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diff --git a/old/stlnz10.txt b/old/stlnz10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ee16a26 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/stlnz10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6014 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Station Life in New Zealand , by Lady Barker +#2 in our series by Lady Barker + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: Station Life in New Zealand + +Author: Lady Barker + +Release Date: July, 2004 [EBook #6104] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on November 6, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STATION LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND *** + + + + +Produced by P J Riddick + + + + + + +Station Life in New Zealand + +by Lady Barker. + +1883 + + + +Preface. + +These letters, their writer is aware, justly incur the reproach of +egotism and triviality; at the same time she did not see how this +was to be avoided, without lessening their value as the exact +account of a lady's experience of the brighter and less practical +side of colonization. They are published as no guide or handbook +for "the intending emigrant;" that person has already a literature +to himself, and will scarcely find here so much as a single +statistic. They simply record the expeditions, adventures, and +emergencies diversifying the daily life of the wife of a New Zealand +sheep-farmer; and, as each was written while the novelty and +excitement of the scenes it describes were fresh upon her, they may +succeed in giving here in England an adequate impression of the +delight and freedom of an existence so far removed from our own +highly-wrought civilization: not failing in this, the writer will +gladly bear the burden of any critical rebuke the letters deserve. +One thing she hopes will plainly appear,--that, however hard it was +to part, by the width of the whole earth, from dear friends and +spots scarcely less dear, yet she soon found in that new country new +friends and a new home; costing her in their turn almost as many +parting regrets as the old. +F. N. B. + + + +Letter I: Two months at sea--Melbourne. + + +Port Phillip Hotel, Melbourne. September 22d, 1865. +.... Now I must give you an account of our voyage: it has been a +very quick one for the immense distance traversed, sometimes under +canvas, but generally steaming. We saw no land between the Lizard +and Cape Otway light--that is, for fifty-seven days: and oh, the +monotony of that time!--the monotony of it! Our decks were so +crowded that we divided our walking hours, in order that each set of +passengers might have space to move about; for if every one had +taken it into their heads to exercise themselves at the same time, +we could hardly have exceeded the fisherman's definition of a walk, +"two steps and overboard." I am ashamed to say I was more or less +ill all the way, but, fortunately, F--- was not, and I rejoiced at +this from the most selfish motives, as he was able to take care of +me. I find that sea-sickness develops the worst part of one's +character with startling rapidity, and, as far as I am concerned, I +look back with self-abasement upon my callous indifference to the +sufferings of others, and apathetic absorption in my individual +misery. + +Until we had fairly embarked, the well-meaning but ignorant among +our friends constantly assured us, with an air of conviction as to +the truth and wisdom of their words, that we were going at the very +best season of the year; but as soon as we could gather the opinions +of those in authority on board, it gradually leaked out that we +really had fallen upon quite a wrong time for such a voyage, for we +very soon found ourselves in the tropics during their hottest month +(early in August), and after having been nearly roasted for three +weeks, we plunged abruptly into mid-winter, or at all events very +early spring, off the Cape of Good Hope, and went through a season +of bitterly cold weather, with three heavy gales. I pitied the poor +sailors from the bottom of my heart, at their work all night on +decks slippery with ice, and pulling at ropes so frozen that it was +almost impossible to bend them; but, thank God, there were no +casualties among the men. The last gale was the most severe; they +said it was the tail of a cyclone. One is apt on land to regard +such phrases as the "shriek of the storm," or "the roar of the +waves," as poetical hyperboles; whereas they are very literal and +expressive renderings of the sounds of horror incessant throughout a +gale at sea. Our cabin, though very nice and comfortable in other +respects, possessed an extraordinary attraction for any stray wave +which might be wandering about the saloon: once or twice I have been +in the cuddy when a sea found its way down the companion, and I have +watched with horrible anxiety a ton or so of water hesitating which +cabin it should enter and deluge, and it always seemed to choose +ours. All these miseries appear now, after even a few days of the +blessed land, to belong to a distant past; but I feel inclined to +lay my pen down and have a hearty laugh at the recollection of one +cold night, when a heavy "thud" burst open our cabin door, and +washed out all the stray parcels, boots, etc., from the corners in +which the rolling of the ship had previously bestowed them. I was +high and dry in the top berth, but poor F--- in the lower recess was +awakened by the douche, and no words of mine can convey to you the +utter absurdity of his appearance, as he nimbly mounted on the top +of a chest of drawers close by, and crouched there, wet and +shivering, handing me up a most miscellaneous assortment of goods to +take care of in my little dry nest. + +Some of our fellow-passengers were very good-natured, and devoted +themselves to cheering and enlivening us by getting up concerts, +little burlesques and other amusements; and very grateful we were +for their efforts: they say that "anything is fun in the country," +but on board ship a little wit goes a very long way indeed, for all +are only too ready and anxious to be amused. The whole dramatic +strength of the company was called into force for the performance of +"The Rivals," which was given a week or so before the end of the +voyage. It went off wonderfully well; but I confess I enjoyed the +preparations more than the play itself: the ingenuity displayed was +very amusing at the time. You on shore cannot imagine how difficult +it was to find a snuff-box for "Sir Anthony Absolute," or with what +joy and admiration we welcomed a clever substitute for it in the +shape of a match-box covered with the lead out of a tea-chest most +ingeniously modelled into an embossed wreath round the lid, with a +bunch of leaves and buds in the centre, the whole being brightly +burnished: at the performance the effect of this little "property" +was really excellent. Then, at the last moment, poor "Bob Acres" +had to give in, and acknowledge that he could not speak for +coughing; he had been suffering from bronchitis for some days past, +but had gallantly striven to make himself heard at rehearsals; so on +the day of the play F--- had the part forced on him. There was no +time to learn his "words," so he wrote out all of them in large +letters on slips of paper and fastened them on the beams. This +device was invisible to the audience, but he was obliged to go +through his scenes with his head as high up as if he had on a +martingale; however, we were all so indulgent that at any little +_contretemps_, such as one of the actresses forgetting her part or +being seized by stage-fright, the applause was much greater than +when things went smoothly. + +I can hardly believe that it is only two days since we steamed into +Hobson's Bay, on a lovely bright spring morning. At dinner, the +evening before, our dear old captain had said that we should see the +revolving light on the nearest headland about eight o'clock that +evening, and so we did. You will not think me childish, if I +acknowledge that my eyes were so full of tears I could hardly see it +after the first glimpse; it is impossible to express in a letter all +the joy and thankfulness of such a moment. Feelings like these are +forgotten only too quickly in the jar and bustle of daily life, and +we are always ready to take as a matter of course those mercies +which are new every morning; but when I realized that all the tosses +and tumbles of so many weary days and nights were over, and that at +last we had reached the haven where we would be, my first thought +was one of deep gratitude. It was easy to see that it was a good +moment with everyone; squabbles were made up with surprising +quickness; shy people grew suddenly sociable; some who had +comfortable homes to go to on landing gave kind and welcome +invitations to others, who felt themselves sadly strange in a new +country; and it was with really a lingering feeling of regret that +we all separated at last, though a very short time before we should +have thought it quite impossible to be anything but delighted to +leave the ship. + +We have not seen much of Melbourne yet, as there has been a great +deal to do in looking after the luggage, and at first one is capable +of nothing but a delightful idleness. The keenest enjoyment is a +fresh-water bath, and next to that is the new and agreeable luxury +of the ample space for dressing; and then it is so pleasant to +suffer no anxiety as to the brushes and combs tumbling about. I +should think that even the vainest woman in the world would find her +toilet and its duties a daily trouble and a sorrow at sea, on +account of the unsteadiness of all things. The next delight is +standing at the window, and seeing horses, and trees, and dogs--in +fact, all the "treasures of the land;" as for flowers--beautiful as +they are at all times--you cannot learn to appreciate them enough +until you have been deprived of them for two months. + +You know that I have travelled a good deal in various parts of the +world, but I have never seen. anything at all like Melbourne. In +other countries, it is generally the antiquity of the cities, and +their historical reminiscences, which appeal to the imagination; but +_here_, the interest is as great from exactly the opposite cause. +It is most wonderful to walk through a splendid town, with +magnificent public buildings, churches, shops, clubs, theatres, with +the streets well paved and lighted, and to think that less than +forty years ago it was a desolate swamp without even a hut upon it. +How little an English country town progresses in forty years, and +here is a splendid city created in that time! I have no hesitation +in saying, that any fashionable novelty which comes out in either +London or Paris finds its way to Melbourne by the next steamer; for +instance, I broke my parasol on board ship, and the first thing I +did on landing was to go to one of the best shops in Collins Street +to replace it. On learning what I wanted, the shopman showed me +some of those new parasols which had just come out in London before +I sailed, and which I had vainly tried to procure in S---, only four +hours from London. + +The only public place we have yet visited is the Acclimatization +Garden; which is very beautifully laid out, and full of aviaries, +though it looks strange to see common English birds treated as +distinguished visitors and sumptuously lodged and cared for. +Naturally, the Australian ones interest me most, and they are +certainly prettier than yours at home, though they do not sing. I +have been already to a shop where they sell skins of birds, and have +half ruined myself in purchases for hats. You are to have a +"diamond sparrow," a dear little fellow with reddish brown plumage, +and white spots over its body (in this respect a miniature copy of +the Argus pheasant I brought from India), and a triangular patch of +bright yellow under its throat. I saw some of them alive in a cage +in the market with many other kinds of small birds, and several +pairs of those pretty grass or zebra paroquets, which are called +here by the very inharmonious name of "budgerighars." I admired the +blue wren so much--a tiny _birdeen_ with tail and body of +dust-coloured feathers, and head and throat of a most lovely +turquoise blue; it has also a little wattle of these blue feathers +standing straight out on each side of its head, which gives it a +very pert appearance. Then there is the emu-wren, all sad-coloured, +but quaint, with the tail-feathers sticking up on end, and exactly +like those of an emu; on the very smallest scale, even to the +peculiarity of two feathers growing out of the same little quill. I +was much amused by the varieties of cockatoos, parrots, and lories +of every kind and colour, shrieking and jabbering in the part of the +market devoted to them; but I am told that I have seen very few of +the varieties of birds, as it is early in the spring, and the young +ones have not yet been brought in: they appear to sell as fast as +they can be procured. But before I end my letter I must tell you +about the cockatoo belonging to this hotel. It is a famous bird in +its way, having had its portrait taken several times, descriptions +written for newspapers of its talents, and its owner boasts of +enormous sums offered and refused for it. Knowing my fondness for +pets, F--- took me downstairs to see it very soon after our arrival. +I thought it hideous: it belongs to a kind not very well known in +England, of a dirtyish white colour, a very ugly-shaped head and +bill, and large bluish rings round the eyes; the beak is huge and +curved. If it knew of this last objection on my part, it would +probably answer, like the wolf in Red Riding Hood's story, "the +better to talk with, my dear"--for it is a weird and knowing bird. +At first it flatly refused to show off any of its accomplishments, +but one of the hotel servants good-naturedly came forward, and Cocky +condescended to go through his performances. I cannot possibly-tell +you of all its antics: it pretended to have a violent toothache, and +nursed its beak in its claw, rocking itself backwards and forwards +as if in the greatest agony, and in answer to all the remedies which +were proposed, croaking out, "Oh, it ain't a bit of good," and +finally sidling up, to the edge of its perch, and saying in hoarse +but confidential whisper, "Give us a drop of whisky, _do_." Its +voice was extraordinarily distinct, and when it sang several +snatches of songs the words were capitally given, with the most +absurdly comic intonation, all the _roulades_ being executed in +perfect tune. I liked its sewing performance so much--to see it +hold a little piece of stuff underneath the claw which rested on the +perch, and pretend to sew with the other, getting into difficulties +with its thread, and finally setting up a loud song in praise of +sewing-machines just as if it were an advertisement. + +By the next time I write I shall have seen more of Melbourne; there +will, however, be no time for another letter by this mail; but I +will leave one to be posted after we sail for New Zealand. + + + +Letter II: Sight-seeing in Melbourne. + + +Melbourne, October 1st, 1865. +I have left my letter to the last moment before starting for +Lyttleton; everything is re-packed and ready, and we sail to-morrow +morning in the _Albion_. She is a mail-steamer--very small after +our large vessel, but she looks clean and tidy; at all events, we +hope to be only on board her for ten days. In England one fancies +that New Zealand is quite close to Australia, so I was rather +disgusted to find we had another thousand miles of steaming to do +before we could reach our new home; and one of the many Job's +comforters who are scattered up and down the world assures me that +the navigation is the most dangerous and difficult of the whole +voyage. + +We have seen a good deal of Melbourne this week; and not only of the +town, for we have had many drives in the exceedingly pretty suburbs, +owing to the kindness of the D---s, who have been most hospitable +and made our visit here delightful. We drove out to their house at +Toorak three or four times; and spent a long afternoon with them; +and there I began to make acquaintance with the Antipodean trees and +flowers. I hope you will not think it a very sweeping assertion if +I say that all the leaves look as if they were made of leather, but +it really is so; the hot winds appear to parch up everything, at all +events. round Melbourne, till the greatest charm of foliage is more +or less lost; the flowers also look withered and burnt up, as yours +do at the end of a long, dry summer, only they assume this +appearance after the first hot wind in spring. The suburb called +Heidelberg is the prettiest, to my taste--an undulating country with +vineyards, and a park-like appearance which, is very charming. All +round Melbourne there are nice, comfortable, English-looking villas. +At one of these we called to return a visit and found a very +handsome house, luxuriously furnished, with beautiful garden and +grounds. One afternoon we went by rail to St. Kilda's, a +flourishing bathing-place on the sea-coast, about six miles from +Melbourne. Everywhere building is going on with great rapidity, and +you do not see any poor people in the streets. If I wanted to be +critical and find fault, I might object to the deep gutters on each +side of the road; after a shower of rain they are raging torrents +for a short time, through which you are obliged to splash without +regard to the muddy consequences; and even when they are dry, they +entail sudden and prodigious jolts. There are plenty of Hansoms and +all sorts of other conveyances, but I gave F--- no peace until he +took me for a drive in a vehicle which was quite new to me--a sort +of light car with a canopy and curtains, holding four, two on each +seat, _dos-a-dos_, and called a "jingle,"--of American parentage, I +fancy. One drive in this carriage was quite enough, however, and I +contented myself with Hansoms afterwards; but walking is really more +enjoyable than anything else, after having been so long cooped up on +board ship. + +We admired the fine statue, at the top of Collins Street, to the +memory of the two most famous of Australian explorers, Burke and +Wills, and made many visits to the Museum, and the glorious Free +Library; we also went all over the Houses of Legislature--very new +and grand. But you must not despise me if I confess to having +enjoyed the shops exceedingly: it was so unlike a jeweller's shop in +England to see on the counter gold in its raw state, in nuggets and +dust and flakes; in this stage of its existence it certainly +deserves its name of "filthy lucre," for it is often only half +washed. There were quantities of emus' eggs in the silversmiths' +shops, mounted in every conceivable way as cups and vases, and even +as work-boxes: some designs consisted of three or five eggs grouped +together as a centre-piece. I cannot honestly say I admired any of +them; they were generally too elaborate, comprising often a native +(spear in hand), a kangaroo, palms, ferns, cockatoos, and sometimes +an emu or two in addition, as a pedestal--all this in frosted silver +or gold. I was given a pair of these eggs before leaving England: +they were mounted in London as little flower-vases in a setting +consisting only of a few bulrushes and leaves, yet far better than +any of these florid designs; but he emu-eggs are very popular in +Sydney or Melbourne, and I am told sell rapidly to people going +home, who take them as a memento of their Australian life, and +probably think that the greater the number of reminiscences +suggested by the ornament the more satisfactory it is as a purchase. + +I must finish my letter by a description of a dinner-party which +about a dozen of our fellow-passengers joined with us in giving our +dear old captain before we all separated. Whilst we were on board, +it very often happened that the food was not very choice or good: at +all events we used sometimes to grumble at it, and we generally +wound up our lamentations by agreeing that when we reached Melbourne +we would have a good dinner together. Looking back on it, I must +say I think we were all rather greedy, but we tried to give a better +colouring to our gourmandism by inviting the captain, who was +universally popular, and by making it as elegant and pretty a repast +as possible. Three or four of the gentlemen formed themselves into +a committee, and they must really have worked very hard; at all +events they collected everything rare and strange in the way of +fish, flesh, and fowl peculiar to Australia, the arrangement of the +table was charming, and the delicacies were all cooked and served to +perfection. The ladies' tastes were considered in the profusion of +flowers, and we each found an exquisite bouquet by our plate. I +cannot possibly give you a minute account of the whole menu; in +fact, as it is, I feel rather like Froissart, who, after chronicling +a long list of sumptuous dishes, is not ashamed to confess, "Of all +which good things I, the chronicler of this narration, did partake!" +The soups comprised kangaroo-tail--a clear soup not unlike ox-tail, +but with a flavour of game. I wish I could recollect the names of +the fish: the fresh-water ones came a long distance by rail from the +river Murray, but were excellent nevertheless. The last thing which +I can remember tasting (for one really could do little else) was a +most exquisite morsel of pigeon--more like a quail than anything +else in flavour. I am not a judge of wine, as you may imagine, +therefore it is no unkindness to the owners of the beautiful +vineyards which we saw the other day, to say that I do not like the +Australian wines. Some of the gentlemen pronounced them to be +excellent, especially the equivalent to Sauterne, which has a +wonderful native name impossible to write down; but, as I said +before, I do not like the rather rough flavour. We had not a great +variety of fruit at dessert: indeed, Sydney oranges constituted its +main feature, as it is too late for winter fruits, and too early for +summer ones: but we were not inclined. to be over-fastidious, and +thought everything delicious. + + + +Letter III: On to New Zealand. + + +Christchurch, Canterbury, N. Z. October 14th, 1865. +As you so particularly desired me when we parted to tell you +_everything_, I must resume my story where in my last letter I left +it off. If I remember rightly, I ended with an attempt at +describing our great feast. We embarked the next day, and as soon +as we were out of the bay the little _Albion_ plunged into heavy +seas. The motion was much worse in her than on board the large +vessel we had been so glad to leave, and all my previous sufferings +seemed insignificant compared with what I endured in my small and +wretchedly hard berth. I have a dim recollection of F--- helping me +to dress, wrapping me up in various shawls, and half carrying me up +the companion ladder; I crawled into a sunny corner among the boxes +of oranges with which the deck was crowded, and there I lay helpless +and utterly miserable. One well-meaning and good-natured +fellow-passenger asked F--- if I was fond of birds, and on his +saying "Yes," went off for a large wicker cage of hideous "laughing +Jackasses," which he was taking as a great treasure to Canterbury. +Why they should be called "Jackasses" I never could discover; but +the creatures certainly do utter by fits and starts a sound which +may fairly be described as laughter. These paroxysms arise from no +cause that one can perceive; one bird begins, and all the others +join in, and a more doleful and depressing chorus I never heard: +early in the morning seemed the favourite time for this discordant +mirth. Their owner also possessed a cockatoo with a great musical +reputation, but I never heard it get beyond the first bar of "Come +into the garden, Maud." Ill as I was, I remember being roused to +something like a flicker of animation when I was shown an +exceedingly seedy and shabby-looking blackbird with a broken leg in +splints, which its master (the same bird-fancying gentleman) assured +me he had bought in Melbourne as a great bargain for only 2 pounds +10 shillings! + +After five days' steaming we arrived in the open roadstead of +Hokitika, on the west coast of the middle island of New Zealand, and +five minutes after the anchor was down a little tug came alongside +to take away our steerage passengers--three hundred diggers. The +gold-fields on this coast were only discovered eight months ago, and +already several canvas towns have sprung up; there are thirty +thousand diggers at work, and every vessel brings a fresh cargo of +stalwart, sun-burnt men. It was rather late, and getting dark, but +still I could distinctly see the picturesque tents in the deep +mountain gorge, their white shapes dotted here and there as far back +from the shore as my sight could follow, and the wreaths of smoke +curling up in all directions from the evening fires: it is still +bitterly cold at night, being very early spring. The river Hokitika +washes down with every fresh such quantities of sand, that a bar is +continually forming in this roadstead, and though only vessels of +the least possible draught are engaged in the coasting-trade, still +wrecks are of frequent occurrence. We ought to have landed our +thousands of oranges here, but this work was necessarily deferred +till the morning, for it was as much as they could do to get all the +diggers and their belongings safely ashore before dark; in the +middle of the night one of the sudden and furious gales common to +these seas sprang up, and would soon have driven us on the rocks if +we had not got our steam up quickly and struggled out to sea, +oranges and all, and away to Nelson, on the north coast of the same +island. Here we landed the seventh day after leaving Melbourne, and +spent a few hours wandering about on shore. It is a lovely little +town, as I saw it that spring morning, with hills running down +almost to the water's edge, and small wooden houses with gables and +verandahs, half buried in creepers, built up the sides of the steep +slopes. It was a true New Zealand day, still and bright, a +delicious invigorating freshness in the air, without the least +chill, the sky of a more than Italian blue, the ranges of mountains +in the distance covered with snow, and standing out, sharp and clear +against this lovely glowing heaven. The town itself, I must say, +seemed very dull and stagnant, with little sign of life or activity +about it; but nothing can be prettier or more picturesque than its +situation--not unlike that of a Swiss village. Our day came to an +end all too soon, and we re-embarked for Wellington, the most +southern town of the North Island. The seat of government is there, +and it is supposed to be a very thriving place, but is not nearly so +well situated as Nelson nor so attractive to strangers. We landed +and walked about a good deal, and saw what little there was to see. +At first I thought the shops very handsome, but I found, rather to +my disgust, that generally the fine, imposing frontage was all a +sham; the actual building was only a little but at the back, looking +all the meaner for the contrast to the cornices and show windows in +front. You cannot think how odd it was to turn a corner and see +that the building was only one board in thickness, and scarcely more +substantial than the scenes at a theatre. We lunched at the +principal hotel, where F--- was much amused at my astonishment at +colonial prices. We had two dozen very nice little oysters, and he +had a glass of porter: for this modest repast we paid eleven +shillings! + +We slept on board, had another walk on shore after breakfast the +following morning, and about twelve o'clock set off for Lyttleton, +the final end of our voyaging, which we reached in about twenty +hours. + +The scenery is very beautiful all along the coast, but the +navigation is both dangerous and difficult. It was exceedingly +cold, and Lyttleton did not look very inviting; we could not get in +at all near the landing-place, and had to pay 2 pounds to be rowed +ashore in an open boat with our luggage. I assure you it was a very +"bad quarter of an hour" we passed in that boat; getting into it was +difficult enough. The spray dashed over us every minute, and by the +time we landed we were quite drenched, but a good fire at the hotel +and a capital lunch soon made us all right again; besides, in the +delight of being actually at the end of our voyage no annoyance or +discomfort was worth a moment's thought. F--- had a couple of +hours' work rushing backwards and forwards to the Custom House, +clearing our luggage, and arranging for some sort of conveyance to +take us over the hills. The great tunnel through these "Port Hills" +(which divide Lyttleton from Christchurch, the capital of +Canterbury) is only half finished, but it seems wonderful that so +expensive and difficult an engineering work could be undertaken by +such an infant colony. + +At last a sort of shabby waggonette was forthcoming, and about three +o'clock we started from Lyttleton, and almost immediately began to +ascend the zig-zag. It was a tremendous pull for the poor horses, +who however never flinched; at the steepest pinch the gentlemen were +requested to get out and walk, which they did, and at length we +reached the top. It was worth all the bad road to look down on the +land-locked bay, with the little patches of cultivation, a few +houses nestling in pretty recesses. The town of Lyttleton seemed +much more imposing and important as we rose above it: fifteen years +ago a few sheds received the "Pilgrims," as the first comers are +always called. I like the name; it is so pretty and suggestive. By +the way, I am told that these four ships, sent out with the pilgrims +by the Canterbury Association, sailed together from England, parted +company almost directly, and arrived in Lyttleton (then called Port +Cooper) four months afterwards, on the same day, having all +experienced fine weather, but never having sighted each other once. + +As soon as we reached the top of the hill the driver looked to the +harness of his horses, put on a very powerful double break, and we +began the descent, which, I must say, I thought we took much too +quickly, especially as at every turn of the road some little +anecdote was forthcoming of an upset or accident; however, I would +not show the least alarm, and we were soon rattling along the Sumner +Road, by the sea-shore, passing every now and then under tremendous +overhanging crags. In half an hour we reached Sumner itself, where +we stopped for a few moments to change horses. There is an inn and +a village here, where people from Christchurch come in the warm +weather for sea-air and bathing. It began to rain hard, and the +rest of the journey, some seven or eight miles, was disagreeable +enough; but it was the _end_, and that one thought was sufficient to +keep us radiantly good-humoured, in spite of all little trials. +When we reached Christchurch, we drove at once to a sort of +boarding-house where we had engaged apartments, and thought of +nothing but supper and bed. + +The next day people began calling, and certainly I cannot complain +of any coldness or want of welcome to my new home. I like what I +have seen of my future acquaintances very much. Of course there is +a very practical style and tone over everything, though outwardly +the place is as civilized as if it were a hundred years old; +well-paved streets, gas lamps, and even drinking fountains and +pillar post-offices! I often find myself wondering whether the +ladies here are at all like what our great grandmothers were. I +suspect they are, for they appear to possess an amount of useful +practical knowledge which is quite astonishing, and yet know how to +surround themselves, according to their means and opportunities, +with the refinements and elegancies of life. I feel quite ashamed +of my own utter ignorance on every subject, and am determined to set +to work directly and learn: at all events I shall have plenty of +instructresses. Christchurch is a very pretty little town, still +primitive enough to be picturesque, and yet very thriving: capital +shops, where everything may be bought; churches, public buildings, a +very handsome club-house, etc. Most of the houses are of wood, but +when they are burned down (which is often the case) they are now +rebuilt of brick or stone, so that the new ones are nearly all of +these more solid materials. I am disappointed to find that, the +cathedral, of which I had heard so much, has not progressed beyond +the foundations, which cost 8,000 pounds: all the works have been +stopped, and certainly there is not much to show for so large a sum, +but labour is very dear. Christchurch is a great deal more lively +and bustling than most English country towns, and I am much struck +by the healthy appearance of the people. There are no paupers to be +seen; every one seems well fed and well clothed; the children are +really splendid. Of course, as might be expected, there is a great +deal of independence in bearing and manner, especially among the +servants, and I hear astounding stories concerning them on all +sides. My next letter will be from the country, as we have accepted +an invitation to pay a visit of six weeks or so to a station in the +north of the province. + + + +Letter IV: First introduction to "Station life." + + +Heathstock, Canterbury, November 13th, 1865. +I have just had the happiness of receiving my first budget of +English letters; and no one can imagine how a satisfactory home +letter satisfies the hunger of the heart after its loved and left +ones. Your letter was particularly pleasant, because I could +perceive, as I held the paper in my hands, that you were writing as +you really felt, and that you were indeed happy. May you long +continue so, dearest. + +F--- says that this beautiful place will give me a very erroneous +impression of station life, and that I shall probably expect to find +its comforts and luxuries the rule, whereas they are the exception; +in the mean time, however, I am enjoying them thoroughly. The house +is only sixty-five miles from Christchurch, nearly due north (which +you must not forget answers to your south in point of warmth). Our +kind friends and hosts, the L---s, called for us in their +comfortable and large break, with four horses. Mr. L--- drove, F--- +sat on the box, and inside were the ladies, children, and a nurse. +Our first stage was to Kaiapoi, a little town on the river +Waimakiriri, where we had a good luncheon of whitebait, and rested +and fed the horses. From the window of the hotel I saw a few groups +of Maories; they looked very ugly and peaceable, with a rude sort of +basket made of flax fibres, or buckets filled with whitebait, which +they wanted us to buy. There are some reserved lands near Kaiapoi +where they have a very thriving settlement, living in perfect peace +and good-will with their white neighbours. When we set off again on +our journey, we passed a little school-house for their children. + +We reached Leathfield that evening, only twenty-five miles from +Christchurch; found a nice inn, or accommodation-house, as roadside +inns are called here; had a capital supper and comfortable beds, and +were up and off again at daylight the next morning. As far as the +Weka Pass, where we stopped for dinner, the roads were very good, +but after that we got more among the hills and off the usual track, +and there were many sharp turns and steep pinches; but Mr. L--- is +an excellent whip, and took great care of us. We all got very weary +towards the end of this second day's journey, and the last two hours +of it were in heavy rain; it was growing very dark when we reached +the gate, and heard the welcome sound of gravel under the wheels. I +could just perceive that we had entered a plantation, the first +trees since we left Christchurch. Nothing seems so wonderful to me +as the utter treelessness of the vast Canterbury plains; +occasionally you pass a few Ti-ti palms (ordinarily called +cabbage-trees), or a large prickly bush which goes by the name