepwillmakeforrisinggroundandhill-sidetocampatnight,andgenerallyfeedwiththeirheadsupthewind,ifitisnottooviolent。Asyourmobincreases,youcanputanout-stationontheothersidetherun。
Inordertopreventthesheepstrayingbeyondyourboundaries,keepeverhoveringatadistanceroundthem,sofaroffthattheyshallnotbedisturbedbyyourpresence,andevenbeignorantthatyouarelookingatthem。Sheepcannotbetoocloselywatched,ortoomuchlefttothemselves。Youmustremembertheyareyourmasters,andnotyoutheirs;youexistforthem,nottheyforyou。Ifyoubearthiswellinmind,youwillbeabletoturnthetablesonthemeffectuallyatshearing-time。Butifyouoncebegintomakethesheepsuittheirfeeding-hourstoyourconvenience,youmayaswellgiveupsheep-farmingatonce。Youwillsoonfindthemobbegintolookpoor,yourpercentageoflambswillfalloff,andinfactyouwillhavetopayveryheavilyforsavingyourowntrouble,asindeedwouldbethecaseineveryoccupationorprofessionyoumightadopt。
Ofcourseyouwillhavetoturnyoursheepbackwhentheyapproachtheboundaryofyourneighbour。Beready,then,attheboundary。Youhavebeenwatchingthemcreepingupinalargesemicircletowardtheforbiddenground。Aslongastheyareontheirownrunletthemalone,givethemnotamoment’sanxietyofmind;butdirectlytheyreachtheboundary,showyourselfwithyourdoginyourmostterrificaspect。
Startlethem,frightenthem,disturbtheirpeace;dosoagainandagain,atthesamespot,fromtheveryfirstday。Letthemalwayshavepeaceontheirownrun,andnoneanywhereoffit。Inamonthortwoyouwillfindthesheepbegintounderstandyourmeaning,anditwillthenbeveryeasyworktokeepthemwithinbounds。If,however,yousufferthemtohavehalfanhournowandthenontheforbiddenterritory,theywillbeconstantlymakingforit。Thechancesarethatthefeedisgoodonorabouttheboundary,andtheywillbeseducedbythistocross,andgoonandontilltheyarequitebeyondyourcontrol。
Youwillhaveburntalargepatchoffeedontheoutset。Burnitinearlyspring,onadaywhenrainappearstobeathand。Itisdangeroustoburntoomuchatonce:alargefiremayrunfartherthanyouwish,and,beingnorespecterofimaginaryboundaries,willcrossontoyourneighbour’srunwithoutcompunctionandwithoutregardtohissheep,andthenheavydamageswillbebroughtagainstyou。Burn,however,youmust;sodoitcarefully。Lightonestripfirst,andkeepputtingitoutbybeatingitwithleafybranches,Thiswillformafireproofboundarybetweenyouandyourneighbour。
Burntfeedmeanscontentedandwell-conditionedsheep。Thedelicatelygreenandjuicygrasswhichspringsupafterburningisfarbetterforsheepthantherankanddrygrowthofsummerafterithasbeenwitheredbythewinter’sfrosts。Yoursheepwillnotramble,foriftheyhaveplentyofburntpasturetheyarecontentedwheretheyare。Theyfeedinthemorning,bunchthemselvestogetherinclustersduringtheheatoftheday,andfeedagainatnight。
Moreover,onburntpasture,nofirecancomedownuponyoufromyourneighboursoastohurtyoursheep。
Thedaywillcomewhenyouwillhavenomoreoccasionforburning,whenyourrunwillbefullystocked,andthesheepwillkeepyourfeedsocloselycroppedthatitwilldowithoutit。Itiscertainlyamortificationtoseevolumesofsmokerisingintotheair,andtoknowthatallthatsmokemighthavebeenwool,andmighthavebeensoldbyyoufor2s。apoundinEngland。Youwillthinkitgreatwaste,andregretthatyouhavenotmoresheeptoeatit。However,thatwillcometopassintime;andmeanwhile,ifyouhavenotmouthsenoughuponyourruntomakewoolofit,youmustburnitoffandmakesmokeofitinstead。Thereissuretobeagooddealofroughscrubandbrushwoodontherun,whichisbetterdestroyed,andwhichsheepwouldnottouch;