of +"wild Irishman," but for miles and miles you see nothing but flat +ground or slightly undulating downs of yellow tussocks, the tall +native grass. It has the colour and appearance of hay, but serves +as shelter for a delicious undergrowth of short sweet herbage, upon +which the sheep live, and horses also do very well on it, keeping in +good working condition, quite unlike their puffy, fat state on +English pasture. + +We drove through the plantation and another gate, and drew up at the +door of a very large, handsome, brick house, with projecting gables +and a verandah. The older I grow the more convinced I am that +contrast is everything in this world; and nothing I can write can +give you any idea of the delightful change from the bleak country we +had been slowly travelling through in pouring rain, to the warmth +and brightness of this charming house. There were blazing fires +ready to welcome us, and I feel sure you will sufficiently +appreciate this fact when I tell you that by the time the coal +reaches this, it costs nine pounds per ton. It is possible to get +Australian coal at about half the price, but it is not nearly as +good. + +We were so tired that we were only fit for the lowest phase of human +enjoyment--warmth, food, and sleep; but the next morning was bright +and lovely, and I was up and out in the verandah as early as +possible. I found myself saying constantly, in a sort of ecstasy, +"How I wish they could see this in England!" and not only see but +feel it, for the very breath one draws on such a morning is a +happiness; the air is so light and yet balmy, it seems to heal the +lungs as you inhale it. The verandah is covered with honeysuckles +and other creepers, and the gable end of the house where the +bow-window of the drawing-room projects, is one mass of yellow +Banksia roses in full blossom. A stream runs through the grounds, +fringed with weeping willows, which are in their greatest beauty at +this time of year, with their soft, feathery foliage of the +tenderest green. The flower beds are dotted about the lawn, which +surrounds the house and slopes away from it, and they are brilliant +patches of colour, gay with verbenas, geraniums, and petunias. Here +and there clumps of tall trees rise above the shrubs, and as a +background there is a thick plantation of red and blue gums, to +shelter the garden from the strong N.W. winds. Then, in front, the +country stretches away in undulating downs to a chain of high hills +in the distance: every now and then there is a deep gap in these, +through which you see magnificent snow-covered mountains. + +The inside of the house is as charming as the outside, and the +perfection of comfort; but I am perpetually wondering how all the +furniture--especially the fragile part of it--got here. When I +remember the jolts, and ruts, and roughnesses of the road, I find +myself looking at the pier-glass and glass shades, picture-frames, +etc., with a sort of respect, due to them for having survived so +many dangers. + +The first two or three days we enjoyed ourselves in a thoroughly +lazy manner; the garden was a never-ending source of delight, and +there were all the animals to make friends with, "mobs" of horses to +look at, rabbits, poultry, and pets of all sorts. About a week +after our arrival, some more gentlemen came, and then we had a +series of picnics. As these are quite unlike your highly civilized +entertainments which go by the same name, I must describe one to +you. + +The first thing after breakfast was to collect all the provisions, +and pack them in a sort of washing-basket, and then we started in an +American waggon drawn by a pair of stout cobs. We drove for some +miles till we came to the edge of one of the high terraces common to +New Zealand scenery: here we all got out; the gentlemen unharnessed +and tethered the horses, so that they could feed about comfortably, +and then we scrambled down the deep slope, at the bottom of which +ran a wide shallow creek. It was no easy matter to get the basket +down here, I assure you; we ladies were only permitted to load +ourselves, one with a little kettle, and the other with a tea-pot, +but this was quite enough, as crossing the creek by a series of +jumps from one wet stone to another is not easy for a beginner. + +Mr. L--- brought a large dog with him, a kangaroo-hound (not unlike +a lurcher in appearance), to hunt the wekas. I had heard at night +the peculiar cry or call of these birds, but had not seen one until +to-day. "Fly" put up several, one after another, and soon ran them +down. At first I thought it very cruel to destroy such a tame and +apparently harmless creature, but I am assured that they are most +mischievous, and that it would be useless to turn out the pheasants +and partridges which Mr. L--- has brought from England, until the +numbers of the wekas are considerably reduced. They are very like a +hen pheasant without the long tail feathers, and until you examine +them you cannot tell they have no wings, though there is a sort of +small pinion among the feathers, with a claw at the end of it. They +run very swiftly, availing themselves cleverly of the least bit of +cover; but when you hear a short sharp cry, it is a sign that the +poor weka is nearly done, and the next thing you see is Fly shaking +a bundle of brown feathers vehemently. All the dogs are trained to +hunt these birds, as they are a great torment, sucking eggs and +killing chickens; but still I could not help feeling sorry when Fly, +having disposed of the mother, returned to the flax-bush out of +which he had started her, and killed several baby-wekas by +successive taps of his paw. + +I have wandered away from my account of the picnic in the most +unjustifiable manner. The gentlemen were toiling up the hill, after +we had crossed the creek, carrying the big basket by turns between +them; it was really hard work, and I must tell you in confidence, +that I don't believe they liked it--at least I can answer for one. +I laughed at them for not enjoying their task, and assured them that +I was looking forward with pleasure to washing up the plates and +dishes after our luncheon; but I found that they had all been +obliged, in the early days of the colony, to work at domestic +drudgery in grim and grimy earnest, so it had lost the charm of +novelty which it still possessed for me. + +As soon as we reached a pretty sheltered spot half-way up the hill +among some trees and ferns, and by the side of the creek, we +unpacked the basket, and began collecting dry wood for a fire: we +soon had a splendid blaze under the lee of a fine rock, and there we +boiled our kettle and our potatoes. The next thing was to find a +deep hole in the creek, so over-shadowed by rocks and trees that the +water would be icy cold: in this we put the champagne to cool. The +result of all our preparations was a capital luncheon, eaten in a +most romantic spot, with a lovely view before us, and the creek just +like a Scotch burn, hurrying and tumbling down the hill-side to join +the broader stream in the valley. After luncheon, the gentlemen +considered themselves entitled to rest, lying lazily back among the +fern and smoking, whilst we ladies sat a little apart and chatted: I +was busy learning to knit. Then, about five, we had the most +delicious cup of tea I ever tasted, and we repacked the basket (it +was very light now, I assure you), and made our way back to the top +of the terrace, put the horses in again, and so home. It was a +long, bright, summer holiday, and we enjoyed it thoroughly. After a +voyage, such an expedition as this is full of delight; every tree +and bird is a source of pleasure. + + + +Letter V: A pastoral letter. + + +Heathstock, December 1st, 1865. +All I can find to tell you this month is that I have seen one of the +finest and best wool-sheds in the country in full work. Anything +about sheep is as new to you as it is to me, so I shall begin my +story at the very beginning. + +I am afraid you will think us a very greedy set of people in this +part of the world, for eating seems to enter so largely into my +letters; but the fact is--and I may as well confess it at once--I am +in a chronic state of hunger; it is the fault of the fine air and +the outdoor life: and then how one sleeps at night! I don't believe +you really know in England what it is to be sleepy as we feel sleepy +here; and it is delightful to wake up in the morning with the sort +of joyous light-heartedness which only young children have. The +expedition I am going to relate may fairly be said to have begun +with eating, for although we started for our twelve miles' drive +over the downs immediately after an excellent and somewhat late +breakfast, yet by the time we reached the Home Station we were quite +ready for luncheon. All the work connected with the sheep is +carried on here. The manager has a nice house; and the wool-shed, +men's huts, dip, etc., are near each other. It is the busiest +season of the year, and no time could be spared to prepare for us; +we therefore contented ourselves with what was described to me as +ordinary station fare, and I must tell you what they gave us: first, +a tureen of real mutton-broth, not hot water and chopped parsley, +but excel-lent thick soup, with plenty of barley and meat in it; +this had much the same effect on our appetites as the famous treacle +and brimstone before breakfast in "Nicholas Nickleby," so that we +were only able to manage a few little sheeps' tongues, slightly +pickled; and very nice _they_ were; then we finished with a +Devonshire junket, with clotted cream _a discretion_. Do you think +we were much to be pitied? + +After this repast we were obliged to rest a little before we set out +for the wool-shed, which has only been lately finished, and has all +the newest improvements. At first I am "free to confess" that I did +not like either its sounds or sights; the other two ladies turned +very pale, but I was determined to make myself bear it, and after a +moment or two I found it quite possible to proceed with Mr. L--- +round the "floor." There were about twenty-five shearers at work, +and everything seemed to be very systematically and well arranged. +Each shearer has a trap-door close to him, out of which he pushes +his sheep as soon as the fleece is off, and there are little pens +outside, so that the manager can notice whether the poor animal has +been too much cut with the shears, or badly shorn in any other +respect, and can tell exactly which shearer is to blame. Before +this plan was adopted it was hopeless to try to find out who was the +delinquent, for no one would acknowledge to the least snip. A good +shearer can take off 120 fleeces in a day, but the average is about +80 to each man. They get one pound per hundred, and are found in +everything, having as much tea and sugar, bread and mutton, as they +can consume, and a cook entirely to themselves; they work at least +fourteen hours out of the twenty-four, and with such a large flock +as this--about 50,000--must make a good deal. + +We next inspected the wool tables, to which two boys were +incessantly bringing armfuls of rolled-up fleeces; these were laid +on the tables before the wool-sorters, who opened them out, and +pronounced in a moment to which _bin_ they belonged; two or three +men standing behind rolled them up again rapidly, and put them on a +sort of shelf divided into compartments, which were each labelled, +so that the quality and kind of wool could be told at a glance. +There was a constant emptying of these bins into trucks to be +carried off to the press, where we followed to see the bales packed. +The fleeces are tumbled in, and a heavy screw-press forces them down +till the bale--which is kept open in a large square frame--is as +full as it can hold. The top of canvas is then put on, tightly +sewn, four iron pins are removed and the sides of the frame fall +away, disclosing a most symmetrical bale ready to be hoisted by a +crane into the loft above, where it has the brand of the sheep +painted on it, its weight, and to what class the wool belongs. Of +course everything has to be done with great speed and system. + +I was much impressed by the silence in the shed; not a sound was to +be heard except the click of the shears, and the wool-sorter's +decision as he flings the fleece behind him, given in one, or at +most two words. I was reminded how touchingly true is that phrase, +"Like as a sheep before her shearers is dumb." All the noise is +_outside_; there the hubbub, and dust, and apparent confusion are +great,--a constant succession of woolly sheep being brought up to +fill the "skillions" (from whence the shearers take them as they +want them), and the newly-shorn ones, white, clean, and +bewildered-looking, being turned out after they have passed through +a narrow passage, called a "race," where each sheep is branded, and +has its mouth examined in order to tell its age, which is marked in +a book. It was a comfort to think all their troubles were over, for +a year. You can hear nothing but barking and bleating, and this +goes on from early morning till dark. We peeped in at the men's +huts--a long, low wooden building, with two rows of "bunks" (berths, +I should call their) in one compartment, and a table with forms +round it in the other, and piles of tin plates and pannikins all +about. The kitchen was near, and we were just in time to see an +enormous batch of bread withdrawn from a huge brick oven: the other +commissariat arrangements were on the same scale. Cold tea is +supplied all day long to the shearers, and they appear to consume +great quantities of it. + +Our last visit was to the Dip, and it was only a short one, for it +seemed a cruel process; unfortunately, this fine station is in +technical parlance "scabby," and although of course great +precautions are taken, still some 10,000 sheep had an ominous large +S on them. These poor sufferers are dragged down a plank into a +great pit filled with hot water, tobacco, and sulphur, and soused +over head and ears two or three times. This torture is repeated +more than once. + +I was very glad to get away from the Dip, and back to the manager's +house, where we refreshed ourselves by a delicious cup of tea, and +soon after started for a nice long drive home in the cool, clear +evening air. The days are very hot, but never oppressive; and the +mornings and evenings are deliciously fresh and invigorating. You +can remain out late without the least danger. Malaria is unknown, +and, in spite of the heavy rains, there is no such thing as damp. +Our way lay through very pretty country--a series of terraces, with +a range of mountains before us, with beautiful changing and +softening evening tints creeping over the whole. + +I am sorry to say, we leave this next week. I should like to +explore a great deal more. + + + +Letter VI: Society.--houses and servants. + + +Christchurch, January 1866. +I am beginning to get tired of Christchurch already: but the truth +is, I am not in a fair position to judge of it as a place of +residence; for, living temporarily, as we do, in a sort of +boarding-house, I miss the usual duties and occupations of home, and +the town itself has no place of public amusement except a little +theatre, to which it is much too hot to go. The last two weeks have +been _the_ gay ones of the whole year; the races have been going on +for three days, and there have been a few balls; but as a general +rule, the society may be said to be extremely stagnant. No +dinner-parties are ever given--I imagine, on account of the +smallness of the houses and the inefficiency of the servants; but +every now and then there is an assembly ball arranged, in the same +way, I believe, as at watering-places in England only, of course, on +a much smaller scale. I have been at two or three of these, and +noticed at each a most undue preponderance of black coats. Nearly +all the ladies were married, there were very few young girls; and it +would be a great improvement to the Christchurch parties if some of +the pretty and partnerless groups of a London ball-room, in all +their freshness of toilette, could be transferred to them. What a +sensation they would make, and what terrible heart-aches among the +young gentlemen would be the result of such an importation! There +were the same knots of men standing together as at a London party, +but I must say that, except so far as their tailor is concerned, I +think we have the advantage of you, for the gentlemen lead such +healthy lives that they all look more or less bronzed and stalwart-- +in splendid condition, not like your pale dwellers in cities; and +then they come to a ball to dance, arriving early so as to secure +good partners, and their great ambition appears to be to dance every +dance from the first to the last. This makes it hard work for the +few ladies, who are not allowed to sit down for a moment, and I have +often seen a young and pretty partner obliged to divide her dances +between two gentlemen. + + +Although it tells only against myself, I must make you laugh at an +account of a snub I received at one of these balls. Early in the +evening I had danced with a young gentleman whose station was a long +way "up country," and who worked so hard on it that he very seldom +found time for even the mild dissipations of Christchurch; he was +good-looking and gentlemanly, and seemed clever and sensible, a +little _brusque_, perhaps, but one soon gets used to that here. +During our quadrille he confided to me that he hardly knew any +ladies in the room, and that his prospects of getting any dancing +were in consequence very blank. I did all I could to find partners +for him, introducing him to every lady whom I knew, but it was in +vain; they would have been delighted to dance with him, but their +cards were filled. At the end of the evening, when I was feeling +thoroughly done up, and could hardly stand up for fatigue, my poor +friend came up and begged for another dance. I assured him I could +scarcely stand, but when he said in a _larmoyante_ voice, "I have +only danced once this evening, that quadrille with you," my heart +softened, and I thought I would make a great effort and try to get +through one more set of Lancers; my partner seemed so grateful, that +the demon of vanity, or coquetry, or whatever it is that prompts one +to say absurd things induced me to fish for a compliment, and to +observe, "It was not worth while taking all the trouble of riding +such a distance to dance only with me, was it?" Whereupon my poor, +doleful friend answered, with a deep sigh, and an accent of profound +conviction, "No, indeed it was _not_!" I leave you to imagine my +discomfiture; but luckily he never observed it, and I felt all the +time that I richly deserved what I got, for asking such a stupid +question. + +The music at these balls is very bad, and though the principal room +in which they are given, at the Town Hall, is large and handsome, it +is poorly lighted, and the decorations are desolate in the extreme. +I am afraid this is not a very inviting picture of what is almost +our only opportunity of meeting together, but it is tolerably +correct. Visiting appears to be the business of some people's +lives, but the acquaintance does not seem to progress beyond +incessant afternoon calls; we are never asked inside a house, nor, +as far as I can make out, is there any private society whatever, and +the public society consists, as I have said, of a ball every now and +then. + +My greatest interest and occupation consist in going to look at my +house, which is being cut out in Christchurch, and will be drayed to +our station next month, a journey of fifty miles. It is, of course, +only of wood, and seems about as solid as a band-box; but I am +assured by the builder that it will be a "most superior article" +when it is all put together. F--- and I made the little plan of it +ourselves, regulating the size of the drawing-room by the dimensions +of the carpet we brought out, and I petitioned for a little +bay-window, which is to be added; so on my last visit to his +timber-yard, the builder said, with an air of great dignity, "Would +you wish to see the _h_oriel, mum?" The doors all come ready-made +from America, and most of the wood used in building is the Kauri +pine from the North Island. One advantage, at all events, in having +wooden houses is the extreme rapidity with which they are run up, +and there are no plastered walls to need drying. For a long time we +were very uncertain where, and what, we should build on our station; +but only six weeks after we made up our minds, a house is almost +ready for us. The boards are sawn into the requisite lengths by +machinery; and all the carpentering done down here; the frame will +only require to be fitted together when it reaches its destination, +and it is a very good time of year for building, as the wool drays +are all going back empty, and we can get them to take the loads at +reduced prices; but even with this help, it is enormously expensive +to move a small house fifty miles, the last fifteen over bad roads; +it is collar-work for the poor horses all the way, Christchurch +being only nine feet above the sea-level, while our future home in +the Malvern Hills is twelve hundred. + +You know we brought all our furniture out with us, and even papers +for the rooms, just because we happened to have everything; but I +should not recommend any one to do so, for the expense of carriage, +though moderate enough by sea (in a wool ship), is enormous as soon +as it reaches Lyttleton, and goods have to be dragged up country by +horses or bullocks. There are very good shops where you can buy +everything, and besides these there are constant sales by auction +where, I am told, furniture fetches a price sometimes under its +English value. House rent about Christchurch is very high. We +looked at some small houses in and about the suburbs of the town, +when we were undecided about our plans, and were offered the most +inconvenient little dwellings, with rooms which were scarcely bigger +than cupboards, for 200 pounds a year; we saw nothing at a lower +price than this, and any house of a better class, standing in a +nicely arranged shrubbery, is at least 300 pounds per annum. +Cab-hire is another thing which seems to me disproportionately dear, +as horses are very cheap; there are no small fares, half-a-crown +being the lowest "legal tender" to a cabman; and I soon gave up +returning visits when I found that to make a call in a Hansom three +or four miles out of the little town cost one pound or one pound ten +shillings, even remaining only a few minutes at the house. + +All food (except mutton) appears to be as nearly as possible at +London prices; but yet every one looks perfectly well-fed, and +actual want is unknown. Wages of all sorts are high, and +employment, a certainty. The look and bearing of the immigrants +appear to alter soon after they reach the colony. Some people +object to the independence of their manner, but I do not; on the +contrary, I like to see the upright gait, the well-fed, healthy +look, the decent clothes (even if no one touches his hat to you), +instead of the half-starved, depressed appearance, and too often +cringing servility of the mass of our English population. Scotchmen +do particularly well out here; frugal and thrifty, hard-working and +sober, it is easy to predict the future of a man of this type in a +new country. Naturally, the whole tone of thought and feeling is +almost exclusively practical; even in a morning visit there is no +small-talk. I find no difficulty in obtaining the useful +information upon domestic subjects which I so much need; for it is +sad to discover, after all my house-keeping experience, that I am +still perfectly ignorant. Here it is necessary to know _how_ +everything should be done; it is not sufficient to give an order, +you must also be in a position to explain how it is to be carried +out I felt quite guilty when I saw the picture in _Punch_ the other +day, of a young and inexperienced matron requesting her cook "not to +put any lumps into the melted butter," and reflected that I did not +know how lumps should be kept out; so, as I am fortunate enough to +number among my new friends a lady who is as clever in these +culinary details as she is bright and charming in society, I +immediately went to her for a lesson in the art of making melted +butter without putting lumps into it. + +The great complaint, the never-ending subject of comparison and +lamentation among ladies, is the utter ignorance and inefficiency of +their female servants. As soon as a ship comes in it is besieged +with people who want servants, but it is very rare to get one who +knows how to do anything as it ought to be done. Their lack of all +knowledge of the commonest domestic duties is most surprising, and +makes one wonder who in England did the necessary things of daily +cottage life for them, for they appear to have done nothing for +themselves hitherto. As for a woman knowing how to cook, that seems +the very last accomplishment they acquire; a girl will come to you +as a housemaid at 25 pounds per annum, and you will find that she +literally does not know how to hold her broom, and has never handled +a duster. When you ask a nurse her qualifications for the care of +perhaps two or three young children, you may find, on close +cross-examination, that she can recollect having once or twice "held +mother's baby," and that she is very firm in her determination that +"you'll keep baby yourself o' nights; mem!" A perfectly +inexperienced girl of this sort will ask, and get, 30 pounds or 35 +pounds per annum, a cook from 35 pounds to 40 pounds; and when they +go "up country," they hint plainly they shall not stay long with +you, and ask higher wages, stipulating with great exactness how they +are to be conveyed free of all expense to and from their place. + +Then, on the other hand, I must say they work desperately hard, and +very cheerfully: I am amazed how few servants are kept even in the +large and better class of houses. As a general rule, they, appear +willing enough to learn, and I hear no complaints of dishonesty or +immorality, though many moans are made of the rapidity with which a +nice tidy young woman is snapped up as a wife; but that is a +complaint no one can sympathise with. On most stations a married +couple is kept; the man either to act as shepherd, or to work in the +garden and look after the cows, and the woman is supposed to attend +to the indoor comforts of the wretched bachelor-master: but she +generally requires to be taught how to bake a loaf of bread, and +boil a potato, as well as how to cook mutton in the simplest form. +In her own cottage at home, who did all these things for her? These +incapables are generally perfectly helpless and awkward at the +wash-tub; no one seems to expect servants to know their business, +and it is very fortunate if they show any capability of learning. + +I must end my long letter by telling you a little story of my own +personal experience in the odd ways of these girls. The housemaid +at the boarding-house where we have stayed since we left Heathstock +is a fat, sonsy, good-natured girl, perfectly ignorant and stupid, +but she has not been long in the colony, and seems willing to learn. +She came to me the other day, and, without the least circumlocution +or hesitation, asked me if I would lend her my riding-habit as a +pattern to give the tailor; adding that she wanted my best and +newest. As soon as I could speak for amazement, I naturally asked +why; she said she had been given a riding-horse, that she had loaned +a saddle, and bought a hat, so now she had nothing on her mind +except the habit; and further added, that she intended to leave her +situation the day before the races, and that it was "her fixed +intent" to appear on horseback each day, and all day long, at these +said races. I inquired if she knew how to ride? No; she had never +mounted any animal in her life. I suggested that she had better +take some lessons before her appearance in public; but she said her +mistress did not like to spare her to "practise," and she stuck +steadily to her point of wanting my habit as a pattern. I could not +lend it to her, fortunately, for it had been sent up to the station +with my saddle, etc.; so had she been killed, as I thought not at +all unlikely, at least my conscience would not have reproached me +for aiding and abetting her equestrian freak. I inquired from every +one who went to the races if they saw or heard of any accident to a +woman on horseback, and I most anxiously watched the newspapers to +see if they contained any notice of the sort, but as there has been +no mention of any catastrophe, I suppose she has escaped safely. +Her horse must have been quieter and better broken than they +generally are. F--- says that probably it was a very old "station +screw." I trust so, for her sake! + + + +Letter VII: A young colonist.--the town and its neighbourhood. + + +Christchurch, March 1866. +I must begin my letter this mail with a piece of domestic news, and +tell you of the appearance of your small nephew, now three weeks +old. The youth seems inclined to adapt himself to circumstances, +and to be as sturdy and independent as colonial children generally +are. All my new friends and neighbours proved most kind and +friendly, and were full of good offices. Once I happened to say +that I did not like the food as it was cooked at the boarding-house; +and the next day, and for many days after, all sorts of dainties +were sent to me, prepared by hands which were as skilful on the +piano, or with a pencil, as they were in handling a saucepan. New +books were lent to me, and I was never allowed to be without a +beautiful bouquet. One young lady used constantly to walk in to +town, some two or three miles along a hot and dusty road, laden with +flowers for me, just because she saw how thoroughly I enjoyed her +roses and carnations. Was it not good of her? + +Christchurch has relapsed into the quietude, to call it by no +harsher name. The shearing is finished all over the country, and +the "squatters" (as owners of sheep-stations are called) have +returned to their stations to vegetate, or work, as their tastes and +circumstances may dictate. Very few people live in the town except +the tradespeople; the professional men prefer little villas two or +three miles off. These houses stand in grounds of their own, and +form a very pretty approach to Christchurch, extending a few miles +on all sides: There are large trees bordering most of the streets, +which give a very necessary shade in summer; they are nearly all +English sorts, and have only been planted within a few years. +Poplars, willows, and the blue gum grow quickest, are least affected +by the high winds, and are therefore the most popular. The banks of +the pretty little river Avon, upon which Christchurch is built, are +thickly fringed with weeping willows, interspersed with a few other +trees, and with clumps of tohi, which is exactly like the Pampas +grass you know so well in English shrubberies. I don't think I have +ever told you that it has been found necessary here to legislate +against water-cress. It was introduced a few years since, and has +spread so rapidly as to become a perfect nuisance, choking every +ditch in the neighbourhood of Christchurch, blocking up +mill-streams, causing meadows to be flooded, and doing all kinds of +mischief. + +Towards Riccarton, about four miles out of town, the Avon shows like +a slender stream a few inches wide, moving sluggishly between thick +beds of water-cress, which at this time of year are a mass of white +blossom. It looks so perfectly solid that whenever I am at Ilam, an +insane desire to step on it comes over me, much to F---'s alarm, +who says he is afraid to let me out of his sight, lest I should +attempt to do so. I have only seen one native "bush" or forest yet, +and that is at Riccarton. This patch of tall, gaunt pines serves as +a landmark for miles. Riccarton is one of the oldest farms in the +colony, and I am told it possesses a beautiful garden. I can only +see the gable-end of a house peeping out from among the trees as I +pass. This bush is most carefully preserved, but I believe that +every high wind injures it. + +Christchurch is very prettily situated; for although it stands on a +perfectly flat plain, towards the sea there are the Port Hills, and +the town itself is picturesque, owing to the quantities of trees and +the irregular form of the wooden houses; and as a background we have +the most magnificent chain of mountains--the back-bone of the +island--running from north to south, the highest peaks nearly always +covered with snow, even after such a hot summer as this has been. +The climate is now delicious, answering in time of year to your +September; but we have far more enjoyable weather than your autumns +can boast of. If the atmosphere were no older than the date of the +settlement of the colony, it could not feel more _youthful_, it is +so light and bright, and exhilarating! The one drawback, and the +only one, is the north-west wind; and the worst of it is, that it +blows very often from this point. However, I am assured that I have +not yet seen either a "howling nor'-wester," nor its exact +antithesis, "a sutherly buster." + +We have lately been deprived of the amusement of going to see our +house during the process of cutting it out, as it has passed that +stage, and has been packed on drays and sent to the station, with +two or three men to put it up. It was preceded by two dray-loads of +small rough-hewn stone piles, which are first let into the ground +six or eight feet apart: the foundation joists rest on these, so as +just to keep the flooring from touching the earth. I did not like +this plan (which is the usual one) at all, as it seemed to me so +insecure for the house to rest only on these stones. I told the +builder that I feared a strong "nor'-wester" (and I hear they are +particularly strong in the Malvern Hills) would blow the whole +affair away. He did not scout the idea as much as I could have +wished, but held out hopes to me that the roof would "kep it down." +I shall never dare to trust the baby out of my sight, lest he should +be blown away; and I have a plan for securing his cradle, by putting +large heavy stones in it, somewhere out of his way, so that he need +not be hurt by them. Some of the houses are built of "cob," +especially those erected in the very early days, when sawn timber +was rare and valuable: this material is simply wet clay with chopped +tussocks stamped in. It makes very thick walls, and they possess +the great advantage of being cool in summer and warm in winter. +Whilst the house is new nothing can be nicer; but, in a few years, +the hot winds dry up the clay so much, that it becomes quite +pulverized; and a lady who lives in one of these houses told me, +that during a high wind she had often seen the dust from the walls +blowing in clouds about the rooms, despite of the canvas and paper, +and with all the windows carefully closed. + +Next week F--- is going up to the station, to unpack and arrange a +little, and baby and I are going to be taken care of at Ilam, the +most charming place I have yet seen. I am looking forward to my +visit there with great pleasure. + + + +Letter VIII: Pleasant days at Ilam. + + +Ilam, April 1866. +We leave this to-morrow for the station in the most extraordinary +conveyance you ever saw. Imagine a flat tray with two low seats in +it, perched on four very high wheels, quite innocent of any step or +means of clambering in and out, and drawn, tandem-fashion, by two +stout mares; one of which has a little foal by her side. The +advantage of this vehicle is that it is very light, and holds a good +deal of luggage. We hope to accomplish the distance--fifty miles-- +in a day, easily. + +Although this is not my first visit to Ilam, I don't think I have +ever described it to you. The house is of wood, two storeys high, +and came out from England! It is built on a brick foundation, which +is quite unusual here. Inside, it is exactly like a most charming +English house, and when I first stood in the drawing-room it was +difficult to believe: that I was at the other end of the world. All +the newest books, papers, and periodicals covered the tables, the +newest music lay on the piano, whilst a profusion of English +greenhouse flowers in Minton's loveliest vases added to the +illusion. The Avon winds through the grounds, which are very +pretty, and are laid out in the English fashion; but in spite of the +lawn with its croquet-hoops and sticks, and the beds of flowers in +all their late summer beauty, there is a certain absence of the +stiffness and trimness of English pleasure-grounds, which shows that +you have escaped from the region of conventionalities. There are +thick clumps of plantations, which have grown luxuriantly, and look +as if they had always been there. A curve of the opposite bank is a +dense mass of native flax bushes, with their tall spikes of red +blossom filling the air with a scent of honey, and attracting all +the bees in the neighbourhood. Ti-ti palms are dotted here and +there, and give a foreign and tropical appearance to the whole. +There is a large kitchen garden and orchard, with none of the +restrictions of high walls and locked gates which fence your English +peaches and apricots. + +The following is our receipt for killing time at Ilam:--After +breakfast, take the last _Cornhill_ or _Macmillan_, put on a shady +hat, and sit or saunter by the river-side under the trees, gathering +any very tempting peach or apricot or plum or pear, until luncheon; +same thing until five o'clock tea; then cross the river by a rustic +bridge, ascend some turf steps to a large terrace-like meadow, +sheltered from the north-west winds by a thick belt of firs, blue +gums, and poplars, and play croquet on turf as level as a +billiard-table until dinner. At these games the cockatoo always +assists, making himself very busy, waddling after his mistress all +over the field, and climbing up her mallet whenever he has an +opportunity. "Dr. Lindley"--so called from his taste for pulling +flowers to pieces--apparently for botanical purposes--is the tamest +and most affectionate of birds, and I do not believe he ever bit any +one in his life; he will allow himself to be pulled about, turned +upside down, scratched under his wings, all with the greatest +indifference, or rather with the most positive enjoyment. One +evening I could not play croquet for laughing at his antics. He +took a sudden dislike to a little rough terrier, and hunted him +fairly off the ground at last, chasing him all about, barking at +him, and digging his beak into the poor dog's paw. But the +"Doctor's" best performance is when he imitates a hawk. He reserves +this fine piece of acting until his mistress is feeding her poultry; +then, when all the hens and chickens, turkeys, and pigeons are in +the quiet enjoyment of their breakfast or supper, the peculiar +shrill cry of a hawk is heard overhead, and the Doctor is seen +circling in the air, uttering a scream occasionally. The fowls +never find out that it is a hoax, but run to shelter, cackling in +the greatest alarm--hens clucking loudly for their chicks, turkeys +crouching under the bushes, the pigeons taking refuge in their +house; as soon as the ground is quite clear, Cocky changes his wild +note for peals of laughter from a high tree, and finally alighting +on the top of a hen-coop filled with trembling chickens, remarks in +a suffocated voice, "You'll be the death of me." + +I must reverse the proverb about the ridiculous and the sublime, and +finish my letter by telling you of Ilam's chief outdoor charm: from +all parts of the garden and grounds I can feast my eyes on the +glorious chain of mountains which I have before told you of, and my +bedroom window has a perfect panoramic view of them. I watch them +under all their changes of tint, and find each new phase the most +beautiful. In the very early morning I have often stood shivering +at my window to see the noble outline gradually assuming shape, and +finally standing out sharp and clear against a dazzling sky; then, +as the sun rises, the softest rose-coloured and golden tints touch +the highest peaks, the shadows deepening by the contrast. Before a +"nor'-wester" the colours over these mountains and in the sky are +quite indescribable; no one but Turner could venture upon such a +mixture of pale sea-green with deep turquoise blue, purple with +crimson and orange. One morning an arch-like appearance in the +clouds over the furthest ranges was pointed out to me as the sure +forerunner of a violent gale from the north-west, and the prognostic +was fulfilled. It was formed of clouds of the deepest and richest +colours; within its curve lay a bare expanse of a wonderful green +tint, crossed by the snowy _silhouette_ of the Southern Alps. A few +hours afterwards the mountains were quite hidden by mist, and a +furious gale of hot wind was shaking the house as if it must carry +it off into the sky; it blew so continuously that the trees and +shrubs never seemed to rise for a moment against it. + +These hot winds affect infants and children a good deal, and my baby +is not at all well. However, his doctor thinks the change to the +station will set him all right again, so we are hurrying off much +sooner than our kind friends here wish, and long before the little +house in the hills can possibly be made comfortable, though F--- is +working very hard to get things settled for us. + + + +Letter IX: Death in our new home--New Zealand children. + + +Broomielaw, Malvern Hills, May 1866. +I do not like to allow the first Panama steamer to go without a line +from me: this is the only letter I shall attempt, and it will be but +a short and sad one, for we are still in the first bitterness of +grief for the loss of our dear little baby. After I last wrote to +you he became very ill, but we hoped that his malady was only caused +by the unhealthiness of Christchurch during the autumn, and that he +would soon revive and get on well in this pure, beautiful mountain +air. We consequently hurried here as soon as ever we could get into +the house, and whilst the carpenters were still in it. Indeed, +there was only one bedroom ready for us when I arrived. The poor +little man rallied at first amazingly; the weather was exquisitely +bright and sunny, and yet bracing. Baby was to be kept in the open +air as much as possible, so F--- and I spent our days out on the +downs near the house, carrying our little treasure by turns: but all +our care was fruitless: he got another and more violent attack about +a fortnight ago, and after a few hours of suffering he was taken to +the land where pain is unknown. During the last twelve hours of his +life, as I sat before the fire with him on my lap, poor F--- +kneeling in a perfect agony of grief by my side, my greatest comfort +was in looking at that exquisite photograph from Kehren's picture of +the "Good Shepherd," which hangs over my bedroom mantelpiece, and +thinking that our sweet little lamb would soon be folded in those +Divine, all-embracing Arms. It is not a common picture; and the +expression of the Saviour's face is most beautiful, full of such +immense feminine compassion and tenderness that it makes me feel +more vividly, "In all our sorrows He is afflicted." In such a grief +as this I find the conviction of the reality and depth of the Divine +sympathy is my only true comfort; the tenderest human love falls +short of the feeling that, without any words to express our sorrow, +God knows all about it; that He would not willingly afflict or +grieve us, and that therefore the anguish which wrings our hearts is +absolutely necessary in some mysterious way for our highest good. I +fear I have often thought lightly of others' trouble in the loss of +so young a child; but now I know what it is. Does it not seem +strange and sad, that this little house in a distant, lonely spot, +no sooner becomes a home than it is baptized, as it were, with +tears? No doubt there are bright and happy days in store for us +yet, but these first ones here have been sadly darkened by this +shadow of death. Inanimate things have such a terrible power to +wound one: though everything which would remind me of Baby has been +carefully removed and hidden away by F---'s orders, still now and +then I come across some trifle belonging to him, and, as Miss +Ingelow says-- + "My old sorrow wakes and cries." + +Our loss is one too common out here, I am told: infants born in +Christchurch during the autumn very often die. Owing to the +flatness of the site of the town, it is almost impossible to get a +proper system of drainage; and the arrangements seem very bad, if +you are to judge from the evil smells which are abroad in the +evening. Children who are born on a station, or taken there as soon +as possible, almost invariably thrive, but babies are very difficult +to rear in the towns. If they get over the first year, they do +well; and I cannot really call to mind a single sickly, or even +delicate-looking child among the swarms which one sees everywhere. + +I cannot say that I think colonial children prepossessing in either +manners or appearance, in spite of their ruddy cheeks and sturdy +limbs. Even quite little things are pert and independent, and give +me the idea of being very much spoiled. When you reflect on the +utter absence of any one who can really be called a nurse, this is +not to be wondered at. The mothers are thoroughly domestic and +devoted to their home duties, far more so than the generality of the +same class at home. An English lady, with even an extremely +moderate income, would look upon her colonial sister as very +hard-worked indeed. The children cannot be entrusted entirely to +the care of an ignorant girl, and the poor mother has them with her +all day long; if she goes out to pay visits (the only recognized +social duty here), she has to take the elder children with her, but +this early introduction into society does not appear to polish the +young visitors' manners in the least. There is not much rest at +night for the mater-familias with the inevitable baby, and it is of +course very difficult for her to be correcting small delinquents all +day long; so they grow up with what manners nature gives them. +There seems to me, however, to be a greater amount of real domestic +happiness out here than at home: perhaps the want of places of +public amusement may have something to do with this desirable state +of affairs, but the homes seem to be thoroughly happy ones. A +married man is an object of envy to his less fortunate brethren, and +he appears anxious to show that he appreciates his good fortune. As +for scandal, in the ordinary acceptation of the word, it is unknown; +gossip there is in plenty, but it generally refers to each other's +pecuniary arrangements or trifling peculiarities, and is all +harmless enough. I really believe that the life most people lead +here is as simple and innocent as can well be imagined. Each family +is occupied in providing for its own little daily wants and cares, +which supplies the mind and body with healthy and legitimate +employment, and yet, as my experience tells me, they have plenty of +leisure to do a kind turn for a neighbour. This is the bright side +of colonial life, and there is more to be said in its praise; but +the counterbalancing drawback is, that the people seem gradually to +lose the sense of larger and wider interests; they have little time +to keep pace with the general questions of the day, and anything +like sympathy or intellectual appreciation is very rare. I meet +accomplished people, but seldom well-read ones; there is also too +much talk about money: "where the treasure is, there will the heart +be also;" and the incessant financial discussions are wearisome, at +least to me. + + + +Letter X: Our station home. + + +Broomielaw, July 1866. +We are now in mid-winter, and a more delicious season cannot well be +imagined; the early mornings and evenings and the nights are very +cold, but the hours from 10 A.M. till 5 P.M. are exquisitely bright, +and quite warm. We are glad of a fire at breakfast, which is +tolerably early, but we let it out and never think of relighting it +until dark. Above all, it is calm: I congratulate myself daily on +the stillness of the atmosphere, but F--- laughs and says, "Wait +until the spring." I bask all day in the verandah, carrying my +books and work there soon after breakfast; as soon as the sun goes +down, however, it becomes very cold. In an English house you would +hardly feel it, but with only one plank an inch thick, a +lining-board and canvas and paper, between you and a hard frost, a +good fire is wanted. We burn coal found twelve miles from this; it +is not very good, being only what is called "lignite." I don't know +if that conveys to you a distinct impression of what it really is. +I should say it was a better sort of turf: it smoulders just in the +same way, and if not disturbed will remain many hours alight; it +requires a log of dry wood with it to make a really good blaze. +Fuel is most difficult to get here, and very expensive, as we have +no available "bush" on the Run; so we have first to take out a +licence for cutting wood in the Government bush, then to employ men +to cut it, and hire a drayman who possesses a team of bullocks and a +dray of his own, to fetch it to us: he can only take two journeys a +day, as he has four miles to travel each way, so that by the time +the wood is stacked it costs us at least thirty shillings a cord, +and then there is the labour of sawing and cutting it up. The coal +costs us one pound a ton at the mouth of the pit, and the carriage +exactly doubles its price; besides which it is impossible to get +more, than a small quantity at a time, on account of the effect of +the atmosphere on it. Exposure to the air causes it to crumble into +dust, and although we keep our supply in a little shed for the +purpose, it is wasted to the extent of at least a quarter of each +load. We are unusually unfortunate in the matter of firing; most +stations have a bush near to the homestead, or greater facilities +for draying than we possess. + +You tell me to describe my little house to you, so I must try to +make you see it, only prefacing my attempt by warning you not to be +disgusted or disappointed at any shortcomings. The house has not +been built in a pretty situation, as many other things had to be +considered before a picturesque site: first it was necessary to +build on a flat (as the valleys here are called), not too far off +the main track, on account of having to make the road to it +ourselves; the next thing to be thought of was shelter from the +north-west wind; then the soil must be fit for a garden, and a good +creek, or brook, which would not go dry in the summer, close at +hand. At present, everything out of doors is so unfinished that the +place looks rather desolate, and it will be some years before our +plantations can attain a respectable size, even allowing for the +rapid growth in this climate. The first step is to obtain shelter +from our enemy the "nor'-wester," and for this purpose we have +planted quantities of broom in all directions; even the large beds +for vegetables in the garden have a hedge of Cape broom on the +exposed side; fortunately, the broom grows very quickly in spite of +the wind, and attains to a luxuriant beauty rarely seen in England. +We have put in many other trees, such as oaks, maples, etc., but not +one is higher than this table, except a few poplars; the ground +immediately outside the house has been dug up, and is awaiting the +spring to be sown with English grass; we have no attempt at a +flower-garden yet, but have devoted our energies to the vegetable +one,--putting in fruit trees, preparing strawberry and asparagus +beds, and other useful things. Out of doors matters would not even +be as far advanced towards a garden and plantation as they are if we +had commenced operations ourselves, but the ground has been worked +since last year. I am glad we have chosen to build our house here +instead of at the homestead two miles off; for I like to be removed +from the immediate neighbourhood of all the work of the station, +especially from that of the "gallows,"--a high wooden frame from +which the carcases of the butchered sheep dangle; under the present +arrangement the shepherd brings us over our mutton as we want it. + +Inside the house everything is comfortable and pretty, and, above +all things, looks thoroughly home-like. Out of the verandah you +pass through a little hall hung with whips and sticks, spurs and +hats, and with a bookcase full of novels at one end of it, into a +dining-room, large enough for us, with more books in every available +corner, the prints you know so well on the walls, and a trophy of +Indian swords and hunting-spears over the fireplace: this leads into +the drawing-room, a bright, cheery little room--more books and +pictures, and a writing-table in the "_h_oriel." In that tall, +white, classical-shaped vase of Minton's which you helped me to +choose is the most beautiful bouquet, made entirely of ferns; it is +a constant object for my walks up the gullies, exploring little +patches of bush to search for the ferns, which grow abundantly under +their shelter by the creek. I have a small but comfortable bedroom, +and there is a little dressing-room for F--- and the tiniest spare +room you ever saw; it really is not bigger than the cabin of a ship. +I think the kitchen is the chief glory of the house, boasting a +"Leamington range" a luxury quite unknown in these parts, where all +the cooking is done on an American stove,--a very good thing in its +way, but requiring to be constantly attended to. There is a +good-sized storeroom, in which F--- has just finished putting me up +some cupboards, and a servants' room. It is not a palace is it? +But it is quite large enough to hold a great deal of happiness. +Outside, the premises are still more diminutive; a little wash-house +stands near the kitchen door, and further up the enclosure is a +stable, and a small room next it for saddles, and a fowl-house and +pig-stye, and a coal-shed. Now you know everything about my +surroundings; but--there is always a _but_ in everything--I have one +great grievance, and I hope you will appreciate its magnitude. + +It was impossible for F--- to come up here when the house was first +commenced, and the wretch of a builder deliberately put the drawing- +and dining-room fireplaces in the corner, right up against the +partition wall, of course utterly destroying the comfort as well as +the symmetry of the rooms. I am convinced some economy of bricks is +at the bottom of this arrangement, especially as the house was built +by contract; but the builder pretends to be surprised that I don't +admire it, and says, "Why, it's so oncommon, mum!" I assure you, +when I first saw the ridiculous appearance of the drawing-room +pier-glass in the corner, I should liked to have screamed out at the +builder (like the Queen in "Alice in Wonderland"), "Cut off his +head!" + +When we were packing up the things to come here, our friends +expressed their astonishment at our taking so many of the little +elegancies of life, such as drawing-room ornaments, pictures, etc. +Now it is a great mistake not to bring such things, at all events a +few of them, for they are not to be bought here, and they give the +new home a certain likeness to the old one which is always +delightful. I do not advise people to make large purchases of +elegancies for a colonial life, but a few pretty little trifles will +greatly improve the look of even a New Zealand up-country +drawing-room. + +You have asked me also about our wardrobes. Gentlemen wear just +what they would on a Scotch or English farm; in summer they require +perhaps a lighter hat, and long rides are always taken in boots and +breeches. A lady wears exactly what would be suitable in the +country in England, except that I should advise her to eschew +muslin; the country outside the home paddock is too rough for thin +material; she also wants thick boots if she is a good walker, and I +find nails or little screws in the soles a great help for +hill-walking. A hat is my only difficulty: you really want a shady +hat for a protection against the sun, but there are very few days in +the year on which you can ride in anything but a close, small hat, +with hardly any brim at all, and even this must have capabilities of +being firmly fastened on the head. My nice, wide-brimmed Leghorn +hangs idly in the hall: there is hardly a morning still enough to +induce me to put it on even to go and feed my chickens or potter +about the garden. This being winter, I live in a short linsey +dress, which is just right as to warmth, and not heavy. It is a +mistake to bring too much: a year's supply will be quite enough; +fresh material can easily be procured in Christchurch or any of the +large towns, or sent out by friends. I find my sewing-machine the +greatest possible comfort, and as time passes on and my clothes need +remodelling it will be still more use ful. Hitherto I have used it +chiefly for my friends' benefit; whilst I was in town I constantly +had little frocks brought to me to tuck, and here I employ it in +making quilted cloth hats for my gentlemen neighbours. + + + +Letter XI: Housekeeping, and other matters. + + +Broomielaw, September 1866. +I am writing to you at the end of a fortnight of very hard work, for +I have just gone through my first experience in changing servants; +those I brought up with me four months ago were nice, tidy girls and +as a natural consequence of these attractive qualities they have +both left me to be married. I sent them down to Christchurch in the +dray, and made arrangements for two more servants to return in the +same conveyance at the end of a week. In the meantime we had to do +everything for ourselves, and on the whole we found this picnic life +great fun. The household consists, besides F--- and me, of a cadet, +as they are called--he is a clergyman's son learning sheep-farming +under our auspices--and a boy who milks the cows and does odd jobs +out of doors. We were all equally ignorant of practical cookery, so +the chief responsibility rested on my shoulders, and cost me some +very anxious moments, I assure you, for a cookery-book is after all +but a broken reed to lean on in a real emergency; it starts by +assuming that its unhappy student possesses a knowledge of at least +the rudiments of the art, whereas it ought not to disdain to tell +you whether the water in which potatoes are to be boiled should be +hot or cold. I must confess that some of my earliest efforts were +both curious and nasty, but E ate my numerous failures with the +greatest good-humour; the only thing at which he made a wry face was +some soup into which a large lump of washing-soda had mysteriously +conveyed itself; and I also had to undergo a good deal of "chaff" +about my first omelette, which was of the size and consistency of a +roly-poly pudding. Next to these failures I think the bread was my +greatest misfortune; it went wrong from the first. One night I had +prepared the tin dish full of flour, made a hole in the midst of the +soft white heap, and was about to pour in a cupful of yeast to be +mixed with warm water (you see I know all about it in theory), when +a sudden panic seized me, and I was afraid to draw the cork of the +large champagne bottle full of yeast, which appeared to be very much +"up." In this dilemma I went for F---. You must know that he +possesses such extraordinary and revolutionary theories on the +subject of cooking, that I am obliged to banish him from the kitchen +altogether, but on this occasion I thought I should be glad of his +assistance. He came with the greatest alacrity; assured me he knew +all about it, seized the big bottle, shook it violently, and +twitched out the cork: there was a report like a pistol-shot, and +all my beautiful yeast flew up to the ceiling of the kitchen, +descending in a shower on my head; and F--- turned the bottle upside +down over the flour, emptying the dregs of the hops and potatoes +into my unfortunate bread. However, I did not despair, but mixed it +up according to the directions given, and placed it on the stove; +but, as it turned out, in too warm a situation, for when I went +early the next morning to look at it, I found a very dry and crusty +mass. Still, nothing daunted, I persevered in the attempt, added +more flour and water, and finally made it up into loaves, which I +deposited in the oven. That bread _never_ baked! I tried it with a +knife in the orthodox manner, always to find that it was raw inside. +The crust gradually became several inches thick, but the inside +remained damp, and turned quite black at last; I baked it until +midnight, and then I gave it up and retired to bed in deep disgust. +I had no more yeast and could not try again, so we lived on biscuits +and potatoes till the dray returned at the end of the week, +bringing, however, only one servant. Owing to some confusion in the +drayman's arrangements, the cook had been left behind, and "Meary," +the new arrival, professed her willingness to supply her place; but +on trial being made of her abilities, she proved to be quite as +inexperienced as I was; and to each dish I proposed she should +attempt, the unvarying answer was, "The missis did all that where I +come from." During the first few days after her arrival her chief +employment was examining the various knick-knacks about the +drawing-room; in her own department she was greatly taken with the +little cottage mangle. She mangled her own apron about twenty times +a day, and after each attempt I found her contemplating it with her +head on one side, and saying to herself, "'Deed, thin, it's as +smooth as smooth; how iver does it do it?" A few days later the +cook arrived. She is not all I could wish, being also Irish, and +having the most extraordinary notions of the use, or rather the +abuse, of the various kitchen implements: for instance, she will +poke the fire with the toasting fork, and disregards my gentle hints +about the poker; but at all events she can both roast mutton and +bake bread. "Meary" has been induced to wash her face and braid up +her beautiful hair, and now shines forth as a very pretty +good-humoured girl. She is as clever and quick as possible, and +will in time be a capital housemaid. She has taken it into her head +that she would like to be a "first-rater," as she calls it, and +works desperately hard in the prosecution of her new fancy. + +I have never told you of the Sunday services we established here +from the first week of our arrival. There is no church nearer than +those in Christchurch, nor--I may mention parenthetically--is there +a doctor within the same distance. As soon as our chairs and tables +were in their proper places, we invited our shepherds and those +neighbours immediately around us to attend service on Sunday +afternoon at three o'clock. F--- officiates as clergyman; _my_ +duties resemble those of a beadle, as I have to arrange the +congregation in their places, see that they have Prayer-books, etc. +Whenever we go out for a ride, we turn our horses' heads up some +beautiful valley, or deep gorge of a river, in search of the huts of +our neighbours' shepherds, that we may tell the men of these +services and invite them to attend. As yet, we have met with no +refusals, but it will give you an idea of the scantiness of our +population when I tell you that, after all our exertions, the +"outsiders" only amount to fourteen, and of these at least half are +gentlemen from neighbouring stations. With this number, in addition +to our own small group, we consider that we form quite a respectable +gathering. The congregation all arrive on horseback, each attended +by at least two big colley dogs; the horses are turned into the +paddock, the saddles deposited in the back verandah, and the dogs +lie quietly down by their respective masters' equipments until they +are ready to start homewards. There is something very wild and +touching in these Sunday services. If the weather is quite clear +and warm, they are held in the verandah; but unless it is a very +sunny afternoon, it is too early in the year yet for this. + +The shepherds are a very fine class of men as a rule, and I find +them most intelligent; they lead solitary lives, and are fond of +reading; and as I am anxious to substitute a better sort of +literature in their huts than the tattered yellow volumes which +generally form their scanty library, I lend them books from my own +small collection. But, as I foresee that this supply will soon be +exhausted, we have started a Book Club, and sent to London for +twenty pounds' worth of books as a first instalment. We shall get +them second-hand from a large library, so I hope to receive a good +boxful. The club consists of twenty-eight members now, and will +probably amount to thirty-two, which is wonderful for this district. +At the close of a year from the first distribution of the books they +are to be divided into lots as near as possible in value to a pound +each, the parcels to be numbered, and corresponding figures written +on slips of paper, which are to be shaken up in a hat and drawn at +random, each member claiming the parcel of which the number answers +to that on his ticket. This is the fairest way I can think of for +the distribution, and every one seems satisfied with the scheme. +The most popular books are those of travel or adventure; unless a +novel is really very good indeed, they do not care about it. + +The last little item of home news with which I must close this +month's budget is, that F--- has been away for a few days on a +skating excursion. A rather distant neighbour of ours called on his +way up to the station far back among the hills, and gave such a +glowing account of the condition of the ice in that part of the +country, that F---, who is very fond of the amusement, was persuaded +to accompany him. Our friend is the son of the Bishop, and owns a +large station about twenty-six miles from this. At the back of his +run the hills rise to a great height, and nestled among them lie a +chain of lakes, after the largest of which (Lake Coleridge) Mr. H--- +'s station is named. On one of the smaller lakes, called by the +classical name of "Ida," the ice attains to a great thickness; for +it is surrounded by such lofty hills that during the winter months +the sun hardly touches it, and it is commonly reported that a +heavily-laden bullock-dray could cross it in perfect safety. F--- +was away nearly a week, and appears to have enjoyed himself +thoroughly, though it will seem to you more of hard work than +amusement; for he and Mr. H---, and some other gentlemen who were +staying there, used to mount directly after breakfast, with their +skates tied to their saddle-bow, and ride twelve miles to Lake Ida, +skate all through the short winter's day, lunching at the solitary +hut of a gentleman-farmer close by the lake, and when it grew dusk +riding home again. The gentlemen in this country are in such good +training through constant exercise, that they appear able to stand +any amount of fatigue without minding it. + + + +Letter XII: My first expedition. + + +Broomielaw, October 1866. +This ought to be early spring, but the weather is really colder and +more disagreeable than any which winter brought us; and, +proverbially fickle as spring sunshine and showers are in England, +ours is a far more capricious and trying season. Twice during this +month have I been a victim to these sudden changes of climate; on +the first occasion it was most fortunate that we had reached the +shelter of a friendly and hospitable roof, for it was three days +before we could re-cross the mountain-pass which lay between us and +home. One beautiful spring morning F--- asked me if I would like to +ride across the hills, and pay my first visit to some kind and old +friends of his, who were among the earliest arrivals in the +province, and who have made a lovely home for themselves at the foot +of a great Bush on the other side of our range. I was delighted at +the idea, for I have had very little opportunity of going about +since we came here, owing to the short winter days and the amount of +occupation at home consequent on a new establishment. + +Directly after breakfast, the horses were caught and saddled, and we +started in high spirits. As we rode up the long, sunny valley +stretching away for miles at the back of the house, F--- pointed out +to me, with all a sheep-farmer's pride, the hundreds of pretty +little curly-fleeced lambs skipping about the low hill-sides. After +we passed our own boundary fence we came upon a very bad track,-- +this is the name by which all roads are called, and they do not +deserve a better,--but it was the only path to our destination. The +air was mild and balmy, and the sun shone brightly as we slowly +picked our way across bogs and creeks, and up and down steep, +slippery hill-sides; but just as we reached the lowest saddle of the +range and prepared to descend, a cold wind met us. In an instant +the sunshine was overclouded, and F---, pointing to a grey bank of +cloud moving quickly towards us, said, "There is a tremendous +sou'-wester coming up; we had better push on for shelter, or you'll +be drowned:" but, alas! at each step the road grew worse and worse; +where it was level the ground was literally honeycombed with deep +holes half full of water, and at last we came to a place where the +horse had to descend a flight of stone steps, each step being +extremely slippery and some way below the other; and at the bottom +of this horrible staircase there was a wide jump to be taken, the +spring being off the lowest step, and the jump upwards alighting on +a steep bank up which the horses scrambled like cats. Getting wet +through appeared to me a very minor evil compared to the dangers of +such a road, but F--- urged me forward, with assurances that the +horse knew the path perfectly well and could carry me at a gallop +quite safely; but it was impossible to infuse sufficient courage +into my drooping heart to induce me to go faster than a walk. + +All this time the storm drew rapidly nearer, the wind blew in icy +cold gusts, the hail came down in large stones, pelting our faces +till they tingled again; it was nearly an hour before we rode up to +the hospitable, ever-open porch door of Rockwood. I was immediately +lifted off my saddle by kind and strong arms, and carried with +frozen limbs and streaming habit into the kitchen, for I was as +unfit for the drawing-room as my own water-spaniel. A blazing wood +fire was hastily lighted in one of the bed-rooms, and thither the +good hostess conveyed me. I emerged from that apartment the most +extraordinary figure you ever saw. Imagine me arrayed in a short +and very wide crinoline, over which was a bright-coloured linsey +petticoat; an old pilot-coat for a jacket, huge carpet slippers on +my feet, and my dripping hair hanging loose over my shoulders! I +assure you, I looked like the portraits in books of travel, of the +Tahitian women when they first assumed clothes; and the worst of it +was, that I had to remain in this costume for three whole days. To +return was impossible, the storm from the S.W. raged all that +evening. When we opened our eyes next morning, snow was lying some +inches deep, and still falling fast; there was no cessation for +forty-eight hours, and then we had to give it time to thaw a little, +so that it was Sunday morning before we started on our homeward +ride. In the meantime, nothing could afford a greater contrast to +the wild weather out of doors than the snug brightness within. +Blazing logs of pine and black birch made every room warm and +cheery; all day we chatted and amused ourselves in different ways (I +learned to make a capital pudding, and acquainted myself with the +mysteries of "junket"); in the evenings we had whist for an hour, +and then either round games or songs. The young men of the house +have nice voices and a great feeling for music, and some of the +trios and glees went very well indeed. The only thing which spoilt +my enjoyment was the constantly recurring remembrance of that +terrible road. F--- tried to comfort me by assurances that the snow +would have filled up the worst places so much that I should not see +them, but, strange to say, I failed to derive any consolation from +that idea; however, we accomplished the journey back safely, but +with many slips and slides. As soon as we came on our own run, F--- +began to look out for dead lambs, but fortunately there were not +many for him to mourn over; they must have taken shelter under the +low hills, to leeward of the storm. + +The second ride was much longer, and if possible a more disagreeable +one. It began just in the same way; we were again decoyed out by +sunshine and soft air for a ride round the run, starting about +half-past ten. The scenery was beautiful, and we enjoyed ourselves +immensely. The track lay along our own boundary fence most of the +way, and we had ridden about ten miles, when we stopped at one of +our shepherds' huts, technically called an out station, and accepted +his offer of luncheon. He gave us capital tea, with an egg beaten +up in it as a substitute for milk, cold mutton, bread, and a cake; +the reason of these unwonted luxuries was that he kept fowls, and I +was very jealous at seeing two broods of chickens out, whilst mine +are still in the shell. This man is quite an artist, and the walls +of his but were covered with bold pen-and-ink sketches, chiefly +reminiscences of the hunting-field in England, or his own adventures +"getting out" wild cattle on the Black Hills in the north of the +province: he leads an extremely-solitary existence, his dogs being +his only companions; his duties consist in riding daily a boundary +down the gorge of the river, which he has to cross and re-cross many +times: and he has to supply the home station and our house with +mutton, killing four or five sheep a week. He is employed out of +doors all day, but has plenty of time in the evenings for reading I +found him well-informed and intelligent, and he expresses himself +exceedingly well. We rested here an hour, and as we went outside +and prepared to mount, F--- said, "I really believe there is +_another_ sou'-wester coming up," and so there was: we could not go +fast, for we were riding over a dry river-bed, composed entirely of +loose large stones. Every few hundred yards we had to cross the +river Selwyn, which was rising rapidly, as the storm had been raging +in the mountains long before it reached us; on each side were high, +steep hills, and in some places the river filled up the gorge +entirely, and we had to ride in the water up to our saddle-girths. +All this time the rain was coming down in sheets, but the wind grew +colder and colder; at last the rain turned into snow, which speedily +changed us and our horses into white moving figures. Eight long +weary miles of this had we, only able to trot the last two, and +those over very swampy ground. In your country a severe cold would +probably have been the least evil of this escapade, but here no such +consequence follow a good wetting; the houses are so little real +protection from the weather, that you are forced to live as it were +in the open air, whether you like it or not, and this hardens the +constitution so much, that it is not easy to take cold from a little +extra exposure. Men are apt to be careless and remain in their wet +things, or stand before a fire till their clothes dry on them; and +whenever I scold any one for being foolish, he always acknowledges +that if he does but change when he comes into a house, he _never_ +catches cold from any amount of exposure to the severest weather. + + + +Letter XIII: Bachelor hospitality.