therefore,fortheultimatevalueofyourrun,itisaswellorbetterthatitshouldbefiredthanfedoff。
Theveryfirstworktobedoneafteryourarrivalwillbetomakeayardforyoursheep。Makethislargeenoughtoholdfiveorsixtimesasmanysheepasyoupossessatfirst。Itmaybesquareinshape。Placetwogoodlargegatesatthemiddleofeitherofthetwooppositesides。
Thiswillbesufficientatfirst,but,asyourflocksincrease,asomewhatmorecomplicatedarrangementwillbedesirable。
Thesheep,wewillsuppose,aretobethoroughlyoverhauled。Youwish,forsomereason,toinspecttheircasefullyyourself,oryoumusttailyourlambs,inwhichcaseeverylambhastobecaught,andyouwillcutitstailoff,andear-markitwithyourownearmark;or,again,youwillseefittodraftoutallthelambsthatarereadyforweaning;oryoumaywishtocullthemob,andsellofftheworst-woolledsheep;oryourneighbour’ssheepmayhavejoinedwithyours;orformanyotherreasonsitisnecessarythatyourflockshouldbecloselyexamined。Withoutgoodyardsitisimpossibletodothiswell——theyareanessentialofthehighestimportance。
Select,then,asiteasdryandstonyaspossible(foryoursheepwillhavetobeputintotheyardovernight),andatdaylightinthemorningsettowork。
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FilltheyardBwithsheepfromthebigyardA。TheyardBwewillsupposetoholdabout600。FillCfromB:Cshallholdabout100。
WhenthesheepareinthatsmallyardC(whichiscalledthedrafting-
yard),youcanoverhaulthem,andyourmencancatchthelambsandholdthemuptoyouovertherailoftheyardtoear-markandtail。Therebeingbut100sheepintheyard,youcaneasilyrunyoureyeoverthem。
Shouldyoubedraftingoutsheeportakingyourramsout,letthesheepwhichyouaretakingoutbeletintotheyardsDandE。Or,itmaybe,youaredraftingtwodifferentsortsofsheepatonce;thentherewillbetwoyardsinwhichtoputthem。Whenyouhavedonewiththesmallmob,letitoutintotheyardF,takingthetallyofthesheepastheypassthroughthegate。Thisgate,therefore,mustbeasmallone,soasnottoadmitmorethanoneortwoatatime。ItwouldbetediousworkfillingthesmallyardCfromthebigoneA;forinthatlargespacethesheepwillrunabout,anditwilltakeyousomefewminuteseverytime。
FromthesmalleryardB,however,Cwilleasilybefilled。Amongtheothergreatadvantagesofgoodyards,thereisnonegreaterthanthetimesaved。Thisisofthehighestimportance,fortheeweswillbehungry,andtheirlambswillhavesuckedthemdry;andthen,assoonastheyareturnedoutoftheyards,themotherswillraceoffafterfeed,andthelambs,beingweak,willlagbehind;andtheMerinoewebeingabadmother,thetwomaynevermeetagain,andthelambwilldie。
Thereforeitisessentialtobeginworkofthissortearlyinthemorning,andtohaveyardssoconstructedastocauseaslittlelossoftimeaspossible。Iwillnotsaythattheplangivenaboveistheverybestthatcouldbedevised,butitiscommonouthere,andanswersallpracticalpurposes。TheweakestpointisintheapproachtoBfromA。
Assoonasyouhavedonewiththemob,letthemout。Theywillraceoffhelter-skeltertofeed,andsoonbespreadoutinanever-wideningfan-
likeshape。Thereforehavesomeonestationedagoodwayofftochecktheirfirstburst,andstaythemfromgoingtoofarandleavingtheirlambs;afterawhile,asyousit,telescopeinhand,youwillseetheewescomebleatingbacktotheyardsfortheirlambs。Theyhavesatisfiedthefirstcravingsoftheirhunger,andtheirmotherlyfeelingsarebeginningtoreturn。Now,ifthesheephavenotbeenkeptalittletogether,thelambsmayhavegoneoffaftertheewes,andsomefewwillthenbeprettycertainnevertofindtheirmothersagain。Itisratheraprettysighttositonabankandwatchtheewescomingback。Thereissuretobeamobofagoodmanylambsstickingneartheyards,andeweafterewewillcomebackandrushupaffectionatelytoonelambafteranother。Agoodfewwilltrytopalmthemselvesoffuponher。Ifsheisyoungandfoolish,shewillbeforashorttimeindoubt;ifsheisolderandwiser,shewillbuttawaythelittleimpostorswithherhead;buttheyareveryimportunate,andwillsticktoherforalongwhile。Atlast,however,shefindshertruechild,andiscomforted。Shekissesitsnoseandtailwiththemostaffectionatefondness,andsoonthelostlambisseenhelpinghimselflustily,andfrolickingwithhistailintheheightofhiscontentment。
Ihaveknown,however,manycunninglambsmakeapracticeofthievingfromthemoreinexperiencedewes,thoughtheyhavemothersoftheirown;
andIrememberoneverybeautifulandfavouritelambofmine,who,tomygreatsorrow,lostitsmother,butkeptitselfaliveinthismanner,andthroveandgrewuptobeasplendidsheepbymereroguery。Suchacaseisanexception,notarule。
Youmayperhapswonderhowyouaretoknowthatyoursheepareallright,andthatnonegetaway。YoucannotbeQUITECERTAINofthis。
Youmaybeprettysure,however,foryouwillsoonhavealargenumberofsheepwithwhomyouarepersonallyacquainted,andwhohave,fromtimetotime,forcedthemselvesuponyourattentioneitherbypeculiarbeautyorpeculiarugliness,orbyhavingcertainmarksuponthem。Youwillhaveablacksheeportwo,andprobablyalong-tailedoneortwo,andasheepwithonlyoneeye,andanotherwithawartonitsnose,andsoforth。Thesewillbeyourmarkedsheep,andifyoufindallofthemyoumaybesatisfiedthattherestaresafealso。Youreyewillsoonbecomeveryaccurateintellingyouthenumberofamobofsheep。
Whenthesheeparelambingtheyshouldnotbedisturbed。Youcannotmeddlewithamoboflambingeweswithoutdoingthemmischief。Someoneortwolambs,orperhapsmanymore,willbelosteverytimeyoudisturbtheflock。Theyoungsheep,untiltheyhavehadtheirlambsafewdays,andlearnttheirvalue,willleavethemupontheslightestprovocation。
Thenthereisaseriousmoralinjuryinflictedupontheewe:shebecomesfamiliarwiththecrimeofinfanticide,andwillbeapttoleavehernextlambascarelesslyasherfirst。If,however,shehasoncerearedalamb,shewillbefondofthenext,and,whenold,willfaceanything,evenadog,forthesakeofherchild。
When,therefore,thesheeparelambing,youmustrideorwalkfartherround,andnoticeanytracksyoumaysee:anythingratherthandisturbthesheep。Theymustalwayslambonburntorgreenfeed,andagainstthebestboundaryyouhave,andthentherewillbethelessoccasiontotouchthem。
Besidestheyardsabovedescribed,youwillwantoneortwosmalleronesforgettingthesheepintothewool-shedatshearing-time,andyouwillalsowantasmallyardforbranding。Thewool-shedisaroomycoveredbuilding,withalargecentralspace,andanaisle-likepartitiononeachside。Theselastwillbeforholdingthesheepduringthenight。
Theshearerswillwanttobeginwithdaylight,andthedewwillnotyetbeoffthewoolifthesheepareexposed。Ifwoolispackeddampitwillheatandspoil;thereforeasufficientnumberofsheepmustbeleftundercoverthroughthenighttolasttheshearerstillthedewisoff。
Inawool-shedtheaisleswouldbecalledskilions(whencethenameisderivedIknownot,norwhetherithastwol’sinitorone)。Allthesheepgointotheskilions。Theshearersshearinthecentre,whichislargeenoughtoleaveroomforthewooltobestowedawayatoneend。
Theshearerspullthesheepoutoftheskilionsastheywantthem。Eachpickstheworstsheep,i。e。thatwiththeleastwooluponit,thathappenstobeathandatthetime,tryingtoputthebest-woolledsheep,whichareconsequentlythehardesttoshear,uponsomeoneelse;andsotheheaviest-woolledandlargestsheepgetshornthelast。