--a gale on shore. + + +Broomielaw, November 1866. +We have lately made a much longer excursion than those I told you of +last, month, and this time have been fortunate in meeting with fine +weather above all, our expedition has been over perfectly level +ground, and on a good "track," which has greatly increased its +charms in my eyes. A fortnight ago early summer set fairly in, and +some bachelor neighbours took advantage of the change to ride over +to see us, and arrange a plan for the following week. It all fitted +in nicely, for F--- was obliged to go to Christchurch at that time, +and the first idea of the expedition originated in my saying how +dull I was at the station when he was away. I can get on very well +all day; with my various employments--feeding the chickens, taking +the big dogs out for a walk, and so on: but after the house is quiet +and silent for the night, and the servants have gone to bed, a +horrible lonely eerie feeling comes over me; the solitude is so +dreary, and the silence so intense, only broken occasionally by the +wild, melancholy cry of the weka. However, I am very rarely tried +in this way, and when I am it can't be helped, if that is any +consolation. + +I forget whether I told you that we left all "evening things," and +other toilette necessaries which would not be wanted up country, +behind us in Christchurch, so as to avoid the trouble of sending any +luggage backwards or forwards. It is necessary to mention this, to +account for the very light marching order in which we travelled. It +was a lovely summer morning on which we left home, meaning to be +away nearly a week, from Monday till Saturday. We were well +mounted, and all our luggage consisted of my little travelling-bag +fastened to the pommel of my saddle, containing our brushes and +combs, and what is termed a "swag" in front of F---'s saddle; that +is, a long narrow bundle, in this instance enclosed in a neat +waterproof case, and fastened with two straps to the "D's," which +are steel loops let in in four places to all colonial saddles, for +the purpose of carrying blankets, etc.; they derive their name +apparently from their resemblance to the letter. In this parcel our +most indispensable garments were tightly packed. We cantered gaily +along on the way to Christchurch, the horses appearing to enjoy the +delicious air and soft springy turf as much as we did. There was a +river and half-a-dozen creeks to be crossed; but they are all quite +low at this time of year. As we stood in one of them to let the +horses drink and cool their legs, I saw a huge eel hidden under the +shadow of a high overhanging bank, waiting till the evening to come +out and feed upon the myriads of flies and little white moths that +skim over the surface of the water. + +It is considered a great advantage to our station that there is only +the river Selwyn (of which the Maori name is the Wai-kiri-kiri) +between us and town, not only for our own convenience, but because +it is easy to take sheep across it, and it offers no difficulties to +the wool drays. This river has a very good reputation, and is very +rarely dangerous to cross; whereas the Rakaia and the Rangitata +towards the south, and the Waimakiriri towards the north, of +Christchurch, are most difficult, and always liable to sudden +freshes. The general mode of crossing the larger rivers is by a +boat, with the horse swimming behind; but accidents constantly occur +from the foolhardiness of people attempting to ford them alone on +horseback: they are lost in quicksands, or carried down by the +current, before they can even realize that they are in danger. The +common saying in New Zealand is, that people only die from drowning +and drunkenness. I am afraid the former is generally the result of +the latter. + +From the first our road lay with our backs to the hills; but as we +cantered along the plains, I was often obliged to turn round and +admire their grand outlines. The highest ranges were still +snow-white, and made a magnificent background against the summer +sky. An easy twelve miles' ride brought us to a charming little +station, called by the pretty native name of Waireka; here lived our +three bachelor hosts, and a nicer or more comfortable home in a +distant land could not be desired. The house has been built for +some years, consequently the plantations about it and the garden +have grown up well, and the willows, gum-trees, and poplars shelter +it perfectly, besides giving it such a snug home look. It stands on +a vast plain, without even an undulation of the ground near it; but +the mountains form a grand panoramic view. There is a large wide +verandah round two sides of the house, with French windows opening +into it; and I could not help feeling impatient to see my own +creepers in such luxuriant, beauty as these roses and honeysuckles +were. It was half amusing and half pathetic to notice the +preparations which had been made to receive a lady guest, and the +great anxiety of my hosts to ensure my being quite as comfortable as +I am at home. Much had been said beforehand about the necessity of +making up my mind to rough it in bachelor quarters, so I was +surprised to find all sorts of luxuries in my room, especially a +dainty little toilette-table, draped with white cloths (a big wooden +packing-case was its foundation). Its ornaments were all sorts of +nondescript treasures, placed in boxes at the last moment of leaving +the English hall or rectory by careful loving hands of mothers and +sisters, and lying unused for years until now. There was a little +china tray, which had been slipped into some corner by a +child-sister anxious to send some possession of her "very own" out +to the other end of the world; there was a vase with flowers; a +parti-coloured pin-cushion of very gay silks, probably the parting +gift of an old nurse; and a curious old-fashioned essence bottle, +with eau-de-cologne; the surrounding country had been ransacked to +procure a piece of scented soap. The only thing to remind me that I +was not in an English cottage was the opossum rug with which the +neat little bed was covered. The sitting-room looked the picture of +cosy comfort, with its well-filled book-shelves, arm-chairs, sofa +with another opossum rug thrown over it, and the open fireplace +filled with ferns and tufts of the white feathery Tohi grass in +front of the green background. We enjoyed our luncheon, or rather +early dinner, immensely after our ride; and in the afternoon went +out to see the nice large garden (such a contrast to our wretched +little beginnings), and finally strolled on to the inevitable +wool-shed, where the gentlemen had an animated "sheep talk." I +rather enjoy these discussions, though they are prefaced by an +apology for "talking shop;" but it amuses me, and I like to see the +samples of wool, which are generally handed about in the heat of a +great argument, the long white locks are so glistening, and soft, +and crinkly. + +My five-o'clock tea was duly remembered, and then, as there was +nothing more to see out of doors within a short distance, I proposed +that I should make a cake. The necessary ingredients were quickly +collected. I had relays of volunteers to beat up the eggs, and +though I suffered great anxiety until it was cut at supper, it +turned out satisfactorily. The worst of my cookery is, that while I +always follow the same directions most carefully, there is great +uncertainty and variety about the result. In the evening we played +round games. But we all went early to bed, as, we had to be up +betimes, and in the saddle by seven o'clock, to catch the 9-30 train +at Rolleston; twenty miles off. We had a beautiful, still morning +for our ride, and reached the station--a shed standing out on the +plain--in time to see our horses safely paddocked before the train +started for Christchurch. The distance by rail was only fifteen +miles, so we were not long about it; and we walked to the hotel from +the railway-station in the town. A bath and breakfast were both +very enjoyable, and then F--- went out to transact his business, and +I employed myself in unpacking and _ironing_ a ball-dress for a +party, to which we were engaged that evening. There was also +another ball the following night. The second was a very late one, +and we had scarcely an hour's sleep before we were obliged to get up +and start by the 6 A.M. train back to Rolleston, where we remounted +our horses and rode to dear little Waireka in time for breakfast. +By the evening I was sufficiently rested to make another cake, which +also, happily, turned out well. + +We intended to return home the next day (Friday), but a terrific +"nor'-wester" came on in the night, and it was impossible to stir +out of the house; it was the severest gale since our arrival, and it +is hardly possible to give you a correct idea of the force and fury +of the wind. Not a glimpse of the mountains was to be seen; a haze +of dust, as thick as any fog, shut everything out. The sheep had +all taken refuge under the high banks of the creeks. It is curious +that sheep always feed head to wind in a nor'-west gale, whereas +they will drift for miles before a sou'-wester. The trees bent +almost flat before the hot breath of this hurricane, and although +the house was built of cob, and its walls were very thick and solid, +the creaking and swaying of the shingled roof kept me in perpetual +alarm. The verandah was a great protection; and yet the small +river-pebbles, of which the garden-walk was made, were dashed +against the windows like hailstones by each gust. We amused +ourselves indoors by the study and composition of acrostics, and so +got through an imprisonment of two days, without a moment's +cessation of the wind; but towards sunset on Saturday there were +signs of a lull, and about midnight the gale dropped; and we heard +the grateful, refreshing sound of soft and continuous rain, and when +we came out to breakfast on Sunday morning everything looked revived +again. It is a most fortunate meteorological fact that these very +high winds are generally succeeded by heavy rain; everything is so +parched and shrivelled up by them that I do not know what would +become of the vegetation otherwise. We held a council, to determine +what had better be done about returning home, and finally decided to +risk a wet ride sooner than disappoint the little congregation; for +should it prove a fine afternoon, those who lived near would +certainly come; so we mounted after breakfast. + +I was wrapped in one of the gentlemen's macintoshes, and found the +ride far from disagreeable. As we neared our own station we began +to look out for signs of disaster; and about half a mile from the +house saw some of the vanes from the chimneys on the track; a little +nearer home, across the path lay a large zinc chimney-pot; then +another; and when we came close enough to see the house distinctly, +it looked very much dwarfed without its chimneys. There had been a +large pile of empty boxes at the back of the stable; these were all +blown away in the gale. One huge packing-case was sailing +tranquilly about on the pond, and planks and fragments of zinc were +strewn over the paddock. The moment we reached the house, Mr. U---, +the gentleman-cadet of whom I have told you, came out, with a +melancholy face, to tell me that a large wooden cage, full of the +canaries which I had brought from England with me, had been blown +out of the verandah, though it was on the most sheltered side of the +house. It really seemed incredible at first, but the cage was lying +in ruins in the middle of the paddock, and all my birds except one +had disappeared. It happened in the middle of the night, and Mr. U--- +described, very amusingly, that when he was awakened by the noise +which the cage made against a wire fence (which it just "topped" in +passing), he sprang out of his bed in the attic, and clambered out +of the window, expecting to find the very heavy sort of staircase- +ladder in its place; but it was "over the hills and far away," so he +had a drop of about twelve feet to the ground, which thoroughly +aroused him. He went into the verandah to see if the cage was safe, +and was nearly knocked down by a big tin bath, ordinarily kept +there, which was just starting across country. As soon as he missed +the cage he very pluckily went after it, being able to keep sight of +it by the fitful gleams of moon-light, and he was just in time to +rescue the poor little surviving canary. We could not help laughing +at the recital of all the mischief which had been done, but still it +is very tiresome, and the garden looks, if possible, more wretched +than ever. There is no shelter for it yet, and my poor green-peas +are blown nearly out of the ground. It rained hard all the evening, +so our congregation was confined to the home party. + + + +Letter XIV: A Christmas picnic, and other doings. + + +Broomielaw, December 1866. +It is too late to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year in +this letter. In order to allow them to reach you in time I should +have sent my good wishes in October's letter; I must remember to do +so next year. I am writing on the last days of the month, so I +shall be able to tell you of our own Christmas doings; though, +first, I must describe the festivities attending a "coming of age in +the Bush," to which we were invited about the middle of this month. +How strange Christmas picnics and balls will appear in your eyes, +before which still dangle probably the dear old traditional holly +and ivy! I am obliged to preface all my descriptions with an +account of a ride, if I am to begin, according to your repeated +injunctions, at the very beginning; for a ride is quite certain to +be both the beginning and end of each excursion, simply because we +have no other means of going about, except on our feet. The ride +upon this occasion was to Rockwood, where the birthday party was to +assemble, but the road had not now so many terrors for me. In +consequence of the fine dry weather, most of the bad places were +safer and firmer, and the numerous creeks were only shallow +sparkling streamlets over which a child could jump, instead of the +muddy noisy wide brooks of three months ago. The day on which we +started, this time, was a great contrast to the former one. When we +reached the saddle I have before told you of, instead of being met +and nearly driven back by a violent "sutherly buster," we stopped +before beginning the steep descent to admire the exquisite view +before us. + +Close on our right hand rose the Government bush out of which we get +our firewood, standing grand and gloomy amid huge cliffs and crags; +even the summer sunshine could not enliven it, nor the twitter and +chirrup of countless birds. In front, the chain of hills we were +crossing rolled down in gradually decreasing hillocks, till they +merged in the vast plains before us, stretching away as far as the +eye could reach towards the south, all quivering in the haze and +glare of the bright sunlight. The background, extending along the +horizon, was formed of lofty mountains still glistening white +against the dazzling blue sky. Just at our feet the Rockwood +paddocks looked like carpets of emerald velvet, spread out among the +yellowish tussocks; the fences which enclose them were either golden +with broom and gorse, or gay with wild roses and honeysuckle. Beyond +these we saw the bright patches of flowers in the garden, and +nothing could be more effective than the white gable of the house +standing out against the vast black birch forest which clothed the +steep hill-sides for miles--the contrast was so picturesque between +the little bit of civilization and culture and the great extent of +wild, savage scenery around it. After the utter treelessness of our +own immediate neighbourhood, the sight of such a mass of foliage is +a joy to my eyes. + +The day following our arrival was _the_ birthday, and we prepared to +enjoy every hour of it. The party assembled was a very large one, +consisting, however, chiefly of gentlemen, for the utmost exertions +in the district could not produce more than five ladies altogether, +and two of those had come an immense way. Directly after breakfast +we all sallied forth, the ladies equipped in light cotton dresses +(muslin is too thin for the bush) and little sailor hats,--we did +not want shady ones, for never a gleam of sun can penetrate into a +real New Zealand Bush, unless in a spot which has been very much +cleared. Strong boots with nails in the soles, to help us to keep +on our feet up the steep clay hill-sides, and a stout stick, +completed our equipment; perhaps we were not very smart, but we +looked like going at all events. I can answer for myself that I +enjoyed every moment of that long Midsummer holiday most intensely, +though I fear I must have wearied our dear, charming host, by my +incessant questions about the names of the trees and shrubs, and of +the habits and ways of the thousands of birds. It was all so new +and so delightful to me,--the green gloom, the hoarse croak of the +ka-ka, as it alighted almost at our feet and prepared, quite +careless of our vicinity, to tear up the loose soil at the root of a +tall tree, in search of grubs. It is a species of parrot, but with +very dingy reddish-brown plumage, only slightly enlivened by a few, +scarlet feathers in the wing. The air was gay with bright green +parroquets flitting about, very mischievous they are, I am told, +taking large tithe of the fruit, especially of the cherries. Every +now and then we stood, by common consent, silent and almost +breathless to listen to the Bell-bird, a dingy little fellow, nearly +as large as a thrush with the plumage of a chaffinch, but with such +a note!--how can I make you hear its wild, sweet, plaintive tone, as +a little girl of the party said, "just as if it had a bell in its +throat;" but indeed it would require a whole peal of silver bells to +ring such an exquisite chime. Then we crept softly up to a low +branch, to have a good look at the Tui, or Parson-bird, most +respectable and clerical-looking in its glossy black suit, with a +singularly trim and dapper air, and white wattles of very slender +feathers--indeed they are as fine as hair-curled coquettishly at +each side of his throat, exactly like bands. All the birds were +quite tame, and, instead of avoiding us, seemed inclined to examine +us minutely. Many of them have English names, which I found very +tantalising, especially when, the New Zealand Robin was announced, +and I could only see a fat little ball of a bird, with a +yellowish-white breast. Animals there are none. No quadruped is +indigenous to New Zealand, except a rat; but then, on the other +hand, we are as free from snakes and all vermin as if St. Patrick +himself had lived here. Our host has turned several pheasants into +this forest, but they increase very slowly on account of the wekas. +However, the happiness of this morning was made complete by our +putting up two splendid rocketers. + +We could only make our way by the paths which have been cut through +the Bush; a yard off the track it is impossible to stir for the +dense undergrowth. In the ravines and steep gullies formed by the +creeks grow masses of ferns of all sorts, spreading like large +shrubs, and contrasting by their light bright green with the black +stems of the birch-trees around them. There are a few pines in this +bush, but not many. I can give you no idea of the variety among the +shrubs: the koromika, like an Alpine rose, a compact ball of +foliage; the lance-wood, a tall, slender stem, straight as a line, +with a few long leaves at the top, turned downwards like the barb of +a spear, and looking exactly like a lance stuck into the ground; the +varieties of matapo, a beautiful shrub, each leaf a study, with its +delicate tracery of black veins on a yellow-green ground; the mappo, +the gohi, and many others, any of which would be the glory of an +English shrubbery: but they seem to require the deep shelter of +their native Bush, for they never flourish when transplanted. I +noticed the slender the large trees have of the ground, and it is +not at all surprising, after such a gale as we had three weeks ago, +to see many of the finest blown down in the clearings where the wind +could reach them. They do not seem to have any tap-root at all, +merely a very insufficient network of fibres, seldom of any size, +which spreads a short way along the surface of the ground As long as +a Bush is undisturbed by civilization, it appears to be impervious +to wind or weather; but as soon as it is opened and cleared a +little, it begins to diminish rapidly. There are traces all over +the hills of vast forests having once existed; chiefly of totara, a +sort of red pine, and those about us are scattered with huge logs of +this valuable wood, all bearing traces of the action of fire; but +shepherds, and explorers on expeditions, looking for country, have +gradually consumed them for fuel, till not many pieces remain except +on the highest and most inaccessible ranges. + +It was a delightful, and by no means unacceptable surprise which +awaited us on the other side, when, on emerging from a very thick +part of the Bush, we came on a lovely spot, a true "meeting of the +waters." Three broad, bright creeks came rushing and tumbling down +from the densely wooded hills about to join and flow on in quite a +good-sized river, amid boulders and a great deal of hurry and fuss, +--a contrast to the profound quiet of our ramble hitherto, the +silence of which was only broken by the twitter and whistle of the +birds. Never a song can you hear, only a sweet chirrup, or two or +three melodious notes. On the opposite bank of the river there was +the welcome sight of several hampers more or less unpacked, and the +gleam of a white tablecloth on the moss. Half-a-dozen gentlemen had +formed themselves into a commissariat, and were arranging luncheon. +We could see the champagne cooling in a sort of little bay, +protected by a dam of big stones from being carried down the stream. +It all looked very charming and inviting, but the next question was +how to get across the river to these good things. Twelve or +fourteen feet separated us, hungry and tired wanderers as we were, +from food and rest; the only crossing-place was some miles lower +down, near the house in fact; so even the most timid amongst us +scouted the idea of retracing our steps. The only alternative was +to make a bridge: one of the gentlemen who were with us carried an +axe in case of emergency, and in a moment we heard the sharp ringing +sounds foretelling the fall of a tree. In the mean-time, others of +the party were dragging out fallen logs--of course small and +manageable ones--and laying them from one huge boulder to another, +working up to their knees in water. So many of these prostrate +trunks were "convenient," that a cry soon arose to the woodman to +"spare the trees," for there were quite enough on the ground. +However, two substantial poles had been felled, and these were laid +over the deepest and most dangerous part of the current. The bridge +was soon declared passable, and loud shouts from the opposite side +proclaimed that luncheon was quite ready. I was called, as having a +most undeserved reputation for "pluck," to make trial of the +aerial-looking fabric. I did not like it at all, and entreated some +one else to lead the forlorn hope; so a very quiet young lady, who +really possessed more courage in her little finger than I do in my +whole body, volunteered to go first. The effect from the bank was +something like tight-rope dancing, and it was very difficult to keep +one's balance. Miss Kate, our pioneer, walked on very steadily, +amid great applause, till she reached the middle of the stream, +where fortunately the water was shallow, but strewed with masses of +boulders. She paused an instant on the large rock on which the ends +of the saplings rested, and then started afresh for the last half of +her journey. The instant she put her foot on the second part of the +bridge, it gave way with a loud crash; and the poor girl, with great +presence of mind, caught at the tree she, had just crossed, and so +saved herself from a ducking. Of course, she had plenty of help in +an instant, but the difficulty was to regain any sort of footing. +She could not drop into the water, and there was apparently no way +of dragging herself up again; but one of the gentlemen crept on +hands and knees along the unbroken part of the bridge, and +eventually helped her up the sides of the large boulder which acted +as a pier, and from which the log had slipped. From the other side +they now pushed across tall, slim trees, freshly cut, and the rest +of the passage was safe enough. I did not like the mode of transit +at all, though I got over without a slip, but it requires a steady +head to cross a noisy stream on two slippery round poles--for really +the trees were little thicker--laid side by side, bending with every +step. It was a great comfort to me all luncheon-time to know that +we were not to return by the same path through the Bush. We had a +good rest after lunch: I lay back on a bed of fern, watching the +numbers of little birds around us; they boldly picked up our crumbs, +without a thought of possible danger. Presently I felt a tug at the +shawl on which I was lying: I was too lazy and dreamy to turn my +head, so the next thing was a sharp dig on my arm, which hurt me +dreadfully. I looked round, and there was a weka bent on thoroughly +investigating the intruder into its domain. The bird looked so cool +and unconcerned, that I had not the heart to follow my first impulse +and throw my stick at it; but my forbearance was presently rewarded +by a stab on the ankle, which fairly made me jump up with a scream, +when my persecutor glided gracefully away among the bushes, leaving +me, like Lord Ullin, "lamenting." + +We sauntered home slowly, gathering armfuls of, fern and a large +variety of a stag's-head moss so common on the west coast of +Scotland; and as soon as we had had some tea, the gentlemen went off +with their towels to bathe in the creek, and the five ladies set to +work at the decorations for the ball-room, weaving wreaths and +arranging enormous bouquets very rapidly: we had such a wealth of +flowers to work with that our task was not difficult. The most +amusing part of the story is, however, that the ball took place in +my bed-room! A very pompous lady of my acquaintance always prefaces +the slenderest anecdote with these words, "And it happened in this +wise," so I think I shall avail myself of the _tour de phrase_. + +It happened in this wise, then:-a large well-proportioned room had +been added to the house lately; it was intended for a drawing-room, +but for some reason has only been used as a: spare bed-room, but as +it may possibly return to its original destination, very little +bed-room furniture has been put in it, and many of its belongings +are appropriate to a sitting-room. We called in the servants, the +light cane bedstead was soon deposited under the shade of a tree in +the garden, the washing-stand was similarly disposed of, and an +hour's work with hammer and nails and a ball of string turned the +room into a perfect bower of ferns and flowers: great ingenuity was +displayed in the arrangement of lights, and the result was a very +pretty ball-room. + +We are always eating in this country, so you will not be surprised +to hear that there was yet another meal to be disposed of before we +separated to dress in all sorts of nooks and corners. White muslin +was the universal costume, as it can be packed flat and smooth. My +gown had been carried over by F--- in front of his saddle in a very +small parcel: I covered it almost entirely with sprays of the +light-green stag's-head, moss, and made a wreath of it also for my +hair. I think that with the other ladies roses were the most +popular decoration, and they looked very fresh and nice. I was the +universal _coiffeuse_, and I dressed all the girls' heads with +flowers, as I was supposed to be best up in the latest fashions. In +the meantime, the piano had been moved to the bay-window of the +ball-room, and at ten o'clock dancing commenced, and may be truly +said to have been kept up with great spirit until four o'clock: it +only ceased then on account of the state of exhaustion of the +unfortunate five ladies, who had been nearly killed with incessant +dancing. I threw a shawl over my head, and sauntered alone up one +of the many paths close to the house which led into the Bush. Tired +as I was, I shall never forget the beauty and romance of that hour, +--the delicious crisp _new_ feeling of the morning air; the very +roses, growing like a red fringe on the skirts of the great Bush, +seemed awaking to fresh life and perfume; the numbers of gay lizards +and flies coming out for their morning meal, and, above all, the +first awakening of the myriads of Bush-birds; every conceivable +twitter and chatter and chirrup; the last cry of a very pretty +little owl, called, from its distinctly uttered words, the +"More-pork," as it flitted away before the dawn to the highest +trees: all made up a jubilant uproar compared to which one of the +Crystal Palace choruses is silence. I sat down on a fallen tree, +and listened and waited: every moment added to the lovely dawn +around me, and I enjoyed to the full the fragrant smells and joyous +sounds of another day in this fresh young land. + +All too soon came a loud "coo-ee" from the house, which I allowed +them to repeat before I answered; this was to tell me that the ball- +room was deserted, and had been again turned into a bed-room. When +I opened my eyes later, after a six hours' nap, the room looked like +a fairy bower, the flowers still unfaded. We had another picnic the +next day up the gorge of a river, amid very wild and beautiful +scenery; but everything had been arranged so as to make the +expedition an easy one, out of consideration to the weary five. The +day after this we rode home again, and I had to set to work directly +to prepare for my own Christmas party to the shepherds and +shearers,--for we have just commenced to muster the sheep, and the +shearing will be in full force by Christmas Day. One great object I +have in view in giving this party is to prevent the shearers from +going over to the nearest accommodation-house and getting tipsy, as +they otherwise would; so I have taken care to issue my invitations +early. I found great difficulty in persuading some of the men to +accept, as they had not brought any tidy clothes with them; and as +the others would be decently, indeed well dressed, they did not like +putting in a shabby appearance. This difficulty was obviated by +F--- hunting up some of the things he had worn on the voyage, and +rigging-out the invited guests. For two days before the great day I +had been working hard, studying recipes for pies and puddings, and +scouring the country in search of delicacies. Every lady was most +kind, knowing that our poor, exposed garden was backward; I had +sacks of green peas, bushels of young potatoes, and baskets of +strawberries and cherries sent to me from all round the country; I +made poor F--- ride twenty miles to get me a sirloin of beef, and, +to my great joy, two beautiful young geese arrived as a present only +the day before. It is a point of honour to have as little mutton as +possible on these occasions, as the great treat is the complete +change of fare. I only ventured to introduce it very much disguised +as curry, or in pies. We were all up at daylight on Christmas +morning, and off to the nearest little copse in one of the gullies, +where a few shrubs and small trees and ferns grow, to gather boughs +for the decoration of the washhouse. Marvels were done in the +carpentering line to arrange tables around its walls. The copper, +which at first presented such an obstacle to the symmetry of the +adornments, became their chief glory; it was boarded over, its sides +completely hidden by flags and ferns, and the dessert placed on it +peeped out from a bower of greenery. I don't know how we got our +own breakfast; from eleven o'clock there was the constant +announcement "A horseman coming up the flat;" and by twelve, when I +as beadle announced that all was ready, a large congregation of +thirty-six came trooping into my little drawing-room. As soon as it +was filled the others clustered round the door; but all could hear, +I think. F--- began the service; and as the notes of the Christmas +Anthem swelled up, I found the tears trembling in my eyes. My +overwhelming thought was that it actually was the very first time +those words had ever been sung or said in that valley--you in +England can hardly realize the immensity of such a thought--"the +first time since the world was made." I think the next sensation +was one of extreme happiness; it seemed such a privilege to be +allowed to hold the initial Christmas service. I had to grasp this +idea very tight to keep down the terrible home-sickness which I felt +all day for almost the first time. There are moments when no +advantages or privileges can repress what Aytoun calls "the deep, +unutterable woe which none save exiles feel." + +The service only lasted half an hour, beginning and ending with a +hymn; there were three women present besides me--my two servants, +and the nice young wife of a neighbouring shepherd. It was a sultry +day, not a breath of air; but still it is never oppressive at this +elevation. We wound up a big musical-box, set it going in the +banqueting-hall (late washhouse), and marshalled the guests in they +were extremely shy as a rule, and so we soon went away and left them +to themselves. They ate incessantly for two hours--and I hope they +enjoyed themselves; then the men lounged about the stables and +smoked, and the three women cleared away a little. F--- and our +gentlemen guests got up athletic sports in the shade which seemed +very popular, though it appeared a great deal of trouble to take on +such a hot day. As the sun sank below the hills it grew much +cooler, and my two maids came with a shamefaced request to be +allowed to dance in the kitchen. I inquired about the music?