Agoodmanwillshear100sheepinaday,someevenmore;but100isreckonedgoodwork。Ihaveknown195sheeptobeshornbyonemaninaday;butIfancythesemusthavebeenfromanoldandbaremob,andthatthisnumberofwell-woolledsheepwouldbequitebeyondoneman’spower。
Sheeparenotshornsoneatlyasathome。Butsupposingamanhasamobof20,000,hemustgetthewoolofftheirbacksasbesthecanwithoutcarpingatanoccasionalsnipfromasheep’scarcass。Ifthewoolistakencloseoff,andonlynowandthenasheepsnipped,therewillbenocausetocomplain。
Thenfollowsthedrayingofthewooltoport,andthebullockscomeinfortheirfullshareofwork。Itisapleasantsighttoseethefirstloadofwoolstartdown,butafarpleasantertoseethedrayreturningfromitslasttrip。
Shearingwelloverwillbeaweightoffyourmind。Thisisyourmostespeciallybusyandanxioustimeofyear,andwhenthewoolissafelydownyouwillbegladindeed。
Itmayhavebeenamatterofquestionwithyou,ShallIwashmysheepbeforeshearingornot?Ifyouwashthematall,youshoulddoitthoroughly,andtakeconsiderablepainstohavethemclean;otherwiseyouhadbettershearinthegrease,i。e。notwash。Woolinthegreaseweighsaboutone-thirdheavier,andconsequentlyfetchesalowerpriceinthemarket。Whenwoolfalls,moreover,thefalltellsfirstupongreasywool。Stillmanyshearinthegrease,andsomeconsideritpaysthembettertodoso。Itisamootedpoint,butthegeneralopinionisinfavourofwashing。
Assoonasyouhaveputuponeyard,youmaysettoworkuponahutforyourselfandmen。Thisyouwillmakeofsplitwoodenslabssetuprightintheground,andnailedontoawall-plate。Youwillfirstplantlargepostsateachofthecorners,andoneateithersideeverydoor,andfourforthechimney。Atthetopoftheseyouwillsetyourwall-
plates;tothewall-platesyouwillnailyourslabs;ontheinsideoftheslabsyouwillnaillightrodsofwood,andplasterthemoverwithmud,havingfirst,however,putuptheroofandthatchedit。Threeorfourmenwillhavesplitthestuffandputupthehutinafortnight。
Wewillsupposeittobeabout18feetby12。
Byandby,asyougrowricher,youmayburnbricksatyourleisure,andeventuallybuildabrickhouse。Atfirst,however,youmustroughit。
Youwillsetaboutagardenatonce。Youwillbringupfowlsatonce。
Pigsmaywaittillyouhavetimetoputuparegularstye,andtohavegrownpotatoesenoughtofeedthem。Twofatandwell-tendedpigsareworthhalfadozenhalf-starvedwretches。Suchneglectedbrutesmakeaplacelookveryuntidy,andtheirexistencewillbeaburdentothemselves,andaneyesoretoyou。
Inayearortwoyouwillfindyourselfverycomfortable。Youwillgetalittlefruitfromyourgardeninsummer,andwillhaveaprospectofmuchmore。Youwillhavecows,andplentyofbutterandmilkandeggs;
youwillhavepigs,and,ifyouchooseit,bees,plentyofvegetables,and,infact,mayliveuponthefatoftheland,withverylittletrouble,andalmostaslittleexpense。Ifyougrudgethis,yourfarewillberatherunvaried,andwillconsistsolelyoftea,mutton,bread,andpossiblypotatoes。Forthefirstyear,theseareallyoumustexpect;thesecondwillimprovematters;andthethirdshouldseeyousurroundedwithluxuries。
Ifyouareyourownshepherd,whichatfirstismorethanprobable,youwillfindthatshepherdingisoneofthemostprosaicprofessionsyoucouldhaveadopted。Sheepwillbetheoneideainyourmind;andasforpoetry,nothingwillbefartherfromyourthoughts。Youreyewilleverbestrainingafteradistantsheep——yourearslisteningforableat——infact,yourwholeattentionwillbedirected,thewholedaylong,tonothingbutyourflock。Wereyoutoshepherdtoolongyourwitswouldcertainlygowool-gathering,evenifyouwerenottemptedtobleat。Itis,however,agloriouslyhealthyemployment。
Andnow,gentlereader,Iwishyouluckwithyourrun。Ifyouhavetolerablygoodfortune,inaveryshorttimeyouwillbearichman。
Hopingthatthismaybethecase,thereremainsnothingformebuttowishyouheartilyfarewell。
CrossingtheRangitataSupposeyouweretoaskyourwayfromMr。Phillips’sstationtomine,I
shoulddirectyouthus:\"Workyourwaytowardsyondermountain;passunderneathitbetweenitandthelake,havingthemountainonyourrighthandandthelakeonyourleft;ifyoucomeuponanyswamps,goroundthemor,ifyouthinkyoucan,gothroughthem;ifyougetstuckupbyanycreeks——acreekisthecolonialtermforastream——you’llverylikelyseecattlemarks,byfollowingthecreekupanddown;butthereisnothingtherethatoughttostickyouupifyoukeepoutofthebigswampatthebottomofthevalley;afterpassingthatmountainfollowthelaketillitends,keepingwellonthehill-sideaboveit,andmaketheendofthevalley,whereyouwillcomeuponahighterraceabovealargegully,withaverystrongcreekatthebottomofit;getdowntheterrace,whereyou’llseeapatchofburntground,andfollowtheriver-
bedtillitopensontoaflat;turntoyourleftandkeepdownthemountainsidesthatrunalongtheRangitata;keepwellnearthemandsoavoidtheswamps;crosstheRangitataoppositewhereyouseealargeriver-bedcomingintoitfromtheotherside,andfollowthisriver-bedtillyouseemyhutsomeeightmilesupit。\"PerhapsIhavethusbeenbetterabletodescribethenatureofthetravellingthanbyanyother。
Ifonecangetanythingthatcanbemanufacturedintoafeatureandbedignifiedwithanameonceinfiveorsixmiles,oneisverylucky。
Well,wehadfollowedthesedirectionsforsomeway,asfarinfactastheterrace,when,therivercomingintofullview,IsawthattheRangitatawasveryhigh。Worsethanthat,IsawMr。Phillipsandapartyofmenwhoweretakingadrayovertoarunjustontheothersideoftheriver,andwhohadbeenpreventedfromcrossingfortendaysbythestateofthewater。Amongthem,tomyhorror,Irecognisedmycadet,whomIhadleftbehindmewithbeefwhichhewastohavetakenovertomyplaceaweekandmoreback;whereonmymindmisgavemethatapoorIrishmanwhohadbeenleftaloneatmyplacemightbeinasoreplight,havingbeenleftwithnomeatandnohumanbeingwithinreachforaperiodoftendays。Idon’tthinkIshouldhaveattemptedcrossingtheriverbutforthis。Underthecircumstances,however,I
determinedatonceonmakingapushforit,andaccordinglytakingmytwocadetswithmeandtheunfortunatebeefthatwasalreadyputrescent——
ithadlainonthegroundinasackallthetime——westartedalongunderthehillsandgotoppositetheplacewhereIintendedcrossingbyaboutthreeo’clock。Ihadclimbedthemountainsideandsurveyedtheriverfromthencebeforeapproachingtheriveritself。Atlastwewerebythewater’sedge。Ofcourse,Iledtheway,beingasitwerepatronusoftheexpedition,andhavingbeenoutsomefourmonthslongerthaneitherofmycompanions;still,havingnevercrossedanyoftheriversonhorsebackinafresh,havingneverseentheRangitatainafresh,andbeingutterlyunabletoguesshowdeepanystreamwouldtakeme,itmaybeimaginedthatIfeltacertainamountofcautiontobenecessary,andaccordingly,foldingmywatchinmypocket-handkerchiefandtyingitroundmyneckincaseofhavingtoswimforitunexpectedly,Istrictlyforbadetheothertwotostirfromthebankuntiltheysawmesafelyontheotherside。NotthatIintendedtoletmyhorseswim,infactIhadmadeupmymindtoletmyoldIrishmanwaitalittlelongerratherthandeliberatelyswimforit。MytwocompanionswereworsemountedthanIwas,andtherushingwatermightonlytooprobablyaffecttheirheads。Minehadalreadybecomequiteindifferenttoit,thoughithadnotbeensoatfirst。Thesetwomen,however,hadbeenonlyaweekinthesettlement,andIshouldhavedeemedmyselfhighlyculpablehadIallowedthemtoswimariveronhorseback,thoughIamsurebothwouldhavebeenreadyenoughtodosoifoccasionrequired。