--that +was provided for by a fiddle and some pipes; so I consented, but I +found they wanted me to start them. I selected as my partner a very +decent young farmer who lives near, but has left his farm and is at +work branding our sheep all shearing-time. The pride and delight of +his mate was much greater than my partner's; he stood near his +friend, prompting him through the mazes of the most extraordinary +quadrille you ever saw, with two extra figures. Then there was an +endless polka, in which everybody danced, like Queen Elizabeth, +"high and disposedly;" but the ball ended at nine o'clock, and we +were given some cold dinner, for which we were all very ready. The +next morning saw the remains of the festivity cleared away, and +every one hard at work again; for this is our very busiest season. +The work of the station, however, is carried on at the homestead two +miles off. F--- is there all day long, but I see nothing of it. +While the shearers' hearts were tender, I asked them to come over to +church on Sunday, and they have promised to do so: I lend them +quantities of books and papers also, so as to keep them amused and +away from the accommodation-house. + + + +Letter XV: Everyday station life. + + +Broomielaw, January 1867. +You tell me to describe our daily home-life and domestic +surroundings. I dare say it: will appear to be a monotonous and +insignificant existence enough when put on paper, but it suits me +exactly; and, for the first time in my life, I have enough to do, +and also the satisfaction of feeling that I am of some little use to +my fellow-creatures. A lady's influence out here appears to be very +great, and capable of indefinite expansion. She represents +refinement and culture (in Mr. Arnold's sense of the words), and her +footsteps on a new soil such as this should be marked by a trail of +light. Of course every improvement must be the work of time, but I +find my neighbours very willing to help me in my attempts. + +A few lines will be sufficient to sketch a day's routine. The first +of my duties is one I especially delight in. I am out very early +with a large tin dish of scraps mixed with a few handfuls of wheat, +and my appearance is the signal for a great commotion among all my +fowls and ducks and pigeons. Such waddling and flying and running +with outstretched wings to me: in fact, I receive a morning greeting +from all the live-stock about the place. I am nearly knocked down +by the big sheep-dogs; the calves come rushing with awkward gambols +towards me for a bit of the fowls' bread, whilst the dogs look out +for a bone; but, in the midst of the confusion, the poultry hold +their own; indeed, an anxious hen eager to secure a breakfast for +her chicks will fly at a big dog, and beat him away from a savoury +morsel. I think I ought not to omit mentioning the devotion of a +small pig; it is an exact illustration of the French proverb which +speaks of the inequality of love, for I am quite passive and do not +respond in the least to the little beastie's affection, which is the +most absurd thing you ever saw, especially as it proceeds from so +unromantic an animal. Late in the spring (that is to say, about +November last) we were all returning from a great pig-hunting +expedition, when I saw one of the party coming down a steep hill +near the house with a small and glossy-black wild pig under each +arm; he was very proud of his captives, placed them in a box with +some straw, and fed them like babies out of a bottle. We laughed at +him very much; but when he went away he begged so earnestly that the +pigs should be reared that we promised to keep them. In a few days +they became perfectly tame, and were very handsome little creatures; +and one of them attached itself to me, following me all about, even +into the house (but _that_ I really could not stand), accompanying +me in all my walks, and, as far as it could, in my rides. Many a +time have I seen poor little piggy carried down a creek by the +current, squealing piteously, but it was evidently a case of "many +waters cannot quench love," for a little further on piggy would +appear, very much baked, but holding out gallantly, till sheer +exhaustion compelled him to give in, when he would lie down under a +tussock, apparently dying; but, as we were coming home in the dusk, +Helen, my pretty bay mare, has given many a shy at piggy starting up +from his shelter with gambols and squeals of joy. + +It is always a great temptation to loiter about in the lovely fresh +morning air, but I have to be dressed in time for prayers and +breakfast at nine; directly after breakfast I go into the kitchen; +sometimes, it is only necessary to give orders or instructions, but +generally I find that practice is much better than precept, and I +see to the soup myself, and make the pudding--the joint can take +care of itself. + +You have often asked me what we have to eat, so this will be a good +opportunity of introducing our daily bill of fare, prefacing it with +my recorded opinion that here is no place in the world where you can +live so cheaply and so well as on a New Zealand sheep station, when +once you get a start. Of course, it is expensive at first, setting +everything going, but that would be the case in any country. I will +begin at the very beginning:--Porridge for breakfast, with new milk +and cream _a discretion_; to follow--mutton chops, mutton ham, or +mutton curry, or broiled mutton and mushrooms, not shabby little +fragments of meat broiled, but beautiful tender steaks off a leg; +tea or coffee, and bread and butter, with as many new-laid eggs as +we choose to consume. Then, for dinner, at half-past one, we have +soup, a joint, vegetables, and a pudding; in summer, we have fresh +fruit stewed, instead of a pudding, with whipped cream. I was a +proud and happy woman the first day my cream remained cream, and did +not turn into butter; for generally my zeal outran my discretion, +and I did not know when to leave off whipping. We have supper about +seven; but this is a moveable feast, consisting of tea again, mutton +cooked in some form of entree, eggs, bread and butter, and a cake of +my manufacture. I must, however, acknowledge, that at almost every +other station you would get more dainties, such as jam and preserves +of all sorts, than we can boast of yet; for, as Littimer says to +David Copperfield, "We are very young, exceedingly young, sir," our +fruit-trees, have not come into full bearing, and our other +resources are still quite undeveloped. + +However, I have wandered away terribly from my first intention of +telling you of the daily occupations to a description of our daily +food. After I have finished all my little fussings about the house, +I join F--- who has probably been for some time quietly settled down +at his writing-table, and we work together at books and writing till +dinner; after that meal, F--- like Mr. Tootes, "resumes his +studies," but I go and feed my fowls again, and if I am very idly +disposed I sit on a hencoop in the shade and watch the various +tempers of my chickens and ducklings. A little later F--- and I go +out for some hours: if it is not too hot, he takes his rifle and we +go over the hills pig-stalking, but this is really only suitable +exercise for a fine winter's day; at this time of year we either go +for a walk or a ride, generally the latter--not a little shabby +canter, but a long stretching gallop for miles and miles; perhaps +stopping to have a cup of tea with a neighbour twelve or fifteen +miles off, and then coming slowly home in the delicious gloaming, +with the peculiar fresh crisp feeling which the atmosphere always +has here the moment the sun sets, no matter how hot the day has +been. I can hardly hope to make you understand how enjoyable our +twilight hours are, with no fear of damp or malaria to spoil them; +every turn of the track as we slowly wind up the valley showing us +some beautiful glimpse of distant mountain peaks, and, above all, +such sunset splendours, gradually fading away into the deep, pure +beauty of a summer night. + +In one of our rides the other day, after crossing a low range of +hills, we suddenly dropped down on what would be called in England a +hamlet, but here it is designated by the extraordinary name of a +"nest of cockatoos." This expression puzzled me so much when I +first heard it, that I must give you as minute an explanation as I +myself found necessary to the comprehension of the subject. + +When a shepherd has saved a hundred pounds, or the better class of +immigrant arrives with a little capital, the favourite investment is +in freehold land, which they can purchase, in sections of twenty +acres and upwards, at 2 pounds the acre. The next step is to build +a sod but with two rooms on their property, thatching it with Tohi, +or swamp grass; a door and a couple of window-frames all ready +glazed are brought from Christchurch in the dray with the family and +the household goods. After this rough and ready shelter is +provided, the father and sons begin fencing their land and gradually +it all assumes a cultivated appearance. Pig-sties and fowl-houses +are added; a little garden, gay with common English flowers, is made +in front of the house, whose ugly walls are gradually hidden by +creepers, and the homestead looks both picturesque and prosperous. +These small farmers are called Cockatoos in Australia by the +squatters or sheep-farmers, who dislike them for buying up the best +bits of land on their runs; and say that, like a cockatoo, the small +freeholder alights on good ground, extracts all he can from it, and +then flies away to "fresh fields and pastures new." But the real +fact is, that the poor farmer perhaps finds his section is too far +from a market, so he is forced to abandon it and move nearer a town, +where the best and most productive land has been bought up already; +and he has to begin again at a disadvantage. However, whether the +name is just or not, it is a recognized one here; and I have heard a +man say in answer to a question about his usual occupation, "I'm a +Cockatoo." + +This particular "nest" appeared to me very well off, comparatively +speaking; for though the men complained sadly of the low price of +their wheat and oats, still there was nothing like poverty to be +seen. Ready money was doubtless scarce, and an extensive system of +barter appeared to prevail; but still they all looked well fed and +well clothed; sickness was unknown among them, and it did one's +heart good to see the children--such sturdy limbs, bright fearless +eyes, and glowing faces. They have abundance of excellent food. +Each cottager has one or two cows, and the little ones take these +out to pasture on the hills, so they are in the open air nearly all +day: but their ignorance is appalling! Many of them had never even +been christened; there was no school or church within thirty miles +or more, and although the parents seemed all tidy, decent people, +and deplored the state of things, they were powerless to help it. +The father and elder sons work hard all day; the mother has to do +everything, even to making the candles, for the family; there is no +time or possibility of teaching the children. The neighbouring +squatters do not like to encourage settlers to buy up their land, +therefore they carefully avoid making things pleasant for a new +"nest," and the Cockatoos are "nobody's business;" so, as far as +educational advantages go, they are perfectly destitute. + +When I mentioned my discovery of this hamlet, and my dismay at the +state of neglect in which so many fine intelligent-looking children +were growing up, every one warned me not to interfere, assuring me +the Cockatoo was a very independent bird, that he considered he had +left all the Ladies Bountiful and blanket and coal charities behind +him in the old country; that, in short, as it is generally put, +"Jack is as good as his master" out here, and any attempt at +patronage would be deeply resented. But I determined to try the +effect of a little visiting among the cottages, and was most +agreeably surprised at the kind and cordial welcome I received. The +women liked to have some one to chat to about their domestic +affairs, and were most hospitable in offers of tea, etc., and +everywhere invitations to "come again" were given; so the next week +I ventured to invite the men over to our Sunday services. Those who +were fond of reading eagerly accepted the offer to join the +book-club, and at last we started the educational subject. Many +plans were discussed, and finally we arranged for one woman, who had +received an excellent education and was quite fitted for the post, +to commence a day-school; but this entailed so much loss of her +valuable time that the terms she is obliged to ask seem +disproportionately high to the people's means. She wants 2 +shillings and 6 pence a week with each child, and this is terrible +heavy on the head of a family who is anxious and willing to give +them some "schooling." However, the plan is to be tried, and I have +promised to start them with books, slates, copybooks, etc. It was +quite touching to hear their earnest entreaties that F--- would come +over on Sunday sometimes and hold a service there, but I tried to +show them this could not be managed. The tears actually came into +their eyes when I talked of the happiness it would be to see a +little church and school in their midst; and the almost invariable +remark was, "Ah, but it'll be a far day first." And so I fear it +will--a very far day; but I have often heard it said, that if you +propose one definite object to yourself as the serious purpose of +your life, you will accomplish it some day. Well, the purpose of my +life henceforward is to raise money somehow or somewhere to build a +little wooden school-room (licensed for service, to be held whenever +a missionary clergyman comes by), and to pay the salary of a +schoolmaster and mistress, so that the poor Cockatoo need not be +charged more than threepence a week for each child. The Board of +Education will give a third of the sum required, when two-thirds +have been already raised; but it is difficult to collect +subscriptions, or indeed to induce the squatters to listen to any +plan for improving the condition of the small farmers, and every +year which slips away and leaves these swarms of children in +ignorance adds to the difficulty of training them. [Note: Since +this was written, a school-house, also used as a church, has been +built in this district by private subscription and Government aid. +A clergyman, who lives some twenty-five miles away, rides over and +holds service once a month.] + + + +Letter XVI: A sailing excursion on Lake Coleridge. + + +Lake Coleridge, February 1867. +A violent storm of wind and rain from the south-west keeps us all +indoors to-day, and gives me time to write my letter for the Panama +mail, which will be made up to-morrow. The post-office is ten miles +off, and rejoices in the appropriate name of "Wind-whistle;" it +stands at the mouth of a deep mountain gorge, and there never was +such a temple of the winds. + +This bad weather comes after a long spell of lovely bright summer +days, and is very welcome to fill up the failing creeks in the lower +ranges of hills. I must tell you how much we have been enjoying our +visit here. F--- knows this part of the country well, but it is +quite new to me, and a great contrast to the other scenery I have +described to you We had long talked of paying Mr. C. H--- a visit at +his bachelor cottage on his station far back among the high ranges +of hills, but no time was fixed, so I was rather taken by surprise +when last week he drove up to Broomielaw in a light American waggon +with a pair of stout horses, and announced that he had come to take +us to his place next day. There was no reason against this plan, +and we agreed at once; the next morning saw us on the road, after an +early breakfast. We had to drive about thirty-five miles round, +whereas it would have been only twenty miles riding across the +hills; but our kind host thought that it would be much more +comfortable for me to be able to take a carpet-bag in the carriage +instead of the usual system of saddle-bags one is obliged to adopt +travelling on horseback. We made our first stage at the +ever-hospitable station of the C---'s, on the Horarata, but we could +not remain to luncheon, as they wished, having to push on further; +and, as it turned out, it was most fortunate we took advantage of +the first part of the day to get over the ground between us and our +destination, for the gentle breeze which had been blowing since we +started gradually freshened into a tremendous "nor'-wester," right +in our teeth all the rest of our way. The poor horses bent their +heads as low as possible and pulled bravely at their collars, up +hill the whole time. Among the mountains the wind rushed with +redoubled fury down the narrow gorges, and became icily cold as we +neared the snowy ranges. It was impossible to see the hills for the +thick mist, though I knew we must have a magnificent view before us. +We took refuge for an hour just to rest the horses, at Windwhistle, +and I certainly expected the house to come down whilst we were +there. I can hardly tell you anything of the rest of the drive, for +I was really frightened at my first experience of a "howling +nor'-wester" out of doors, and Mr. H--- made me sit down at the +bottom of the carriage and heaped over me all the cloaks and shawls +we had brought. It was delightful to find ourselves under shelter +at last in a pretty bright snug room, with lots of books and +arm-chairs, and a blazing fire; _this_, you must remember, in +midsummer. + +The next morning was perfectly calm, and the lake as serene as if no +storm had been dashing its water in huge breakers against the beach +only a few hours before. The view from the sitting-room was lovely: +just beneath the window there was a little lawn, as green as +possible from the spray with which the lake had washed it yesterday; +beyond this a low hedge, an open meadow, a fringe of white pebbly +beach, and then a wide expanse of water within one little wooded +island, and shut in gradually from our view by spurs of hills +running down to the shore, sometimes in bold steep cliffs, and again +in gentle declivities, with little strips of bush or scrub growing +in the steep gullies between them. The lake extends some way beyond +where we lose sight of it, being twelve miles long and four miles +broad. A few yards from the beach it is over six hundred feet deep. +Nothing but a painting could give you any idea of the blue of sky +and water that morning; the violent wind of yesterday seemed to have +blown every cloud below the horizon, for I could not see the least +white film anywhere. Behind the lower hills which surround the lake +rises a splendid snowy range; altogether, you cannot imagine a more +enchanting prospect than the one I stood and looked at; it made me +think of Miss Procter's lines-- + + "My eyes grow dim, + As still I gaze and gaze + Upon that mountain pass, + That leads--or so it seems-- + To some far happy land + Known in a world of dreams." + +All this time, whilst I was looking out of the window in most +unusual idleness, Mr. H--- and F--- were making constant journeys +between the boat-house and the store-room, and at last I was +entreated to go and put on my hat. While doing this I heard +cupboards being opened, and a great bustle; so when I reached the +shore I was not so much surprised as they expected, to see in the +pretty little sailing-boat (which was moored to a primitive sort of +jetty made out of a broken old punt) the materials for at least two +substantial meals, in case of being kept out by a sudden head-wind. +I was especially glad to notice a little kettle among the +_impedimenta_, and there were cloaks and wraps of all kinds to +provide against the worst. Four gentlemen and I made up the crew +and passengers, and a very merry set we were, behaving extremely +like children out for a holiday. The wind was a trifle light for +sailing, so the gentlemen pulled, but very lazily and not at all in +good "form," as the object of each oarsman seemed to be to do as +little work as possible. However, we got on somehow, a light puff +helping us now and then, but our progress was hardly perceptible. I +had been for a long time gazing down into the clear blue depth of +water, every now and then seeing a flash of the white sand shining +at the bottom, when I was half startled by our host standing +suddenly up in the bow of the boat; and then I found that we were a +couple of miles away from our starting-point, and that we had turned +a corner formed by a steep spur, and were running right into what +appeared a grove of rata-trees growing at the water's edge. The +rata only grows in the hills and near water; it is a species of +broad-leaf myrtle, with a flower exactly like a myrtle in character, +but of a brilliant deep scarlet colour, and twice as large. + +When the bowsprit touched the rata-branches, which drooped like a +curtain into the water, Mr. H--- made a signal to lower the mast, +and parting the thick, blossom-covered foliage before us, with both +hands, the way the boat had on her sent us gently through the screen +of scarlet flowers and glossy green leaves into such a lovely fairy +cove! Before us was a little white beach of fine sparkling sand, +against which the water broke in tiny wavelets, and all around a +perfect bower of every variety of fern and moss, kept green by +streams no thicker than a silver thread trickling down here and +there with a subdued tinkling sound. We all sat quite silent, the +boat kept back just inside the entrance by the steersman holding on +to a branch. It was a sudden contrast from the sparkling sunshine +and brightness outside, all life and colour and warmth, to the +tender, green, profound shade and quiet in this "Mossy Hum," as the +people about here call it. Do not fancy anything damp or chilly. +No; it was like a natural temple--perfect repose and refreshment to +the eyes dazzled with the brilliant outside colouring. Centuries +ago there must have been a great landslip here, for the side of the +mountain is quite hollowed out, and Nature has gradually covered the +ugly brown rent with the thickest tapestry of her most delicate +handiwork. I noticed two varieties of the maiden-hair, its slender +black stem making the most exquisite tracery among the vivid greens. +There was no tint of colour except green when once we passed the +red-fringed curtain of rata-branches, only the white and shining +fairy beach and the gleaming threads of water. As we sat there, +perfectly still, and entranced, a sort of delicious mesmeric feeling +stole over me; I thought of the lotus-eater's chant, "There is no +joy but calm," with, for, the first time in my life, a dim +perception of what they meant, perhaps; but it was over all too +quickly: prosaic words of direction to back water called us from +shade to light, and in a moment more we were in front of the +rata-trees, admiring their splendid colouring, and our little boat +was dancing away over the bright waves, with her white wings set and +her bows pointed towards the little toy island in the middle of the +lake; it was no question now of rowing, a nice fresh breeze from the +south (the _cold_ point here) sent us swiftly and steadily through +the water. What a morning it was! The air was positively +intoxicating, making you feel that the mere fact of being a living +creature with lungs to inhale such an atmosphere was a great boon. +We have a good deal of disagreeable weather, and a small proportion +of bad weather, but in no other part of the world, I believe, does +Nature so thoroughly understand how to make a fine day as in New +Zealand. + +A little after mid-day we ran our boat to the lee of the island, +and: whilst she was steadied by the same primitive method of holding +on to branches of manuka and other scrub, I scrambled out and up a +little cliff, where a goat could hardly have found footing, till I +reached a spot big enough to stand on, from whence I anxiously +watched the disembarkation of some of the provisions, and of the +gridiron and kettle. In a few moments we were all safely ashore, +and busy collecting dry fern and brushwood for a fire; it was rather +a trial of patience to wait till the great blaze had subsided before +we attempted to cook our chops, which were all neatly prepared ready +for us. Some large potatoes were put to bake in the ashes; the tin +plates were warmed (it is a great art not to overheat them when you +have to keep them on your lap whilst you eat your chop). We were +all so terribly hungry that we were obliged to have a course of +bread and cheese and sardines _first_; it was really quite +impossible to wait patiently for the chops. The officiating cook +scolded us well for our Vandalism, and the next moment we detected +him in the act of devouring a half-raw potato. The fragments of our +meal must have been a great boon to the colony of wekas who inhabit +the island, for as they increase and multiply prodigiously their +provisions must often fall short in so small a space. No one can +imagine how these birds originally came here, for the island is at +least two miles from the nearest point of land; they can neither +swim nor fly; and as every man's hand is against them, no one would +have thought it worth while to bring them over: but here they are, +in spite of all the apparent impossibilities attending their +arrival, more tame and impudent than ever. It was dangerous to +leave your bread unwatched for an instant, and indeed I saw one +gliding off with an empty sardine tin in its beak; I wonder how it +liked oil and little scales. They considered a cork a great prize, +and carried several off triumphantly. + +After luncheon there was the usual interval of rest, and pipes on +the part of the gentlemen. I explored a little, but there is +nothing very pretty or abundant in the way of wild flowers in the +parts of New Zealand which I have seen. White violets and a ground +clematis are the only ones I have come across in any quantity. The +manuka, a sort of scrub, has a pretty blossom like a diminutive +Michaelmas daisy, white petals and a brown centre, with a very +aromatic odour; and this little flower is succeeded by a berry with +the same strong smell and taste of spice. The shepherds sometimes +make an infusion of these when they are very hard-up for tea; but it +must be like drinking a decoction of cloves. + +About three o'clock we re-embarked, and sailed a little higher up +the lake beyond the point where we lose sight of it from Mr. H---'s +house, every moment opening out fresh and more beautiful glimpses. +Quite the opposite end of the shore is fringed with a thick deep +forest, and another station has been built there, at which, I am +told, the scenery is still more magnificent. At first I was +inclined to wonder where the sheep live amid all this picturesque +but mountainous country: however, I find that between and among +these hills stretch immense valleys (or "flats," as they are called +here), which are warm and sheltered in winter, and afford plenty of +food for them; then, in summer, they go up to the mountains: but it +is very difficult to "muster" these ranges. I am almost ashamed to +confess to another meal before we returned home, but there was a +lovely tempting spot in a little harbour, and so we landed and +boiled some water and had a capital cup of tea. You require to be +out as we were from morning till night in such an air as this to +know what it is to feel either hungry or sleepy in perfection! The +next day we made a similar excursion, exploring the opposite shore +of the lake; but, before we started, our host distrusted the +appearance of certain clouds, and sent round horses to meet us at +the point where we were going to lunch; and it was just as well he +did so, for a stiff breeze sprang up from the south-west, which +would have kept us out all night. So we mounted the horses instead +of re-embarking, having first secured the boat, and cantered home. +We passed several smaller lakes; there is a perfect chain of them +among these hills, and I was much amused at the names bestowed on +them, according to the tastes or caprice of the station-owners whose +runs happen to include them: for instance, two are called +respectively "Geraldine" and "Ida," whilst three, which lie close +together, rejoice in the somewhat extraordinary names of "the +World," "the Flesh," and "the Devil." + + + +Letter XVII: My first and last experience of "camping out." + + +Broomielaw, April 1867. +I have nothing to tell you this mail, except of a rather ridiculous +expedition which we made last week, and which involved our spending +the whole night on the top of the highest hill on our run. You will +probably wonder what put such an idea into our heads, so I must +preface my account by a little explanation. Whenever I meet any +people who came here in the very early days of the colony--only +sixteen years ago, after all!--I delight in persuading them to tell +me about their adventures and hardships during those primitive +times, and these narratives have the greatest fascination for me, as +they always end happily. No one ever seems to have died of his +miseries, or even to have suffered seriously in any way from them, +so I find the greatest delight in listening to the stories of the +Pilgrims. I envy them dreadfully for having gone through so much +with such spirit and cheerfulness, and ever since I came here I have +regretted that the rapid advance of civilization in New Zealand +precludes the possibility of being really uncomfortable; this makes +me feel like an impostor, for I am convinced that my English friends +think of me with the deepest pity, as of one cut off from the +refinements and comforts of life, whereas I really am surrounded by +every necessary, and many of its luxuries, and there is no reason +but that of expense why one should not have all of these. + +One class of narratives is peculiarly attractive to me. I like to +hear of benighted or belated travellers when they have had to "camp +out," as it is technically called; and have lived in constant hope +of meeting with an adventure which would give me a similar +experience. But I am gradually becoming convinced that this is +almost impossible by fair means, so I have been trying for some time +past to excite in the breasts of our home party and of our nearest +neighbours an ardent desire to see the sun rise from the top of +"Flagpole," a hill 3,000 feet above the level of the sea, and only +a: couple of miles from the house. As soon as they were +sufficiently enthusiastic on the subject, I broached my favourite +project of our all going up there over-night, and camping out on the +highest peak. Strange to say, the plan did not meet with any +opposition, even from F---, who has had to camp out many a winter's +night, and with whom, therefore, the novelty may be said to have +worn off. Two gentlemen of the proposed party were "new chums" like +myself, and were strongly in favour of a little roughing; new-chums +always are, I observe. F--- hesitated a little about giving a final +consent on the score of its being rather too late in the year, and +talked of a postponement till next summer, but we would not listen +to such an idea; so he ended by entering so heartily into it, that +when at last the happy day and hour came, an untoward shower had not +the least effect in discouraging him. + +There was a great bustle about the little homestead on that eventful +Tuesday afternoon. Two very steady old horses were saddled, one for +me and the other for one of the "new chums," who was not supposed to +be in good form for a long walk, owing to a weak knee. Everything +which we thought we could possibly want was heaped on and around us +after we had mounted; the rest of the gentlemen, four in number, +walked, and we reached the first stage of our expedition in about an +hour. Here we dismounted, as the horses could go no further in +safety. The first thing done was to see to their comfort and +security; the saddles were carefully deposited under a large +flax-bush in case of rain, and the long tether ropes were arranged +so as to ensure plenty of good feed and water for both horses, +without the possibility of the ropes becoming entangled in each +other or in anything else. Then came a time of great excitement and +laughing and talking, for all the "swags" had to be packed and +apportioned for the very long and steep ascent before us. + +And now I must tell you exactly what we took up. A pair of large +double blankets to make the tent of,--that was one swag, and a very +unwieldy one it was, strapped knapsack fashion, with straps of +flax-leaves, on the back, and the bearer's coat and waistcoat +fastened on the top of the whole. The next load consisted of one +small single blanket for my sole use, inside of which was packed a +cold leg of lamb. I carried the luncheon basket, also strapped on +my shoulders, filled with two large bottles of cream, some tea and +sugar, and, I think, teaspoons. It looked a very insignificant load +by the side of the others, but I assure you I found it frightfully +heavy long before I had gone half-way up the hill. The rest +distributed among them a couple of large heavy axes, a small coil of +rope, some bread, a cake, tin plates and pannikins, knives and +forks, and a fine pigeon-pie. Concerning this pie there were two +abominable propositions; one was to leave it behind, and the other +was to eat it then and there: both of these suggestions were, +however, indignantly rejected. I must not forget to say we included +in the commissariat department two bottles of whisky, and a tiny +bottle of essence of lemon, for the manufacture of toddy. We never +see a real lemon, except two or three times a year when a ship +arrives from the Fiji islands, and then they are sixpence or a +shilling apiece. All these things were divided into two large heavy +"swags," and to poor F--- was assigned the heaviest and most +difficult load of all--the water. He must have suffered great +anxiety all the way, for if any accident had happened to his load, +he would have had to go back again to refill his big kettle; this he +carried in his hand, whilst a large tin vessel with a screw lid over +its mouth was strapped on his back also full of water, but he was +particularly charged not to let a drop escape from the spout of the +kettle; and I may mention here, that though he took a long time +about it, for he could not go as straight up the hill as we did, he +reached the top with the kettle full to the brim--the