AsIsaidbefore,atlastwewereonthewater’sedge;arushingstreamsomesixtyyardswidewasthefirstinstalmentofourpassage。Itwasaboutthecolourandconsistencyofcreamandsoot,andhowdeep?Ihadnottheremotestidea;theonlythingforitwastogoinandsee。Sochoosingaspotjustaboveaspitandarapid——atsuchspotsthereissuretobeaford,ifthereisafordanywhere——Iwalkedmymarequicklyintoit,havingperfectconfidenceinher,and,Ibelieve,shehavingmoreconfidenceinmethansomewhohaveknownmeinEnglandmightsuppose。Inwewent;inthemiddleofthestreamthewaterwasonlyalittleoverherbelly(sheissixteenhandshigh);alittlefarther,bysittingbackonmysaddleandliftingmyfeetupImighthaveavoidedgettingthemwet,hadIcaredtodoso,butIwasmoreintentonhavingthemarewellinhand,andonstudyingtheappearanceoftheremainderofthestreamthanonthinkingofmyownfeetjustthen;afterthatthewatergrewshallowerrapidly,andIsoonhadthefelicityoflandingmymareontheshelvingshingleoftheoppositebank。Sofarsogood;I
beckonedtomycompanions,whospeedilyfollowed,andweallthenproceededdownthespitinsearchofagoodcrossingplaceoverthenextstream。Weweresoonbesideit,andveryuglyitlooked。Itmusthavebeenatleastahundredyardsbroad——Ithinkmore,butwaterissodeceptivethatIdarenotaffixanycertainwidth。Iwassooninit,advancingveryslowlyaboveaslightlydarkerlineinthewater,whichassuredmeofitsbeingshallowforsomelittleway;thisfailing,I
soonfoundmyselfdescendingintodeeperwater,firstovermybootsforsomeyards,thenoverthetopofmygaitersforsomeyardsmore。ThiscontinuedsolongthatIwasinhopesofbeingabletogetentirelyover,whensuddenlythekneeagainstwhichthestreamcamewasentirelywet,andthewaterwasrushingsofuriouslypastmethatmypoormarewasleaningovertremendously。Alreadyshehadbeguntosnort,ashorsesdowhentheyareswimming,andIknewwellthatmycompanionswouldhavetoswimforiteventhoughImyselfmighthavegotthrough。
SoIverygentlyturnedherheadrounddownstreamandquietlymadebackagainforthebankwhichIhadleft。Shehadgotnearlytotheshore,andIcouldagaindetectadarkerlineinthewater,whichwasnownotoverherknees,whenallofasuddendownshewentuptoherbellyinaquicksand,inwhichshebeganflounderingaboutinfinestyle。Iwasoffherbackandintothewaterthatshehadleftinlesstimethanittakestowritethis。Ishouldnothavethoughtofleavingherbackunlesssureofmyground,foritisacanoninrivercrossingtosticktoyourhorse。Ipulledhergentlyout,andfollowedupthedarklinetotheshorewheremytwofriendswereonlytoogladtoreceiveme。Bytheway,allthistimeIhadhadacompanionintheshapeofacatinabag,whichIwastakingovertomyplaceasanantidotetotherats,whichweremostunpleasantlyabundantthere。Inursedheronthepommelofmysaddleallthroughthislaststream,andsaveintheepisodeofthequicksandshehadnotbeenintheleastwet。Then,however,shediddropinforasousing,andmewedinamannerthatwenttomyheart。I
amveryfondofcats,andthisoneisaparticularlyfavourablespecimen。ItwaswithgreatpleasurethatIheardherpurringthroughthebag,assoonasIwasagainmountedandhadherinfrontofmeasbefore。