other vessel +was of course quite safe. All these packings and repackings, and +the comfortable adjustment of the "swags," occupied a long time, so +it was past five when we began our climb, and half-past six when we +reached the top of the hill, and getting so rapidly dark that we had +to hurry our preparations for the night, though we were all so +breathless that a "spell" (do you know that means _rest_?) would +have been most acceptable. The ascent was very steep, and there +were no sheep-tracks to guide us; our way lay through thick high +flax-bushes, and we never could have got on without their help. I +started with a stick, but soon threw it aside and pulled myself up +by the flax, hand over hand. Of course I had to stop every now and +then to rest, and once I chose the same flax-bush where three young +wild pigs had retired for the night, having first made themselves +the most beautiful bed of tussock grass bitten into short lengths; +the tussocks are very much scattered here, so it must have been an +afternoon's work for them; but the shepherds say these wild pigs +make themselves a fresh bed every night. + +The first thing to be done was to pitch the tent on the little flat +at the very top of the hill: it was a very primitive affair; two of +the thinnest and longest pieces of totara, with which Flagpole is +strewed, we used for poles, fastening another piece lengthwise to +these upright sticks as a roof-tree: this frame was then covered +with the large double blanket, whose ends were kept down on the +ground by a row of the heaviest stones to be found. The rope we had +brought up served to tie the poles together at the top, and to +fasten the blanket on them; but as soon as the tent had reached this +stage, it was discovered that the wind blew through it from end to +end, and that it afforded very little protection. We also found it +much colder at the top of this hill than in our valley; so under +these circumstances it became necessary to appropriate my solitary +blanket to block up one end of the tent and make it more comfortable +for the whole party. It was very little shelter before this was +done. The next step was to collect wood for a fire, which was not +difficult, for at some distant time the whole of the hill must have +been covered by a forest of totara trees; it has apparently been +destroyed by fire, for the huge trunks and branches which still +strew the steep sides are charred and half burnt. It is a beautiful +wood, with a strong aromatic odour, and blazed and crackled +splendidly in the clear, cool evening air, as we piled up a huge +bonfire, and put the kettle on to boil. It was quite dusk by this +time, so the gentlemen worked hard at collecting a great supply of +wood, as the night promised to be a very cold one, whilst I remained +to watch the kettle, full of that precious liquid poor F--- had +carried up with such care, and to prevent the wekas from carrying +off our supper, which I had arranged just inside the tent. In this +latter task I was nobly assisted by my little black terrier Dick, of +whose sad fate I must tell you later. + +By eight o'clock a noble pile of firewood had been collected, and we +were very tired and hungry; so we all crept inside the tent, which +did not afford very spacious accommodation, and began our supper. +At this point of the entertainment everybody voted it a great +success; although the wind was slowly rising and blowing from a cold +point, and our blanket-tent did not afford the perfect warmth and +shelter we had fondly credited it with. The gentlemen began to +button up their coats. I had only a light serge jacket on, so I +coaxed Dick to sit at my back and keep it warm; for, whilst our +faces were roasted by the huge beacon-fire, there was a keen and icy +draught behind us. The hot tea was a great comfort, and we enjoyed +it thoroughly, and after it was over the gentlemen lit their pipes, +and I told them a story: presently we had glees, but by ten o'clock +there was no concealing the fact that we were all very sleepy +indeed; however, we still loudly declared that camping out was the +most delightful experiment. F--- and another gentleman (that kind +and most good-natured Mr. U---, who lives with us) went outside the +tent, armed with knives, and cut all the tussocks they could feel in +the darkness, to make me a bed after the fashion of the pigs; they +brought in several armfuls, and the warmest corner in the tent was +heaped with them; I had my luncheon-basket for a pillow, and +announced that I had turned in and was very comfortable, and that +camping out was charming; the gentlemen were still cheery, though +sleepy; and the last thing I remember was seeing preparations being +made for what a Frenchman of my acquaintance always will call a +"grogs." When I awoke, I thought I must have slept several hours. +Though the fire was blazing grandly, the cold was intense: I was so +stiff I could hardly move; all my limbs ached dreadfully, and my +sensations altogether were new and very disagreeable. I sat up with +great difficulty and many groans, and looked round: two figures were +coiled up, like huge dogs, near me; two more, moody and sulky, were +smoking by the fire; with their knees drawn up to their noses and +their hands in their pockets, collars well up round their throats-- +statues of cold and disgust. To my inquiries about the hour, the +answer, given in tones of the deepest despondency, was "Only eleven +o'clock, and the sun doesn't rise till six, and its going to be the +coldest night we've had this year." The speaker added, "If it +wasn't so dark that we'd break our necks on the way, we might go +home." + +Here was a pretty end to our amusement. I slowly let myself down +again, and tried to go to sleep, but that relief was at an end for +the night; the ground seemed to grow harder every moment, or, at all +events, I ached more, and the wind certainly blew higher and keener. +Dick proved himself a most selfish doggie; he would creep round to +leeward of _me_, whilst I wanted. him to let me get leeward of him, +but he would not consent to this arrangement. Whenever I heard a +deeper moan or sigh than usual, I whispered an inquiry as to the +hour, but the usual reply, in the most cynical voice, was, "Oh, you +need not whisper, nobody is asleep." I heard one plaintive murmur +"Think of all our warm beds, and of our coming up here from choice." +I must say I felt dreadfully ashamed of myself for my plan; it was +impossible to express my contrition and remorse, for, always +excepting Mr. U---, they were all too cross to be spoken to. It +certainly was a weary, long night. About one o'clock I pretended +to want some hot tea, and the preparation for that got through half +an hour, and it warmed us a little; but everybody still was deeply +dejected, not to say morose. After an interval of only two hours +more of thorough and intense wretchedness we had a "grogs," but +there was no attempt at conviviality--subdued savageness was the +prevailing state of mind. I tried to infuse a little hope into the +party, by suggestions of a speedy termination to our misery, but my +own private opinion was that we should all be laid up for weeks to +come with illness. I allotted to myself in this imaginary +distribution of ills a severe rheumatic fever; oh! how I ached, and +I felt as if I never could be warm again. The fire was no use; +except to afford occupation in putting on wood; it roasted a little +bit of you at a time, and that bit suffered doubly from the cold +when it was obliged to take its share of exposure to the wind. I +cannot say whether the proverb is true of other nights, but this +particular night, certainly, was both darkest and coldest just +before dawn. + +At last, to our deep joy, and after many false alarms, we really all +agreed that there was a faint streak of grey in the east. My first +impulse was to set off home, and I believe I tried to get up +expressing some such intention, but F--- recalled me to myself by +saying, in great surprise, "Are you not going to stop and see the +sun rise?" I had quite forgotten that this was the avowed object of +the expedition, but I was far too stiff to walk a yard, so I was +obliged to wait to see what effect the sunrise would have on my +frozen limbs, for I could not think of any higher motive. Presently +some one called out "There's the sea," and so it was, as distinct as +though it were not fifty miles off; none of us had seen it since we +landed; to all of us it is associated with the idea of going home +some day: whilst we were feasting our eyes on it a golden line +seemed drawn on its horizon; it spread and spread, and as all the +water became flooded with a light and glory which hardly seemed to +belong to this world, the blessed sun came up to restore us all to +life and warmth again. In a moment, in less than a moment, all our +little privations and sufferings vanished as if they had never +existed, or existed only to be laughed at. Who could think of their +"Ego" in such a glorious presence, and with such a panorama before +them? I did not know which side to turn to first. Behind me rose a +giant forest in the far hills to the west--a deep shadow for miles, +till the dark outline of the pines stood out against the dazzling +snow of the mountains behind it; here the sky was still sheltering +the flying night, and the white outlines looked ghostly against the +dull neutral tints, though every peak was sharply and clearly +defined; then I turned round to see before me such a glow of light +and beauty! For an immense distance I could see the vast Canterbury +plains; to the left the Waimakiriri river, flowing in many streams, +"like a tangled bunch of silver ribbons" (as Mr. Butler calls it in +his charming book on New Zealand), down to the sea; beyond its banks +the sun shone on the windows of the houses at Oxford, thirty miles +off as the crow would fly, and threw its dense bush into strong +relief against the yellow plains. The Port Hills took the most +lovely lights and shadows as we gazed on them; beyond them lay the +hills of Akaroa, beautiful beyond the power of words to describe. +Christchurch looked quite a large place from the great extent of +ground it appeared to cover. We looked onto the south: there was a +slight haze over the great Ellesmere Lake, the water of which is +quite fresh, though only separated from the sea by a slight bar of +sand; the high banks of the Rakaia made a deep dark line extending +right back into the mountains, and beyond it we could see the +Rangitata faintly gleaming in the distance; between us and the coast +were green patches and tiny homesteads, but still few and far +between; close under our feet, and looking like a thread beneath the +shadow of the mountain, ran the Selwyn in a narrow gorge, and on its +bank stood the shepherd's hut that I have told you once afforded us +such a good luncheon; it looked a mere toy, as if it came out of a +child's box of playthings, and yet so snug for all its lonely +position. On the other hand lay our own little home, with the faint +wreath of smoke stealing up through the calm air (for the wind had +dropped at sunrise). Here and there we saw strings of sheep going +down from their high camping-grounds to feed on the sunny slopes and +in the warm valleys. Every moment added to our delight and +enjoyment; but unfortunately it was a sort of happiness which one +can neither speak of at the time, nor write about afterwards: +silence is its most expressive language. Whilst I was drinking in +all the glory and beauty before me, some of the others had been busy +striking the tent, repacking the loads, very much lighter without +the provisions; and we had one more excellent cup of tea before +abandoning the encampment to the wekas, who must have breakfasted +splendidly that morning. Our last act was to collect all the stones +we could move into a huge cairn, which was built round a tall pole +of totara; on the summit of this we tied securely, with flax, the +largest and strongest pocket-handkerchief, and then, after one look +round to the west--now as glowing and bright as the radiant east--we +set off homewards about seven o'clock; but it was long before we +reached the place where we left the horses, for the gentlemen began +rolling huge rocks down the sides of the hills and watching them +crashing and thundering into the valleys, sometimes striking another +rock and then bounding high into the air. They were all as eager +and excited as schoolboys, and I could not go on and leave them, +lest I should get below them and be crushed under a small stone of +twenty tons or so. I was therefore forced to keep well _above_ them +all the time. At last we reached the spur where the horses were +tethered, re-saddled and loaded them, and arrived quite safely at +home, just in time for baths and breakfast. I was amused to see +that no one seemed to remember or allude to the miseries and aches +of that long cold night; all were full of professions of enjoyment. +But I noticed that the day was unusually quiet; the gentlemen +preferred a bask in the verandah to any other amusement, and I have +reason to believe they indulged in a good many naps. + + + +Letter XVIII: A journey "down south." + + +Waimate, May 1867. +In one of my early letters from Heathstock I told you that the +Hurunui, which is the boundary of that run, marks the extreme north +of the Province of Canterbury; and now I am writing to you from the +extreme south. I hope you do not forget to reverse in your own mind +the ordinary ideas of heat and cold, as connected with those points +of the compass. The distance from our house to this is about 160 +miles, and we actually took two days and a half to get here!-- +besides, into these miles was compressed the fatigue of a dozen +English railway journeys of the same length. But, I suppose, as +usual, you will not be satisfied unless I begin at the very +beginning. The first difficulty was to reach the point where we +were to join the coach on the Great South Road. It was less than +thirty miles, so we could easily have ridden the distance; but the +difficulty was to get our clothes all that way. They could not be +carried on horseback, and just then the station-dray was +particularly employed; besides which it would have taken three days +to come and go,--rather a useless expenditure of the man's time, as +well as of the horses' legs, where only two little portmanteaus were +concerned. Fortunately for us, however, this is a country where +each man is ready and willing to help his neighbour, without any +inquiry as to who he is; so the moment our dilemma was known various +plans were suggested for our assistance, of which this was the one +selected:-- + +On a certain bright but cold Wednesday afternoon, F--- and I and our +modest luggage started in a neighbour's "trap" for the station I +have already mentioned on the Horarata, where Mr. C. H--- and I +stopped on our way to Lake Coleridge. It is on the plains at the +foot of a low range of downs, and about twelve miles from us. You +cannot imagine a more charming little cottage _ornee_ than the house +is, capable of holding, apparently, an indefinite number of people, +and with owners whose hospitality always prompts them to try its +capabilities to the utmost. A creek runs near the house, and on its +banks, sloping to the sun, lies a lovely garden, as trim as any +English parterre, and a mass of fruit and flowers. Nothing can be +more picturesque than the mixture of both. For instance, on the +wall of the house is a peach-tree laden every autumn with rosy, +velvet-cheeked fruit; and jasmine and passion-flowers growing +luxuriantly near it. Inside all is bright neatness and such a +welcome! As for our supper, on this particular day it comprised +every dainty you can imagine, and made me think of my housekeeping +with shame and confusion of face. We had a very merry evening, with +round games; but there was a strong prejudice in favour of going to +bed early, as we all had to be up by three o'clock: and so we were, +to find a delicious breakfast prepared for us, which our kind +hostess was quite disappointed to see we could not eat much of. +Coffee and toast was all I could manage at that hour. We started in +the dark, and the first thing we had to cross was a dry river-bed, +in which one of the horses lay deliberately down, and refused to +move. This eccentricity delayed us very much; but we got him into a +better frame of mind, and accomplished our early drive of sixteen +miles in safety, reaching the accommodation-house, or inn, where the +coach from Christchurch to Timaru changes horses for its first +stage, by six o'clock. There we had a good breakfast, and were in +great "form" by the time the coach was ready to start. These +conveyances have a world-wide celebrity as "Cobb's coaches," both in +America and Australia, where they are invariably the pioneers of all +wheeled vehicles, being better adapted to travel on a bad road, or +no road at all, than any other four-wheeled "trap." They are both +strong and light, with leathern springs and a powerful break; but I +cannot conscientiously say they are at all handsome carriages; +indeed I think them extremely ugly and not very comfortable except +on the box-seat next the driver. Fortunately, this is made to hold +three, so F--- and I scrambled up, and off we started with four good +strong horses, bearing less harness about them than any quadrupeds I +ever saw; a small collar, slender traces, and very thin reins +comprised all their accoutrements. The first half of the journey +was slow, but there was no jolting. The road was level, though it +had not been made at all, only the tussocks removed from it; but it +was naturally good--a great exception to New Zealand roads. The +driver was a steady, respectable man, very intelligent; and when F--- +could make him talk of his experiences in Australia in the early +coaching days, I was much interested. + +We crossed the Rakaia and the Rangitata in ferry-boats, and stopped +on the banks of the Ashburton, to dine about one o'clock, having +changed horses twice since we started from "Gigg's," as our place of +junction was elegantly called. Here all my troubles began. When we +came out of the little inn, much comforted and refreshed by a good +dinner, I found to my regret that we were to change drivers as well +as horses, and that a very popular and well known individual was to +be the new coachman. As our former driver very politely assisted me +to clamber up on the box-seat, he recommended F--- to sit on the +outside part of the seat, and to put me next the driver, "where," he +added, "the lady won't be so likely to tumble out." As I had shown +no disposition to fall off the coach hitherto, I was much astonished +by this precaution, but said nothing. So he was emboldened to +whisper, after looking round furtively, "And you jest take and don't +be afraid, marm; _he_ handles the ribbings jest as well when he's +had a drop too much as when he's sober, which ain't often, however." +This last caution alarmed me extremely. The horses were not yet put +in, nor the driver put _up_, so I begged F--- to get down and see if +I could not go inside. But, after a hasty survey, he, said it was +quite impossible: men smoking, children crying, and, in addition, a +policeman with a lunatic in his charge, made the inside worse than +the outside, especially in point of atmosphere; so he repeated the +substance of our ex-driver's farewell speech; and when I saw our new +charioteer emerge at last from the bar, looking only very jovial and +tolerably steady as to gait, I thought perhaps my panic was +premature. But, oh, what a time I had of it for nine hours +afterwards! The moment the grooms let go the horses' heads he stood +up on his seat, shook the reins, flourished his long whip, and with +one wild yell from him we dashed down a steep cutting into the +Ashburton. The water flew in spray far over our heads, and the +plunge wetted me as effectually as if I had fallen into the river. +I expected the front part of the coach to part from the back, on +account of the enormous strain caused by dragging it over the +boulders. We lurched like a boat in a heavy sea; the "insides" +screamed; "Jim" (that was the driver's name) swore and yelled; the +horses reared and plunged. All this time I was holding on like grim +death to a light iron railing above my head, and one glance to my +left showed me F--- thrown off the very small portion of cushion +which fell to his share, and clinging desperately to a rude sort of +lamp-frame. I speculated for an instant whether this would break; +and, if so, what would become of him. But it took all my ideas to +keep myself from being jerked off among the horses' heels. We +dashed through the river; Jim gathered up the reins, and with a +different set of oaths swore he would punish the horses for jibbing +in the water. And he did punish them; he put the break hard down +for some way, flogged them with all his strength, dancing about the +coach-box and yelling like a madman. Every now and then, in the +course of his bounds from place to place, he would come plump down +on my lap; but I was too much frightened to remonstrate; indeed, we +were going at such a pace against the wind, I had very little breath +to spare. + +We got over the first stage of twenty miles at this rate very +quickly, as you may imagine; but, unfortunately, there was an +accommodation-house close to the stables, and Jim had a good deal +more refreshment. Strange to say, this did not make him any wilder +in manner--that he could not be; but after we started again he +became extremely friendly with me, addressing me invariably as "my +dear," and offering to "treat me" at every inn from that to Timaru. +I declined, as briefly as I could, whereupon he became extremely +angry, at my doubting his pecuniary resources apparently, for, +holding the reins carelessly with one hand, though we were still +tearing recklessly along, he searched his pockets with the other +hand, and produced from them a quantity of greasy, dirty one-pound +notes, all of which he laid on my lap, saying, "There, and there, +and there, if you think I'm a beggar!" I fully expected them to +blow away, for I could not spare a hand to hold them; but I watched +my opportunity when he was punishing the unfortunate fresh team, and +pounced on them, thrusting the dirty heap back into his great-coat +pocket. At the next stage a very tidy woman came out, with a rather +large bundle, containing fresh linen, she said, for her son, who was +ill in the hospital at Timaru. She booked this, and paid her +half-crown for its carriage, entreating the drunken wretch to see +that it reached her son that night. He wildly promised he should +have it in half-an-hour, and we set off as if he meant to keep his +word, though we were some forty miles off yet; but he soon changed +his mind, and took a hatred to the parcel, saying it would "sink the +ship," and finally tried to kick it over the splash-board. I seized +it at the risk of losing my balance, and hugged it tight all the way +to Timaru, carrying it off to the hotel, where I induced a waiter to +take it up to the hospital. + +After we had changed horses for the last time, and I was comforting +myself by the reflection that the journey was nearly over, we heard +shouts and screams from the inside passengers. F--- persuaded Jim +with much trouble to pull up, and jumped down to see what was the +matter. A strong smell of burning and a good deal of smoke arose +from inside the coach, caused by the lunatic having taken off both +his boots and lighted a fire in them. It was getting dark and +chilly; the other passengers, including the policeman, had dozed off +and the madman thought that as his feet were very cold, he would +"try and warm them a bit;" so he collected all the newspapers with +which his fellow-travellers had been solacing the tedium of their +journey, tore, them up into shreds, with the addition of the +contents of a poor woman's bundle, and made quite a cheerful blaze +out of these materials. It was some time before the terrified women +could be induced to get into the coach again; and it was only by +Jims asseverations, couched in the strongest language, that if they +were not "all aboard" in half a minute, he would drive on and leave +them in the middle of the plains, that they were persuaded to +clamber in to their places once more. + +How thankful I was when we saw the lights of Timaru! I was stunned +and bewildered, tired beyond the power of words to describe, and +black and blue all over from being jolted about. The road had been +an excellent one, all the way level and wide, with telegraph-poles +by its side. We shaved these very closely often enough, but +certainly, amid all his tipsiness, Jim bore out his predecessors +remark. Whenever we came to a little dip in the road, or a sharp +turn, as we were nearing Timaru, he would get the horses under +control as if by magic, and take us over as safely as the soberest +driver could have done; the moment the obstacle was passed, off we +were again like a whirlwind! + +I was not at all surprised to hear that upsets and accidents were +common on the road, and that the horses lasted but a very short +time. + +We found our host had driven in from his station forty-five miles +distant from Timaru, to meet us, and had ordered nice rooms and a +good dinner; so the next morning I was quite rested, and ready to +laugh over my miseries of the day before. Nothing could be a +greater contrast than this day's journeying to yesterday's. A low, +comfortable phaeton, and one of the most agreeable companions in the +world to drive us, beautiful scenery and a nice luncheon half-way, +at which meal F--- ate something like half a hundred cheese-cakes! +The last part of the road for a dozen miles or so was rather rough; +we had to cross a little river, the Waio, every few hundred yards; +and a New Zealand river has so much shingle about it! The water can +never quite make up its mind where it would like to go, and has +half-a-dozen channels ready to choose from, and then in a heavy +fresh the chances are it will select and make quite a different +course after all. + +This is late autumn with us, remember, so the evenings close in +early and, are very cold indeed. It was quite dark when we reached +the house, and the blazing fires in every room were most welcome. +The house is very unlike the conventional station pattern, being +built of stone, large, very well arranged, and the perfection of +comfort inside. There is no hostess at present; three bachelor +brothers do the honours, and, as far as my experience goes, do them +most efficiently. Our visit has lasted three weeks already, and we +really must bring it to a termination soon. The weather has been +beautiful, and we have made many delightful excursions, all on +horseback, to neighbouring stations, to a fine bush where we had a +picnic, or to some point of view. I can truly say I have enjoyed +every moment of the time, indoors as well as out; I was the only +lady, and was petted and made much of to my heart's content. There +were several other guests, and they were all nice and amusing. One +wet day we had, and only one. I must tell you an incident of it, to +show you what babies grown-up men can be at the Antipodes. We +worked hard all the morning at acrostics, and after my five o'clock +tea I went upstairs to a charming little boudoir prepared for me, to +rest and read; in a short time I heard something like music and +stamping, and, though I was _en peignoir_, I stole softly down to +see what was going on; when I opened the door of the general +sitting-room a most unusual sight presented itself,--eight bearded +men, none of them very young, were dancing a set of quadrilles with +the utmost gravity and decorum to the tunes played by a large +musical-box, which was going at the most prodigious pace, +consequently the dancers were flying through the figures in silence +and breathless haste. They could not stop or speak when I came in, +and seemed quite surprised at my laughing at them; but you have no +idea how ridiculous they looked, especially as their gravity and +earnestness were profound. + +This is one of the very few stations where pheasants have been +introduced, but then, every arrangement has been made for their +comfort, and a beautiful house and yard built for their reception on +a flat, just beneath the high terrace on which the house stands. +More than a hundred young birds were turned out last spring, and +there will probably be three times that number at the end of this +year. We actually had pheasant twice at dinner; the first, and +probably the last time we shall taste game in New Zealand. There is +a good deal of thick scrub in the clefts of the home-terrace, and +this affords excellent shelter for the young. Their greatest +enemies are the hawks, and every variety of trap and cunning device +for the destruction of these latter are in use, but as yet without +doing much execution among them, they are so wonderfully clever and +discerning. + + + +Letter XIX: A Christening gathering.--the fate of Dick. + + +Broomielaw, June 1867. +We reached home quite safely the first week of this month, and I +immediately set to work to prepare for the Bishop's visit. We met +him at a friend's house one day, just as we were starting homewards, +and something led to my telling him about the destitute spiritual +condition of my favourite "nest of Cockatoos." With his usual +energy, as well as goodness, he immediately volunteered to come up +to our little place, hold a service, and christen all the children. +We were only too thankful to accept such an offer, as we well knew +what an inducement it would be to the people, who would take a great +deal of trouble and come from far and near to hear our dear Bishop, +who is universally beloved and respected. + +For a week beforehand the house smelt all day long like a baker's +shop about noon on Sunday, for pies, tarts, cakes, etc., were +perpetually being "drawn" from the oven. I borrowed every pie-dish +for miles round, and, as on another occasion I have mentioned, +plenty of good things which our own resources could not furnish +forth came pouring in on all sides with offers to help. F--- and I +scoured the country for thirty miles round to invite everybody to +come over to us that Sunday; and I think I may truly say everybody +came. When I rode over to my "nest" and made the announcement of +the Bishop's visit, the people were very much delighted; but a great +difficulty arose from the sudden demand for white frocks for all the +babies and older children. I rashly promised each child should find +a clean white garment awaiting it on its arrival at my house, and +took away a memorandum of all the different ages and sizes; the +"order" never could have been accomplished without the aid of my +sewing-machine. I had a few little frocks by me as patterns, and +cut up some very smart white embroidered petticoats which were quite +useless to me, to make into little skirts. In spite of all that was +going on in the kitchen my maids found time to get these up most +beautifully, and by the Saturday night the little bed in the spare +room was a heap of snowy small garments, with a name written on +paper and pinned to each. The Bishop also arrived quite safely, +late that evening, having driven himself up from Christchurch in a +little gig. + +It is impossible for you to imagine a more beautiful winter's +morning than dawned on us that Sunday. A sharp frost over-night +only made the air deliciously crisp, for the sun shone so brightly, +that by nine o'clock the light film of ice over the ponds had +disappeared, and I found the Bishop basking in the verandah when I +came out to breakfast, instead of sitting over the blazing wood-fire +in the dining-room. We got our meal finished as quickly as +possible, and then F--- and Mr. U--- set to work to fill the +verandah with forms extemporised out of empty boxes placed at each +end, and planks laid across them; every red blanket in the house was +pressed into service to cover these rough devices, and the effect at +last was quite tidy. By eleven o'clock the drays began to arrive in +almost a continual stream; as each came up, its occupants were taken +into the kitchen, and given as much as they could eat of cold pies +made of either pork or mutton, bread and hot potatoes, and tea. As +for teapots, they were discarded, and the tea was made in huge +kettles, whilst the milk stood in buckets, into which quart jugs +were dipped every five minutes. I took care of all the women and +children whilst F--- and Mr. U--- looked after the men, showed them +where to put the horses, etc. All this time several gentlemen and +two or three ladies had arrived, but there was no one to attend to +them, so they all very kindly came out and helped. We insisted on +the Bishop keeping quiet in the drawing-room, or he would have +worked as hard as any one. I never could have got the children into +their white frocks by two o'clock if it had not been for the help of +the other ladies; but at last they were all dressed, and the +congregation--not much under a hundred people--fed, and arranged in +their places. There had been a difficulty about finding sufficient +godmothers and godfathers, so F--- and I were sponsors for every +child, and each parent wished me to hand the child to the Bishop; +but I could not lift up many of the bigger ones, and they roared +piteously when I touched their hands. I felt it quite a beautiful +and thrilling scene; the sunburnt faces all around, the chubby, +pretty little group of white-clad children, every one well fed and +comfortably clothed, the dogs lying at their masters feet, the +bright winter sunshine and dazzling sky, and our dear Bishops +commanding figure and clear, penetrating voice! He gave us a most +excellent sermon, short and simple, but so perfectly appropriate; +and after the service was over he went about, talking to all the +various groups such nice, helpful words. + +The truest kindness was now to "speed the parting guest," so each +dray load, beginning with those whose homes were the most distant, +was collected. They were first taken into the kitchen and given a +good meal of hot tea, cake, and bread and butter, for many had four +hours' jolting before them; the red blankets were again called into +requisition to act as wraps, besides every cloak and shawl I +possessed, for the moment the sun sunk, which would be about four +o'clock, the cold was sure to become intense. We lived that day in +the most scrambling fashion ourselves; there was plenty of cold +meat, etc., on the dining-room table, and piles of plates, and +whenever any of the party were hungry they went and helped +themselves, as my two servants were entirely occupied with looking +after the comfort of the congregation; it was such a treat to them +to have, even for a few hours, the society of other women. They +have only one female neighbour, and she is generally too busy to see +much of them; besides which, I think the real reason of the want of +intimacy is that Mrs. M--- is a very superior person, and when she +comes up I generally like to have a chat with her myself. It does +me good to see her bonny Scotch face, and hear the sweet kindly +"Scot's tongue;" besides which she is my great instructress in the +mysteries of knitting socks and stockings, spinning, making really +good butter (not an easy thing, madam), and in all sorts of useful +accomplishments; her husband is the head shepherd on the next +station. They are both very fond of reading, and it was quite +pretty to see the delight they took in the Queen's book about the +Highlands. + +To return, however, to that Sunday. We were all dreadfully tired by +the time the last guest had departed, but we had a delightfully +quiet evening, and a long talk with the Bishop about our favourite +scheme of the church and school among the Cockatoos, and we may feel +certain of his hearty cooperation in any feasible plan for carrying +it out. The next morning, much to our regret, the Bishop left us +for Christchurch, but he had to hold a Confirmation service there, +and could not give us even a few more hours. We were so very +fortunate in our weather. The