SoIfailedtocrossthisstreamthere,but,determinedifpossibletogetacrosstheriverandseewhethertheIrishmanwasaliveordead,weturnedhigherupthestreamandbyandbyfoundaplacewhereitdivided。BycarefullyselectingaspotIwasabletocrossthefirststreamwithoutthewatersgettinghigherthanmysaddle-flaps,andthesecondscarcelyoverthehorse’sbelly。Afterthatthereweretwostreamssomewhatsimilartothefirst,andthenthedangersofthepassageoftherivermightbeconsideredasaccomplished——thedangers,butnotthedifficulties。TheseconsistedinthesluggishcreeksandswampygroundthicklyovergrownwithIrishman,snow-grass,andspaniard,whichextendoneithersidetheriverforhalfamileandmore。Buttocutalongstoryshortwegotoverthesetoo,andthenwewereontheshinglyriver-bedwhichleadsuptothespotonwhichmyhutismadeandmyhousemaking。Thisriverwasnowabrawlingtorrent,hardlylessdangeroustocrossthantheRangitataitself,thoughcontainingnotatitheofthewater,thebouldersaresolargeandthewatersopowerful。
Initsordinaryconditionitislittlemorethanalargebrook;now,thoughnotabsolutelyfresh,itwasasunpleasantaplacetoputahorseintoasoneneedwish。Therewasnothingforit,however,andwecrossedandrecrosseditfourtimeswithoutmisadventure,andfinallywithgreatpleasureIperceivedatwinklinglightontheterracewherethehutwas,whichassuredmeatoncethattheoldIrishmanwasstillinthelandoftheliving。Twoorthreevigorous\"coo-eys\"broughthimdowntothesideofthecreekwhichboundsmyrunupononeside。
Footnotes:
{1}ProjectGutenbergnote:theeditionofthebookfromwhichthiseTextwastranscribedcontainedanumberofother,unrelated,pieces。
ThesehavebeentranscribedandareavailableasseparateeTexts。ThepiecesonDarwinareintheeText\"PiecesonDarwin\"andtheminorpieceswrittenwhilstButlerwasatCambridgeUniversity,England,areintheeText\"CambridgePieces\"。——DP。
{2}SeePreface。
{3}August,1862。——Sincewritingtheabove,mattershavesomewhatchanged。Firstly,Ewesarefullyworth30s。ahead,andarenottobehadunder。Secondly,ThediggingsinOtagohavecausedthevalueofwetherstorise,andastheyarenowsellingat33s。ontherunsoftheOtagostation(IquotetheLytteltonTimes,whichmaybedependedupon),andthoserunsareonlyverypartiallystocked,thesupplytheremustinallprobabilityfallshortofthedemand。Thepriceofsheepinthissettlementisthereforeraisedalso,andlikelytocontinuehigh。AlldependsuponwhatthisnextspringmaybringforthupontheOtagogold-
fields。Iftheykeepupthereputationwhichtheysustaineduntilthewintercausedthediggerstoretreat,thepricewillbehighforsomefewyearslonger;iftheyturnoutafailure,itMUSTfallbeforeverylong。Still,thereisalargeandincreasingpopulationinCanterbury,andasitssheep-feedingareaisasnothingcomparedwiththatofAustralia,wedonotexpectsheephereevertofallaslowastheydidtherebeforethediggings。Indeed,theyhardlycandoso;foroursheeparelargerthantheAustralian,andclipamuchheavierfleece,sothattheirfleece,andskins,andtallowmustbeofgreatervalue。Shouldmeansbefoundofconvertingthemeatintoportablesoup,thecarcaseofthesheepought,evenatitslowestvalue,tobeconsiderablyhigherthan10s。Nothingisheardaboutthisyet,forthecountryisnotnearlystocked,sothatthethingisnotneeded;butonewould,apriori,beundertheimpressionthatthereshouldultimatelybenoinsuperabledifficultyinrescuingthemeatfromwaste。ItisamatterwhichmightwellattracttheattentionofscientificmeninEngland。Weshouldallbeexceedinglyobligedtothemiftheywouldkindlycausesheeptobeashighas15s。or17s。sevenyearshence,andIcanseenoreasonwhy,ifthemeatcouldbemadeuseof,theyshouldfalllower。
Inotherrespects,whatIhavewrittenaboutsheepontermsistruetothepresentday。
{4}Theaboveistruetothepresentday(August,1862),savethatahigherpricemustbegivenforthegoodwillofarun,andthatsheeparefully30s。ahead。Say8000poundsinsteadof6000pounds,andtherestwillstand。8000poundsshoulddothethinghandsomely。