following Sunday was a pouring wet +day, and we have had wind and rain almost ever since; it is +unusually wet, so I have nothing more to tell you of our doings, +which must seem very eccentric to you, by the way, but I assure you +I enjoy the gipsy unconventional life immensely. + +You must not be critical about a jumble of subjects if I record poor +Dick's tragical fate here; it will serve to fill up my letter, and +if ever you have mourned for a pet dog you will sympathise with me. +I must first explain to you that on a sheep station strange dogs are +regarded with a most unfriendly eye by both master and shepherds. +There are the proper colleys,--generally each shepherd has two,--but +no other dogs are allowed, and I had great trouble to coax F--- to +allow me to accept two. One is a beautiful water-spaniel, jet +black, Brisk by name, but his character is stainless in the matter +of sheep, and though very handsome he is only an amiable idiot, his +one amusement being to chase a weka, which he never catches. The +other dog was, alas! Dick, a small black-and-tan terrier, very well +bred, and full of tricks and play. We never even suspected him of +any wickedness, but as it turned out he must have been a hardened +offender. A few weeks after he came to us, when the lambing season +was at its height, and the low sunny hills near the house were +covered with hundreds of the pretty little white creatures, F--- +used sometimes to come and ask me where Dick was, and, strange to +say, Dick constantly did not answer to my call. An evening or two +later, just as we were starting for our walk, Dick appeared in a +great hurry from the back of the stable. F--- went up immediately +to him, and stooped down to examine his mouth, calling me to see. +Oh, horror! it was all covered with blood and wool. I pleaded all +sorts of extenuating circumstances, but F--- said, with: judicial +sternness, "This cannot be allowed." Dick was more fascinating than +usual, never looking at a sheep whilst we were out walking with him, +and behaving in the most exemplary manner. F--- watched him all the +next day, and at last caught him in the act of killing a new-born +lamb a little way from the house; the culprit was brought to me +hanging his tail with the most guilty air, and F--- said, "I ought +to shoot him, but if you like I will try if a beating can cure him, +but it must be a tremendous one." I was obliged to accept this +alternative, and retreated where I could not hear Dick's howls under +the lash, over the body of his victim. A few hours after I went to +the spot, lifted Dick up, and carried him into my room to nurse him; +for he could not move, he had been beaten so severely. For two +whole days he lay on the soft mat I gave him, only able to lap a +little warm milk; on the third morning he tried to get up, and +crawled into the verandah; I followed to watch him. Imagine my +dismay at seeing him limp to the place where the body of his last +victim lay, and deliberately begin tearing it to pieces. I followed +him with my little horsewhip and gave him a slight beating. I could +not find it in my heart to hit him very hard. I carefully concealed +this incident from F---, and for some days I never let Dick out of +my sight for a moment; but early one fine morning a knock came to +our bed-room door, and a voice said, "Please, sir, come and see +what's the matter with the sheep? there's a large mob of them at the +back of the house being driven, like." Oh, my prophetic soul! I +felt it was Dick. Whilst F--- was huddling on some clothes I +implored him to temper justice with mercy, but never a word did he +say, and sternly took his gun in his hand and went out. I buried my +head in the pillows, but for all my precautions I heard the report +of a shot in the clear morning air, and the echo ringing back from +all the hills; five minutes afterwards F--- came in with a little +blue collar in his hand, and said briefly, "He has worried more than +a dozen lambs this morning alone." What could I say? F---'s only +attempt at consolation was, "he died instantly; I shot him through +the head." But for many days afterwards I felt quite lonely and sad +without my poor little pet--yet what could have been done? No one +would have accepted him as a present, and it flashed on me +afterwards that perhaps this vice of his was the reason of Dick's +former owner being so anxious to give him to me. I have had two +offers of successors to Dick since, but I shall never have another +dog on a sheep station, unless I know what Mr. Dickens' little +dressmaker calls "its tricks and its manners." + + + +Letter XX: the New Zealand snowstorm of 1867. + + +Broomielaw, August 1867. +I have had my first experience of real hardships since I last wrote +to you. Yes, we have all had to endure positive hunger and cold, +and, what I found much harder to bear, great anxiety of mind. I +think I mentioned that the weather towards the end of July had been +unusually disagreeable, but not very cold This wet fortnight had a +great deal to do with our sufferings afterwards, for it came exactly +at the time we were accustomed to send our dray down to Christchurch +for supplies of flour and groceries, and to lay in a good stock of +coals for the winter; these latter had been ordered, and were +expected every day. Just the last few days of July the weather +cleared up, and became like our usual most beautiful winter climate; +so, after waiting a day or two, to allow the roads to dry a little, +the dray was despatched to town, bearing a long list of orders, and +with many injunctions to the driver to return as quickly as +possible, for all the stores were at the lowest ebb. I am obliged +to tell you these domestic details, in order that you may understand +the reason of our privations. I acknowledge, humbly, that it was +not good management, but sometimes accidents _will_ occur. It was +also necessary for F--- to make a journey to Christchurch on +business, and as he probably would be detained there for nearly a +week, it was arranged that one of the young gentlemen from Rockwood +should ride over and escort me back there, to remain during F---'s +absence. I am going to give you all the exact dates, for this +snow-storm will be a matter of history, during the present +generation at all events: there is no tradition among the Maoris of +such a severe one ever having occurred; and what made it more fatal +in its financial consequences to every one was, that the lambing +season had only just commenced or terminated on most of the runs. +Only a few days before he left, F--- had taken me for a ride in the +sheltered valleys, that he might see the state of the lambs, and +pronounced it most satisfactory; thousands of the pretty little +creatures were skipping about by their mothers' side. + +I find, by my Diary, July 29th marked, as the beginning of a +"sou'-wester." F--- had arranged to start that morning, and as his +business was urgent, he did not like to delay his departure, though +the day was most unpromising, a steady, fine drizzle, and raw +atmosphere; however, we hurried breakfast, and he set off, +determining to push on to town as quickly as possible. I never +spent such a dismal day in my life: my mind was disturbed by secret +anxieties about the possibility of the dray being detained by wet +weather, and there was such an extraordinary weight in the air, the +dense mist seemed pressing everything down to the ground; however, I +drew the sofa to the fire, made up a good blaze (the last I saw for +some time), and prepared to pass a lazy day with a book; but I felt +so restless and miserable I did not know what was the matter with +me. I wandered from window to window, and still the same unusual +sight met my eyes; a long procession of ewes and lambs, all +travelling steadily down from the hills towards the large flat in +front of the house; the bleating was incessant, and added to the +intense melancholy of the whole affair. When Mr. U--- came in to +dinner; at one o'clock, he agreed with me that it was most unusual +weather, and said, that on the other ranges the sheep were drifting +before the cold mist and rain just in the same way. Our only +anxiety arose from the certainty that the dray would be delayed at +least a day, and perhaps two; this was a dreadful idea: for some +time past we had been economising our resources to make them last, +and we knew that there was absolutely nothing at the home-station, +nor at our nearest neighbour's, for they had sent to borrow tea and +sugar from us. Just at dusk that evening, two gentlemen rode up, +not knowing F--- was from home, and asked if they might remain for +the night. I knew them both very well; in fact, one was our cousin +T---, and the other an old friend; so they put up their horses, and +housed their dogs (for each had a valuable sheep-dog with him) in a +barrel full of clean straw, and we all tried to spend a cheerful +evening, but everybody confessed to the same extraordinary +depression of spirits that I felt. + +When I awoke the next morning, I was not much surprised to see the +snow falling thick and fast: no sheep were now visible, there was a +great silence, and the oppression in the atmosphere had if possible +increased. We had a very poor breakfast,--no porridge, very little +mutton (for in expectation of the house being nearly empty, the +shepherd had not brought any over the preceding day), and _very_ +weak tea; coffee and cocoa all finished, and about an ounce of tea +in the chest. I don't know how the gentlemen amused themselves that +day; I believe they smoked a good deal; I could only afford a small +fire in the drawing-room, over which I shivered. The snow continued +to fall in dense fine clouds, quite unlike any snow I ever saw +before, and towards night I fancied the garden fence was becoming +very much dwarfed. Still the consolation was, "Oh, it won't last; +New Zealand snow never: does." However, on Wednesday morning things +began to look very serious indeed: the snow covered the ground to a +depth of four feet in the shallowest places, and still continued to +fall steadily; the cows we knew _must_ be in the paddock were not to +be seen anywhere; the fowl-house and pig-styes which stood towards +the weather quarter had entirely disappeared; every scrap of wood +(and several logs were lying about at the back) was quite covered +up; both the verandahs were impassable; in one the snow was six feet +deep, and the only door which could be opened was the back-kitchen +door, as that opened inwards; but here the snow was half-way over +the roof, so it took a good deal of work with the kitchen-shovel, +for no spades could be found, to dig out a passage. Indoors, we +were approaching our last mouthful very rapidly, the tea at +breakfast was merely coloured hot water, and we had some picnic +biscuits with it. For dinner we had the last tin of sardines, the +last pot of apricot jam, and a tin of ratifia biscuits a most +extraordinary mixture, I admit, but there was nothing else. There +were six people to be fed every day, and nothing to feed them with. +Thursday's breakfast was a discovered crust of dry bread, very +stale, and our dinner that day was rice and salt--the last rice in +the store-room. The snow still never ceased falling, and only one +window in the house afforded us any light; every box was broken up +and used for fuel. The gentlemen used to go all together and cut, +or rather dig, a passage through the huge drift in front of the +stable, and with much difficulty get some food for the seven +starving horses outside, who were keeping a few yards clear by +incessantly moving about, the snow making high walls all around +them. + +It was wonderful to see how completely the whole aspect of the +surrounding scenery was changed; the gullies were all filled up, and +nearly level with the downs; sharp-pointed cliffs were now round +bluffs; there was no vestige of a fence or gate or shrub to be seen, +and still the snow came down as if it had only just begun to fall; +out of doors the silence was like death, I was told, for I could +only peep down the tunnel dug every few hours at the back-kitchen +door. My two maids now gave way, and sat clasped in each other's +arms all day, crying piteously, and bewailing their fate, asking me +whenever I came into the kitchen, which was about every half-hour, +for there was no fire elsewhere, "And oh, when do you think we'll be +found, mum?" Of course this only referred to the ultimate discovery +of our bodies. There was a great search to-day for the cows, but it +was useless, the gentlemen sank up to their shoulders in snow. +Friday, the same state of things: a little flour had been discovered +in a discarded flour-bag, and we had a sort of girdle-cake and +water. The only thing remaining in the store-room was some +blacklead, and I was considering seriously how that could be cooked, +or whether it would be better raw: we were all more than half +starved, and quite frozen: very little fire in the kitchen, and none +in any other room. Of course, the constant thought was, "Where are +the sheep?" Not a sign or sound could be heard. The dogs' kennels +were covered several feet deep; so we could not get at them at all. +Saturday morning: the first good news I heard was that the cows had +been found, and dragged by ropes down to the enclosure the horses +had made for them-selves: they were half dead, poor beasts; but +after struggling for four hours to and from a haystack two hundred +yards off, one end of which was unburied, some oaten hay was +procured for them. There was now not a particle of food in the +house. The servants remained in their beds, declining to get up, +and alleging that they might as well "die warm." In the middle of +the day a sort of forlorn-hope was organized by the gentlemen to try +to find the fowl-house, but they could not get through the drift: +however, they dug a passage to the wash-house, and returned in +triumph with about a pound of very rusty bacon they had found +hanging up there; this was useless without fuel, so they dug for a +little gate leading to the garden, fortunately hit its whereabouts, +and soon had it broken up and in the kitchen grate. By dint of +taking all the lead out of the tea-chests, shaking it, and +collecting every pinch of tea-dust, we got enough to make a teapot +of the weakest tea, a cup of which I took to my poor crying maids in +their beds, having first put a spoonful of the last bottle of whisky +which the house possessed into it, for there was neither, sugar nor. +milk to be had. At midnight the snow ceased for a few hours, and a +hard sharp frost set in; this made our position worse, for they +could now make no impression on the snow, and only broke the: +shovels in trying. I began to think seriously of following the +maids example, in order to "die warm." We could do nothing but wait +patiently. I went up to a sort of attic where odds and ends were +stowed away, in search of something to eat, but could find nothing +more tempting than a supply of wax matches. We knew there was a cat +under the house, for we heard her mewing; and it was suggested to +take up the carpets first, then the boards, and have a hunt for the +poor old pussy but we agreed to bear our hunger a little longer, +chiefly, I am afraid, because she was known to be both thin and +aged. + +Towards noon on Sunday the weather suddenly changed, and rain began +to come down heavily and steadily; this cheered us all immensely, as +it would wash the snow away probably, and so it did to some degree; +the highest drifts near the house lessened considerably in a few +hours, and the gentlemen, who by this time were desperately hungry, +made a final attempt in the direction of the fowl-house, found the +roof, tore off some shingles, and returned with a few aged hens, +which were mere bundles of feathers after their week's starvation. +The servants consented to rise and pluck them, whilst the gentlemen +sallied forth once more to the stock-yard, and with great difficulty +got off two of the cap or top rails, so we had a splendid though +transitory blaze, and some hot stewed fowl; it was more of a soup +than anything else, but still we thought it delicious: and then +everybody went to bed again, for the house was quite dark still, and +the oil and candles were running very low. On Monday morning the +snow was washed off the roof a good deal by the deluge of rain which +had never ceased to come steadily down, and the windows were cleared +a little, just at the top; but we were delighted with the +improvement, and some cold weak fowl-soup for breakfast, which we +thought excellent. On getting out of doors, the gentlemen reported +the creeks to be much swollen and rushing in yellow streams down the +sides of the hills over the snow, which was apparently as thick as +ever; but it was now easier to get through at the surface, though +quite solid for many feet from the ground. A window was scraped +clear, through which I could see the desolate landscape out of +doors, and some hay was carried with much trouble to the starving +cows and horses, but this was a work of almost incredible +difficulty. Some more fowls were procured to-day, nearly the last, +for a large hole in the roof showed most of them dead of cold and +hunger. + +We were all in much better spirits on this night, for there were +signs of the wind shifting from south to north-west; and, for the +first time in our lives I suppose, we were anxiously watching and +desiring this change, as it was the only chance of saving the +thousands of sheep and lambs we now knew lay buried under the smooth +white winding-sheet of snow. Before bedtime we heard the fitful +gusts we knew so well, and had never before hailed with such deep +joy and thankfulness. Every time I woke the same welcome sound of +the roaring warm gale met my ears; and we were prepared for the +pleasant sight, on Tuesday morning, of the highest rocks on the +hill-tops standing out gaunt and bare once more. The wind was +blowing the snow off the hills in clouds like spray, and melting it +everywhere so rapidly that we began to have a new anxiety, for the +creeks were rising fast, and running in wide, angry-looking rivers +over the frozen snow on the banks. All immediate apprehension of +starvation, however, was removed, for the gentlemen dug a pig out of +his stye, where he had been warm and comfortable with plenty of +straw, and slaughtered him; and in the loft of the stable was found +a bag of Indian meal for fattening poultry, which made excellent +cakes of bread. It was very nasty having only ice-cold water to +drink at every meal. I especially missed my tea for breakfast; but +felt ashamed to grumble, for my disagreeables were very light +compared to those of the three gentlemen. From morning to night +they were wet through, as the snow of course melted the moment they +came indoors. All the first part of the last week they used to work +out of doors, trying to get food and fuel, or feeding the horses, in +the teeth of a bitter wind, with the snow driving like powdered +glass against their smarting hands and faces; and they were as +cheery and merry as possible through it all, trying hard to pretend +they were neither hungry nor cold, when they must have been both. +Going out of doors at this stage of affairs simply meant plunging up +to their middle in a slush of half-melted snow which wet them +thoroughly in a moment; and they never had dry clothes on again till +they changed after dark, when there was no more possibility of +outdoor work. + +Wednesday morning broke bright and clear for the first time since +Sunday week; we actually saw the sun. Although the "nor-wester" had +done so much good for us, and a light wind still blew softly from +that quarter, the snow was yet very deep; but I felt in such high +spirits that I determined to venture out, and equipped myself in a +huge pair of F---'s riding-boots made of kangaroo-skin, well greased +with weka-oil to keep the wet out, These I put on over my own thick +boots, but my precautions "did nought avail," for the first step I +took sank me deep in the snow over the tops of my enormous boots. +They filled immediately, and then merely served to keep the snow +securely packed round my ankles; however, I struggled bravely on, +every now and then sinking up to my shoulders, and having to be +hauled out by main force. The first thing done was to dig out the +dogs, who assisted the process by vigorously scratching away inside +and tunnelling towards us. Poor things! how thin they looked, but +they were quite warm; and after indulging in a long drink at the +nearest creek, they bounded about, like mad creatures. The only +casualties in the kennels were two little puppies, who were lying +cuddled up as if they were asleep, but proved to be stiff and cold; +and a very old but still valuable collie called "Gipsy." She was +enduring such agonies from rheumatism that it was terrible to hear +her howls; and after trying to relieve her by rubbing, taking her +into the stable-and in fact doing all we could for her--it seemed +better and kinder to shoot her two days afterwards. + +We now agreed to venture into the paddock and see what had happened +to the bathing-place about three hundred yards from the house. I +don't think I have told you that the creek had been here dammed up +with a sod wall twelve feet high, and a fine deep and broad pond +made, which was cleared of weeds and grass, and kept entirely for +the gentlemen to have a plunge and swim at daylight of a summer's +morning; there had been a wide trench cut about two feet from the +top, so as to carry off the water, and hitherto this had answered +perfectly. The first thing we had to do was to walk over the high +five-barred gate leading into the paddock just the topmost bar was +sticking up, but there was not a trace of the little garden-gate or +of the fence, which was quite a low one. We were, however, rejoiced +to see that on the ridges of the sunny downs there were patches, or +rather streaks, of tussocks visible, and they spread in size every +moment, for the sun was quite warm, and the "nor'-wester," had done +much towards softening the snow. It took us a long time to get down +to where the bathing-place _had been_, for the sod wall was quite +carried away, and there was now only a heap of ruin, with a muddy +torrent pouring through the large gap and washing it still more +away. Close to this was a very sunny sheltered down, or rather +hill; and as the snow was rapidly melting off its warm sloping sides +we agreed to climb it and see if any sheep could be discovered, for +up to this time there had been none seen or heard, though we knew +several thousands must be on this flat and the adjoining ones. + +As soon as we got to the top the first glance showed us a small +dusky patch close to the edge of one of the deepest and widest +creeks at the bottom of the pad-dock; experienced eyes saw they were +sheep, but to me they had not the shape of animals at all, though +they were quite near enough to be seen distinctly. I observed the +gentlemen exchange looks of alarm, and they said to each other some +low words, from which I gathered that they feared the worst. Before +we went down to the flat we took a long, careful look round, and +made out another patch, dark by comparison with the snow, some two +hundred yards lower down the creek, but apparently in the water. On +the other side of the little hill the snow seemed to have drifted +even more deeply, for the long narrow valley which lay there +presented, as far as we could see, one smooth, level snow-field. On +the dazzling white surface the least fleck shows, and I can never +forget how beautiful some swamp-hens, with their dark blue plumage, +short, pert, white tails, and long bright legs, looked, as they +searched slowly along the banks of the swollen creek for some traces +of their former haunts; but every tuft of tohi-grass lay bent and +buried deep beneath its heavy covering. The gentlemen wanted me to +go home before they attempted to see the extent of the disaster, +which we all felt must be very great; but I found it impossible to +do anything but accompany them. I am half glad and half sorry now +that I was obstinate; glad because I helped a little at a time when +the least help was precious, and sorry because it was really such a +horrible sight. Even the first glance showed us that, as soon as we +got near the spot we had observed, we were walking on frozen sheep +embedded in the snow one over the other; but at all events their +misery had been over some time. It was more horrible to see the +drowning, or just drowned, huddled-up "mob" (as sheep _en masse_ are +technically called) which had made the dusky patch we had noticed +from the hill. + +No one can ever tell how many hundred ewes and lambs had taken +refuge under the high terrace which forms the bank of the creek. +The snow had soon covered them up, but they probably were quite warm +and dry at first. The terrible mischief was caused by the creek +rising so rapidly, and, filtering through the snow which it +gradually dissolved, drowned them as they stood huddled together. +Those nearest the edge of the water of course went first, but we +were fortunately in time to save a good many, though the living +seemed as nothing compared to the heaps of dead. We did not waste a +moment in regrets or idleness; the most experienced of the gentlemen +said briefly what was to be done, and took his coat off; the other +coats and my little Astrachan jacket were lying by its side in an +instant, and we all set to work, sometimes up to our knees in icy +water, digging at the bank of snow above us--if you can call it +digging when we had nothing but our hands to dig, or rather scratch, +with. Oh, how hot we were in five minutes! the sun beating on us, +and the reflection from the snow making its rays almost blinding. +It was of no use my attempting to rescue the sheep, for I could not +move them, even when I had _scrattled_ the snow away from one. A +sheep, especially with its fleece full of snow, is beyond my small +powers: even the lambs I found a tremendous weight, and it must have +been very absurd, if an idler had been by, to see me, with a little +lamb in my arms, tumbling down at every second step, but still +struggling manfully towards the dry oasis where we put each animal +as it was dug out. The dear doggies helped us beautifully, working +so eagerly and yet so wisely under their master's eye, as patient +and gentle with the poor stiffened creatures as if they could feel +for them. I was astonished at the vitality of some of the +survivors; if they had been very far back and not chilled by the +water, they were quite lively. The strongest sheep were put across +the stream by the dogs, who were obedient to their master's finger, +and not to be induced on any terms to allow the sheep to land a yard +to one side of the place on the opposite bank, but just where they +were to go. A good many were swept away, but after six hours' work +we counted 1,400 rescued ones slowly "trailing" up the low sunny +hill I have mentioned, and nibbling at the tussocks as they went. +The proportion of lambs was, of course, very small, but the only +wonder to me is that there were any alive at all. If I had been +able to stop my scratching but for a moment, I would have had what +the servants call a "good cry" over one little group I laid bare. +Two fine young ewes were standing leaning against each other in a +sloping position, like a tent, frozen and immoveable: between them, +quite dry, and as lively as a kitten, was a dear little lamb of +about a month old belonging to one; the lamb of the other lay curled +up at her feet, dead and cold; I really believe they had hit upon +this way of keeping the other alive. A more pathetic sight I never +beheld. + +It is needless to say that we were all most dreadfully exhausted by +the time the sun went down, and it began to freeze; nothing but the +sheer impossibility of doing anything more in the hardening snow and +approaching darkness made us leave off even then, though we had not +tasted food all day. The gentlemen took an old ewe, who could not +stand, though it was not actually dead, up to the stable and killed +it, to give the poor dogs a good meal, and then they had to get some +more rails off the stock-yard to cook our own supper of pork and +maize. + +The next morning was again bright with a warm wind; so the effect of +the night's frost soon disappeared, and we were hard at work +directly after breakfast. Nothing would induce me to stay at home, +but I armed myself with a coal-scoop to dig, and we made our way to +the other "mob;" but, alas! there was nothing to do in the way of +saving life, for all the sheep were dead. There was a large island +formed at a bend in the creek, where the water had swept with such +fury round a point as to wash the snow and sheep all away together, +till at some little obstacle they began to accumulate in a heap. I +counted ninety-two dead ewes in one spot, but I did not stay to +count the lambs. We returned to the place where we had been digging +the day before, and set the dogs to hunt in the drifts; wherever +they began to scratch we shovelled the snow away, and were sure to +find sheep either dead or nearly so: however, we liberated a good +many more. This sort of work continued till the following Saturday, +when F--- returned, having had a most dangerous journey, as the +roads are still blocked up in places with snow-drifts; but he was +anxious to get back, knowing I must have been going through "hard +times." He was terribly shocked at the state of things among the +sheep; in Christchurch no definite news had reached them from any +quarter: all the coaches were stopped and the telegraph wires broken +down by the snow. He arrived about mid-day, and, directly after the +meal we still called dinner, started off over the hills to my "nest +of Cockatoos," and brought back some of the men with him to help to +search for the sheep, and to skin those that were dead as fast as +possible. He worked himself all day at the skinning,--a horrible +job; but the fleeces were worth something, and soon all the fences, +as they began to emerge from the snow, were tapestried with these +ghastly skins, and walking became most disagreeable, on account of +the evil odours arising every few yards. + +We forgot all our personal sufferings in anxiety about the surviving +sheep, and when the long-expected dray arrived it seemed a small +boon compared to the discovery of a nice little "mob" feeding +tranquilly on a sunny spur. It is impossible to estimate our loss +until the grand muster at shearing, but we may set it down at half +our flock, and _all_ our lambs, or at least 90 per cent. of them. +Our neighbours are all as busy as we are, so no accurate accounts of +their sufferings or losses have reached us; but, to judge by +appearances, the distant "back-country" ranges must have felt the +storm more severely even than we have; and although the snow did not +drift to such a depth on the plains as with us, or lie so long on +the ground, they suffered just as much,--for the sheep took shelter +under the high river-banks, and the tragedy of the creeks was +enacted on a still larger scale; or they drifted along before the +first day's gale till they came to a wire fence, and there they were +soon covered up, and trampled each other to death. Not only were +sheep, but cattle, found dead in hundreds along the fences on the +plains. The newspapers give half a million as a rough estimate of +the loss among the flocks in this province alone. We have no +reliable news from other parts of the island, only vague rumours of +the storm having been still more severe in the Province of Otago, +which lies to the south, and would be right in its track; the only +thing which all are agreed in saying is, that there never has been +such a storm before, for the Maories are strong in weather +traditions, and though they prophesied this one, it is said they +have no legend of anything like it ever having happened. + + + +Letter XXI: Wild cattle hunting in the Kowai Bush. + + +Mount Torlesse, October 1867. +We are staying for a week at a charming little white cottage covered +with roses and honeysuckles, nestled under the shadow of this grand +mountain, to make some expeditions after wild cattle in the great +Kowai Bush. I am afraid that it does not sound a very orderly and +feminine occupation, but I enjoy it thoroughly, and have covered +myself with glory and honour by my powers of walking all day. + +We have already spent three long happy days in the Bush, and +although they have not resulted in much slaughter of our big game, +still I for one am quite as well pleased as if we had returned laden +with as many beeves as used to come in from a border foray. I am +not going to inflict an account of each expedition on you; one will +serve to give an idea of all, for though there is no monotony in +Nature, it may chance that frequent descriptions of her become so, +and this I will not risk. + +Our ride over here was a sufficiently ridiculous affair, owing to +the misbehaviour of the pack-horse, for it was impossible upon this +occasion to manage with as little luggage as usual, so we arranged +to take a good-sized carpet-bag (a most unheard-of luxury), and on +each side of it was to be slung a rifle and a gun, and smaller bags +of bullets, shot, and powder-flasks, disposed to the best advantage +on the pack-saddle. This was all very well in theory, but when it +came to the point, the proper steady old horse who was to bear the +pack was not forthcoming! He had taken it into his head to go on a +visit to a neighbouring run, so the only available beast was a young +chestnut of most uncertain temper. The process of saddling him was +a long one, as he objected to each item of his load as soon as it +was put on, especially to the guns; but F--- was very patient, and +took good care to tie and otherwise fasten everything so that it was +impossible for "Master Tucker" (called, I suppose, after the +immortal Tommy) to get rid of his load by either kicking or +plunging. At last we mounted and rode by a bridle-path among the +hills for some twelve miles or so, then across half-a-dozen miles of +plain, and finally we forded a river. The hill-track was about as +bad as a path could be, with several wide jumps across creeks at the +bottom of the numerous deep ravines, or gullies as we call them. +F--- rode first--for we could only go in single file--with the +detestable Tucker's bridle over his arm; then came the chestnut, +with his ears well back, and his eyes all whites, in his efforts to +look at his especial aversion, the guns; he kicked all the way down +the many hills, and pulled back in the most aggravating manner at +each ascent, and when we came to a creek sat down on his tail, +refusing to stir. My position was a most trying one; the track was +so bad that I would fain have given my mind entirely to my own +safety, but instead of this all my attention was centred on Tucker +the odious. When we first started I expressed to F--- my fear that +Tucker would fairly drag him off his own saddle, and he admitted +that it was very likely, adding, "You must flog him." This made me +feel that it entirely depended on my efforts whether F--- was to be +killed or not, so I provided myself with a small stock-whip in +addition to my own little riding-whip, and we set off. From the +first yard Tucker objected to go, but there were friendly sticks to +urge him on; however, we soon got beyond the reasonable limits of +help, and I tried desperately to impress upon Tucker that I was +going to be very severe: for this purpose I flourished my stock-whip +in a way that drove my own skittish mare nearly frantic, and never +touched Tucker, whom F--- was dragging along by main force. At last +I gave up the stock-whip, with its unmanageable three yards of lash, +and dropped it on the track, to be picked up as we came home. I now +tried to hit Tucker with my horse-whip, but he flung his heels up in +Helen's face the moment I touched him. I was in perfect despair, +very much afraid of a sudden swerve on my mare's part sending us +both down the precipice, and in equal dread of seeing F--- pulled +off his saddle by Tucker's suddenly planting his fore-feet firmly +together: F--- himself, with the expression of a martyr, looking +round every now and then to say, "Can't you make him come on?" and I +hitting wildly and vainly, feeling all the time that I was worse +than useless. At last the bright idea occurred to me to ride nearly +alongside of the fiendish Tucker, but a little above him on the +hill, so as to be able to strike him fairly without fear of his +heels. As far as Tucker was concerned this plan answered perfectly, +for he soon found out he had to go; but Helen objected most +decidedly to being taken off the comparative safety of the track and +made to walk on a slippery, sloping hill, where she could hardly +keep her feet; however, we got on much faster this way. Oh, how +tired I was of striking Tucker! I don't believe I hurt him much, +but I felt quite cruel. When we came to the plain, I begged F--- to +let me lead him; so we changed, and there was no holding back on the +chestnut's part then; it must have been like the grass and the +stones in the fable. I never was more thankful than when that ride +was over, though its disagreeables were soon forgotten in the warm +welcome we received from our bachelor hosts, and the incessant +discussions about the next day's excursion. + +We had finished breakfast by seven o'clock the following morning, +and were ready to start. Of course the gentlemen were very fussy +about their equipments, and hung themselves all over with cartridges +and bags of bullets and powder-flasks; then they had to take care +that their tobacco-pouches and match-boxes were filled; and lastly, +each carried a little flask of brandy or sherry, in case of being +lost and having to camp out. I felt quite unconcerned, having only +my flask with cold tea in it to see about, and a good walking-stick +was easily chosen. My costume may be described as uncompromising, +for it had been explained to me that there were no paths but real +rough bush walking; so I dispensed with all little feminine +adornments even to the dearly-loved chignon, tucked my hair away as +if I was going to put on a bathing-cap, and covered it with a Scotch +bonnet. The rest of my toilette must have been equally shocking to +the eyes of taste, and I have reason to believe the general effect +most hideous; but one great comfort was, no one looked at me, they +were all too much absorbed in preparations for a great slaughter, +and I only came at all upon sufferance; the unexpressed but +prevailing dread, I could plainly see, was that I should knock up +and become a bore, necessitating an early return home; but I knew +better! + +An American waggon and some ponies were waiting to take the whole +party to the entrance of the bush, about four miles off, and, in +spite of having to cross a rough river-bed, which is always a slow +process, it did not take us very long to reach our first point. +Here we dismounted, just at the edge of the great dense forest, and, +with as little delay as possible in fine arrangements, struck into a +path or bullock-track, made for about three miles into the bush for +the convenience of dragging out the felled trees by ropes or chains +attached to bullocks; they are not placed upon a waggon, so you may +easily imagine the state the track was in, ploughed up by huge logs +of timber dragged on the ground, and by the bullocks' hoofs besides. +It was a mere slough with deep holes of mud in it, and we scrambled +along its extreme edge, chiefly trusting to the trees on each side, +which still lay as they had been felled, the men not considering +them good enough to remove. At last we came to a clearing, and I +quite despair of making you understand how romantic and lovely this +open space in the midst of the tall trees looked that beautiful +spring morning. I involuntarily thought of the descriptions in +"Paul and Virginia," for the luxuriance of the growth was quite +tropical. For about two acres the trees had been nearly all felled, +only one or two giants remaining; their stumps were already hidden +by clematis and wild creepers of other kinds, or by a sort of fern +very like the hart's-tongue, which will only grow on the bark of +trees, and its glossy leaves made an exquisite contrast to the rough +old root. The "bushmen"--as the men who have bought twenty-acre +sections and settled in the bush are called--had scattered English +grass-seed all over the rich leafy mould, and the ground was covered +with bright green grass, kept short and thick by a few tame goats +browsing about. Before us was the steep bank of the river +Waimakiriri, and a few yards from its edge stood a picturesque +gable-ended little cottage surrounded by a rustic fence, which +enclosed a strip of garden gay with common English spring flowers, +besides more useful things, potatoes, etc. The river was about two +hundred yards broad just here, and though it foamed below us, we +could also see it stretching away in the distance almost like a +lake, till a great bluff hid it from our eyes. Overhead the trees +were alive with flocks of wild pigeons, ka-kas, parroquets, and +other birds, chattering and twittering incessantly and as we stood +on the steep bank and looked down, I don't think a minute passed +without a brace of wild ducks flying past, grey, blue, and Paradise. +These latter are the most beautiful plumaged birds I ever saw +belonging to the duck tribe, and, when young, are very good eating, +quite as delicate as the famous canvas-back. This sight so excited +our younger sportsmen that they scrambled down the high precipice, +followed by a water-spaniel, and in five minutes had bagged as many +brace. We could not give them any more time, for it was past nine +o'clock, and we were all eager to start on the serious business of +the day; but before we left, the mistress of this charming +"bush-hut" insisted on our having some hot coffee and scones and +wild honey, a most delicious second breakfast. There was a pretty +little girl growing up, and a, younger child, both the picture of +health; the only drawback seemed to be the mosquitoes; it was not +very lonely, for one or two other huts stood in clearings adjoining, +and furnished us with three bushmen as guides and assistants. I +must say, they were the most picturesque of the party, being all +handsome men, dressed in red flannel shirts and leathern +knickerbockers and gaiters; they had fine beards, and wore "diggers' +hats," a head-dress of American origin--a sort of wide-awake made of +plush, capable of being crushed into any shape, and very becoming. +All were armed with either rifle or gun, and one carried an axe and +a coil of rope; another had a gun such as is seldom seen out of an +arsenal; it was an old flint lock, but had been altered to a +percussion; its owner was very proud of it, not so much for its +intrinsic beauty, though it once had been a costly and splendid +weapon and was elaborately inlaid with mother-of-pearl, but because +it had belonged to a former Duke of Devonshire. In spite of its +claims to consideration on this head as well as its own beauty, we +all eyed it with extreme disfavour on account of a peculiarity it +possessed of not going off when it was intended to do so, but about +five minutes afterwards. + +It was suggested to me very politely that I might possibly prefer to +remain behind and spend the day in this picturesque spot, but this +offer I declined steadily; I think the bushmen objected to my +presence more than any one else, as they really meant work, and +dreaded having to turn back for a tired "female" (they never spoke +of me by any other term). At last all the information was collected +about the probable whereabouts of the wild cattle--it was so +contradictory, that it must have been difficult to arrange any plan +by it,--and we started. A few hundred yards took us past the +clearings and into the very heart of the forest. We had left the +sun shining brightly overhead; here it was all a "great green +gloom." I must describe to you the order in which we marched. +First came two of the most experienced "bush-hands," who carried a +tomahawk or light axe with which to clear the most cruel of the +brambles away, and to notch the trees as a guide to us on our +return; and also a compass, for we had to steer for a certain point, +the bearings of which we knew--of course the procession was in +Indian file: next to these pioneers walked, very cautiously, almost +on tiptoe, four of our sportsmen; then I came; and four or five +others, less keen or less well armed, brought up the rear. I may +here confess that I endured in silence agonies of apprehension for +my personal safety all day. It was so dreadful to see a bramble or +wild creeper catch in the lock of the rifle before me, and to +reflect that, unless its owner was very careful, it might "go off of +its own accord," and to know that I was exposed to a similar danger +from those behind. + +We soon got on the fresh tracks of some cows, and proceeded most +cautiously and silently; but it could hardly be called walking, it +was alternately pushing through dense undergrowth, crawling beneath, +or climbing over, high barricades made by fallen trees. These +latter obstacles I found the most difficult, for the bark was so +slippery; and once, when with much difficulty I had scrambled up a +pile of _debris_ at least ten feet high, I incautiously stepped on +some rotten wood at the top, and went through it into a sort of deep +pit, out of which it was very hard to climb. On comparing notes +afterwards, we found, that although we had walked without a moment's +cessation for eleven hours during the day, a pedometer only gave +twenty-two miles as the distance accomplished. Before we had been +in the bush half an hour our faces were terribly scratched and +bleeding, and so were the gentlemen's hands; my wrists also +suffered, as my gauntlets would not do their duty and lie flat. +There were myriads of birds around us, all perfectly tame; many flew +from twig to twig, accompanying us with their little pert heads on +one side full of curiosity; the only animals we saw were some wild +sheep looking very disreputable with their long tails and torn, +trailing fleeces of six or seven years' growth. There are supposed +to be some hundreds of these in the bush who have strayed into it +years ago, when they were lambs, from neighbouring runs. The last +man in the silent procession put a match into a dead tree every here +and there, to serve as a torch to guide us back in the dark; but +this required great judgment for fear of setting the whole forest on +fire: the tree required to be full of damp decay, which would only +smoulder and not blaze. We intended to steer for a station on the +other side of a narrow neck of the Great Bush, ten miles off, as +nearly as we could guess, but we made many detours after fresh +tracks. Once these hoof-marks led us to the brink of such a pretty +creek, exactly like a Scotch burn, wide and noisy, tumbling down +from rock to rock, but not very deep. After a whispered +consultation, it was determined to follow up this creek to a +well-known favourite drinking-place of the cattle, but it was easier +walking in the water than on the densely-grown banks, so all the +gentlemen stepped in one after another. I hesitated a moment with +one's usual cat-like antipathy to wet feet, when a, stalwart bushman +approached, with rather a victimised air and the remark: "Ye're +heavy, nae doot, to carry." I was partly affronted at this +prejudgment of the case, and partly determined to show that I was +equal to the emergency, for I immediately jumped into the water, +frightening myself a good deal by the tremendous splash I made, and +meeting reproving glances; and nine heads were shaken violently at +me. + +Nothing could be more beautiful than the winding banks of this +creek, fringed with large ferns in endless variety; it was +delightful to see the sun and sky once more overhead, but I cannot +say that it was the easiest possible walking, and I soon found out +that the cleverest thing to do was to wade a little way behind the +shortest gentleman of the party, for when he disappeared in a hole I +knew it in time to avoid a similar fate; whereas, as long as I +persisted in stalking solemnly after my own tall natural protector, +I found that I was always getting into difficulties in unexpectedly +deep places. I saw the bushmen whispering together, and examining +the rocks in some places, but I found on inquiry that their thoughts +were occupied at the moment by other ideas than sport; one of them +had been a digger, and was pronouncing an opinion that this creek +was very likely to prove a "home of the gold" some day. There is a +strong feeling prevalent that gold will be found in great quantities +all over the island. At this time of the year the water is very +shallow, but the stream evidently comes down with tremendous force +in the winter; and they talk of having "found the colour" (of gold) +in some places. We proceeded in this way for about three miles, +till we reached a beautiful, clear, deep pool, into which the water +fell from a height in a little cascade; the banks here were well +trodden, and the hoof-prints quite recent; great excitement was +caused by hearing a distant lowing, but after much listening, in +true Indian fashion, with the ear to the ground, everybody was of a +different opinion as to the side from whence the sound proceeded, so +we determined to keep on our original course; the compass was once +more produced, and we struck into a dense wood of black birch. + +Ever since we left the clearing from which the start was made, we +had turned our backs on the river, but about three o'clock in the +afternoon we came suddenly on it again, and stood on the most +beautiful spot I ever saw in my life. We were on the top of a high +precipice, densely wooded to the water's edge. Some explorers in +bygone days must have camped here, for half-a-dozen trees were +felled, and the thick brush-wood had been burnt for a few yards, +just enough to let us take in the magnificent view before and around +us. Below roared and foamed, among great boulders washed down from +the cliff, the Waimakiriri; in the middle of it lay a long narrow +strip of white shingle, covered with water in the winter floods, but +now shining like snow in the bright sunlight. Beyond this the river +flowed as placidly as a lake, in cool green depths, reflecting every +leaf of the forest on the high bank or cliff opposite. To our right +it stretched away, with round headlands covered with timber running +down in soft curves to the water. But on our left was the most +perfect composition for a picture in the foreground a great reach of +smooth water, except just under the bank we stood on, where the +current was strong and rapid; a little sparkling beach, and a vast +forest rising up from its narrow border, extending over chain after +chain of hills, till they rose to the glacial region, and then the +splendid peaks of the snowy range broke the deep blue sky line with +their grand outlines. + +All this beauty would have been almost too oppressive, it was on +such a large scale and the solitude was so intense, if it had not +been for the pretty little touch of life and movement afforded by +the hut belonging to the station we were bound for. It was only a +rough building, made of slabs of wood with cob between; but there +was a bit of fence and the corner of a garden and an English grass +paddock, which looked about as big as a pocket-handkerchief from +where we stood. A horse or two and a couple of cows were tethered +near, and we could hear the bark of a dog. A more complete +hermitage could not have been desired by Diogenes himself, and for +the first time we felt ashamed of invading the recluse in such a +formidable body, but ungrudging, open-handed hospitality is so +universal in New Zealand that we took courage and began our descent. +It really was like walking down the side of a house, and no one +could stir a step without at least one arm round a tree. I had no +gun to carry, so I clung frantically with both arms to each stem in +succession. The steepness of the cliff was the reason we could take +in all the beauty of the scene before us, for the forest was as +thick as ever; but we could see over the tops of the trees, as the +ground dropped sheer down, almost in a straight line from the +plateau we had been travelling on all day. As soon as we reached +the shingle, on which we had to walk for a few hundred yards, we +bethought ourselves of our toilettes; the needle and thread I had +brought did good service in making us more presentable. We +discovered, however, that our faces were a perfect network of fine +scratches, some of which _would_ go on bleeding, in spite of cold- +water applications. Our boots were nearly dry; and my petticoat, +short as it was, proved to be the only damp garment: this was the +fault of my first jump into the water. We put the least scratched +and most respectable-looking member of the party in the van, and +followed him, amid much barking of dogs, to the low porch; and after +hearing a cheery "Come in," answering our modest tap at the door, we +trooped in one after the other till the little room was quite full. +I never saw such astonishment on any human face as on that of the +poor master of the house, who could not stir from his chair by the +fire, on account of a bad wound in his leg from an axe. There he +sat quite helpless, a moment ago so solitary, arid now finding +himself the centre of a large, odd-looking crowd of strangers. He +was a middle-aged Scotchman, probably of not a very elevated +position in life, and had passed many years in this lonely spot, and +yet he showed himself quite equal to the occasion. + +After that first uncontrollable look of amazement he did the honours +of his poor hut with the utmost courtesy and true good-breeding. +His only apology was for being unable to rise from his arm-chair +(made out of half a barrel and an old flour-sack by the way); he +made us perfectly welcome, took it for granted we were hungry-- +hunger is a very mild word to express my appetite, for one--called +by a loud coo-ee to his man Sandy, to whom he gave orders that the +best in the house should be put before us, and then began to inquire +by what road we had come, what sport we had, etc., all in the nicest +way possible. I never felt more awkward in my life than when I +stooped to enter that low doorway, and yet in a minute I was quite +at my ease again; but of the whole party I was naturally the one who +puzzled him the most. In the first place, I strongly suspect that +he had doubts as to my being anything but a boy in a rather long +kilt; and when this point was explained, he could not understand +what a "female," as he also called me, was doing on a rough hunting +expedition. He particularly inquired more than once if I had come +of my own free will, and could not understand what pleasure I found +in walking so far. Indeed he took it so completely for granted that +I must be exhausted, that he immediately began to make plans for +F--- and me to stop there all night, offering to give up his "bunk" +(some slabs of wood made into a shelf, with a tussock mattress and a +blanket), and to sleep himself in his arm-chair. + +In the meantime, Sandy was preparing our meal. There was an open +hearth with a fine fire, and a big black kettle hanging over it by a +hook fastened somewhere up the chimney. As soon as this boiled he +went to a chest, or rather locker, and brought a double-handful of +tea, which he threw into the kettle; then he took from a cupboard +the biggest loaf, of bread I ever saw--a huge thing, which had been +baked in a camp-oven--and flapped it down on the table with a bang; +next he produced a tin milk-pan, and returned to the cupboard to +fetch out by the shank-bone a mutton-ham, which he placed in the +milk-dish: a bottle of capital whisky was forthcoming from the same +place; a little salt on one newspaper, and brown, or rather _black_, +sugar on another, completed the arrangements, and we were politely +told by Sandy to "wire in,"--digger's phraseology for an invitation +to commence, which we did immediately, as soon as we could make an +arrangement about the four tin plates and three pannikins. I had +one all to myself, but the others managed by twos and threes to each +plate. I never had a better luncheon in my life; everything was +excellent in its way, and we all possessed what we are told is the +best sauce. Large as the supplies were, we left hardly anything, +and the more we devoured the more pleased our host seemed. There +were no chairs; we sat on logs of trees rudely chopped into +something like horse-blocks, but to tired limbs which had known no +rest from six hours' walking they seemed delightful. After we had +finished our meal, the gentlemen went outside to have half a pipe +before setting off again; they dared not smoke whilst we were after +the cattle, for fear of their perceiving some unusual smell; and I +remained for ten minutes with Mr---. I found that he was very fond +of reading; his few books were all of a good stamp, but he was +terribly hard-up for anything which he had not read a hundred times +over. I hastily ran over the names of some books of my own, which I +offered to lend him for as long a time as he liked: and we made +elaborate plans for sending them, of my share in which I took a +memorandum. He seemed very grateful at the prospect of having +anything new, especially now that he was likely to be laid up for +some weeks, and I intend to make every effort to give him this great +pleasure as soon as possible. + +We exchanged the most hearty farewells when the time of parting +came, and our host was most earnest in his entreaties to us to +remain; but it was a question of getting out of the bush before +dusk, so we could not delay. He sent Sandy to guide us by a rather +longer but easier way than climbing up the steep cliff to the place +where the little clearing at its edge which I have mentioned had +been made; and we dismissed our guide quite happy with contributions +from all the tobacco-pouches, for no one had any money with him. We +found our way back again by the notches on the trees as long as the +light lasted, and when it got too dark to see them easily, the +smouldering trunks guided us, and we reached the clearing from which +we started in perfect safety. Good Mrs. D--- had a bountiful tea +ready; she was much concerned at our having yet some three miles of +bad walking before we could reach the hut on the outskirts of the +bush, where we had left the trap and the ponies. When we got to +this point there was actually another and still more sumptuous meal +set out for us, to which, alas! we were unable to do any justice; +and then we found our way to the station across the flat, down a +steep cutting, and through the river-bed, all in the dark and cold. +We had supper as soon as we reached home, tumbling into bed as early +as might be afterwards for such a sleep as you Londoners don't know +anything about. + +I have only described one expedition to you, and that the most +unsuccessful, as far as killing anything goes; but my hunting +instincts only lead me to the point of reaching the game; when it +comes to that, I always try to save its life, and if this can't be +done, I retire to a distance and stop my ears; indeed, if very much +over-excited, I can't help crying. Consequently, I enjoy myself +much more when we don't kill anything; and, on the other occasions, +I never could stop and see even the shot fired which was to bring a +fine cow or a dear little calf down, but crept away as far as ever I +could, and muffled my head in my jacket. The bushmen liked this +part of the performance the best, I believe, and acted as butchers +very readily, taking home a large joint each to their huts, a +welcome change after the eternal pigeons, ka-kas, and wild ducks on +which they live. + + + +Letter XXII: The exceeding joy of "burning." + + +Broomielaw, December 1867. +I am quite sorry that the season for setting fire to the long grass, +or, as it is technically called, "burning the run," is fairly over +at last. It has been later than usual this year, on account of the +snow having lain such an unusual time on the ground and kept the +grass damp. Generally September is the earliest month in which it +begins, and November the latest for it to end; but this year the +shady side of "Flagpole" was too moist to take fire until December. + +It is useless to think of setting out on a burning expedition unless +there is a pretty strong nor'-wester blowing; but it must not be +_too_ violent, or the flames will fly over the grass, just scorching +it instead of making "a clean burn." But when F--- pronounces the +wind to be just right, and proposes that we should go to some place +where the grass is of two, or, still better, three years' growth, +then I am indeed happy. I am obliged to be careful not to have on +any inflammable petticoats, even if it is quite a warm day, as they +are very dangerous; the wind will shift suddenly perhaps as, I am in +the very act of setting a tussock a-blaze, and for half a second I +find myself in the middle of the flames. F--- generally gets his +beard well singed, and I have nearly lost my eyelashes more than +once. We each provide ourselves with a good supply of matches, and +on the way we look out for the last year's tall blossom of those +horrid prickly bushes called "Spaniards," or a bundle of +flax-sticks, or, better than all, the top of a dead and dry Ti-ti +palm. As soon as we come to the proper spot, and F--- has +ascertained that no sheep are in danger of being made into roast +mutton before their time, we begin to light our line of fire, +setting one large tussock blazing, lighting our impromptu torches at +it, and then starting from this "head-centre," one to the right and +the other to the left, dragging the blazing sticks along the grass. +It is a very exciting amusement, I assure you, and the effect is +beautiful, especially as it grows dusk and the fires are racing up +the hills all around us. Every now and then they meet with a puff +of wind, which will perhaps strike a great wall of fire rushing +up-hill as straight as a line, and divide it into two fiery horns +like a crescent; then as the breeze changes again, the tips of flame +will gradually approach each other till they meet, and go on again +in a solid mass of fire. + +If the weather has been very dry for some time and the wind is high, +we attempt to burn a great flax swamp, perhaps, in some of the +flats. This makes a magnificent bonfire when once it is fairly +started, but it is more difficult to light in the first instance, as +you have to collect the dead flax-leaves and make a little fire of +them under the big green bush in order to coax it to blaze up: but +it crackles splendidly; indeed it sounds as if small explosions were +going on sometimes. But another disadvantage of burning a swamp is, +that there are deep holes every yard or two, into which I always +tumble in my excitement, or in getting out of the way of a flax-bush +which has flared up just at the wrong moment, and is threatening to +set me on fire also. These holes are quite full of water in the +winter, but now they contain just enough thin mud to come in over +the tops of my boots; so I do not like stepping into one every +moment. We start numerous wild ducks and swamp-hens, and perhaps a +bittern or two, by these conflagrations. On the whole, I like +burning the hill-sides better than the swamp--you get a more +satisfactory blaze with less trouble; but I sigh over these +degenerate days when the grass is kept short and a third part of a +run is burned regularly ever spring, and long for the good old times +of a dozen years ago, when the tussocks were six feet high. What a +blaze they must have made! The immediate results of our expeditions +are vast tracts of perfectly black and barren country, looking +desolate and hideous to a degree hardly to be imagined; but after +the first spring showers a beautiful tender green tint steals over +the bare hill-sides, and by and by they are a mass of delicious +young grass, and the especial favourite feeding-place of the ewes +and lambs. The day after a good burn thousands of sea-gulls flock +to the black ground. Where they spring from I cannot tell, as I +never see one at any other time, and their hoarse, incessant cry is +the first sign you have of their arrival. They hover over the +ground, every moment darting down, for some insect. They cannot +find much else but roasted lizards and, grasshoppers, for I have +never seen a caterpillar in New Zealand. + +In the height of the burning season last month I had Alice S--- to +stay with me for two or three weeks, and to my great delight I found +our tastes about fires agreed exactly, and we both had the same +grievance--that we never were allowed to have half enough of it; so +we organized the most delightful expeditions together. We used to +have a quiet old station-horse saddled, fasten the luncheon-basket +to the pommel with materials for a five o'clock tea, and start off +miles away to the back of the run, about three o'clock in the +afternoon, having previously bribed the shepherd to tell us where +the longest grass was to be found--and this he did very readily, as +our going saved him the trouble of a journey thither, and he was not +at all anxious for more work than he could help. We used to ride +alternately, till we got to a deserted shepherd's hut in such a +lovely gully, quite at the far end of the run! Here we tied up dear +quiet old Jack to the remnants of the fence, leaving him at liberty +to nibble a little grass. We never took off the saddle after the +first time, for upon that occasion we found that our united strength +was insufficient to girth it on again properly, and we made our +appearance at home in the most ignominious fashion--Alice leading +Jack, and I walking by his side holding the saddle _on_. Whenever +we attempted to buckle the girths, this artful old screw swelled +himself out with such a long breath that it was impossible to pull +the strap to the proper hole; we could not even get it tight enough +to stay steady, without slipping under him at every step. However, +this is a digression, and I must take you back to the scene of the +fire, and try to make you understand how delightful it was. Alice +said that what made it so fascinating to her was a certain sense of +its being mischief, and a dim feeling that we might get into a +scrape. I don't think I ever stopped to analyse my sensations; +fright was the only one I was conscious of, and yet I liked it so +much. When after much consultation--in which I always deferred to +Alice's superior wisdom and experience--we determined on our line of +fire, we set to work vigorously, and the great thing was to see who +could make the finest blaze. I used to feel very envious if my fire +got into a bare patch, where there were more rocks than tussocks, +and languished, whilst Alice's was roaring and rushing up a hill. +We always avoided burning where a grove of the pretty Ti-ti palms +grew; but sometimes there would be one or two on a hill-side growing +by themselves, and then it was most beautiful to see them burn. +Even before the flames reached them their long delicate leaves felt +the wind of the fire and shivered piteously; then the dry old ones +at the base of the stem caught the first spark like tinder, and in a +second the whole palm was in a blaze, making a sort of heart to the +furnace, as it had so much more substance than the grass. For a +moment or two the poor palm would bend and sway, tossing its leaves +like fiery plumes in the air, and then it was reduced to a black +stump, and the fire swept on up the hill. + +The worst of it all was that we never knew when to leave off and +come home. We would pause for half an hour and boil our little +kettle, and have some tea and cake, and then go on again till quite +late, getting well scolded when we reached home at last dead-tired +and as black as little chimney-sweeps. One evening F--- was away on +a visit of two nights to a distant friend, and Alice and I +determined on having splendid burns in his absence; so we made our +plans, and everything was favourable, wind and all. We enjoyed +ourselves very much, but if Mr. U--- had not come out to look for us +at ten o'clock at night, and traced us by our blazing track, we +should have had to camp out, for we had no idea where we were, or +that we had wandered so many miles from home; nor had we any +intention of returning just yet. We were very much ashamed of +ourselves upon that occasion, and took care to soften the story +considerably before it reached F---'s ears the next day. + +However much I may rejoice at nor'-westers in the early spring as +aids to burning the run, I find them a great hindrance to my +attempts at a lawn. Twice have we had the ground carefully dug up +and prepared; twice has it been sown with the best English seed for +the purpose, at some considerable expense; then has come much toil +on the part of F--- and Mr. U--- with a heavy garden-roller; and the +end of all the trouble has been that a strong nor'-wester has blown +both seed and soil away, leaving only the hard un-dug (I wonder +whether there is such a word) ground. I could scarcely believe that +it really was all "clean gone," as children say, until a month or +two after the first venture, when I had been straining my eyes and +exercising my imagination all in vain to discover a blade where it +ought to have been, but had remarked in one of my walks an irregular +patch of nice English grass about half a mile from the house down +the flat. I speculated for some time as to how it got there, and at +last F--- was roused from his reverie, and said coolly, "Oh, that's +your lawn!" When this happens twice, it really becomes very +aggravating: there are the croquet things lying idle in the verandah +year after year, and, as far as I can see, they are likely to remain +unused for ever. + +Before I close my letter I must tell you of an adventure I have had +with a wild boar, which was really dangerous. F--- and another +gentleman were riding with me one afternoon in a very lonely gully +at the back of the run, when the dogs (who always accompany us) put +up a large, fierce, black, boar out of some thick flax-bushes. Of +course the hunting instinct, which all young Englishmen possess, was +in full force instantly; and in default of any weapon these two +jumped off their horses and picked up, out of the creek close by, +the largest and heaviest stones they could lift. I disapproved of +the chase under the circumstances, but my timid remonstrances were +not even heard. The light riding-whips which each gentleman carried +were hastily given to me to hold, and in addition F--- thrust an +enormous boulder into my lap, saying, "Now, this is to be my second +gun; so keep close to me." Imagine poor me, therefore, with all +three whips tucked under my left arm, whilst with my right I tried +to keep the big stone on my knee, Miss Helen all the time capering +about, as she always does when there is any excitement; and I +feeling very unequal to holding her back from joining in the chase +too ardently, for she always likes to be first everywhere, which is +not at all my "sentiments." The ground was as rough as possible; +the creek winding about necessitated a good jump every few yards; +and the grass was so long and thick that it was difficult to get +through it, or to see any blind creeks or other pitfalls. _Mem_. +to burn this next spring. + +The pig first turned to bay against a palm-tree, and soon disabled +the dogs. You cannot think what a formidable weapon a wild boar's +tusk is--the least touch of it cuts like a razor; and they are so +swift in their jerks of the head when at bay that in a second they +will rip up both dogs and horses: nor are they the least afraid of +attacking a man on foot in self-defence; but they seldom or ever +strike the first blow. As soon as he had disposed of both the dogs, +who lay howling piteously and bleeding on the ground, the boar made +at full speed for the spur of a hill close by. The pace was too +good to last, especially up-hill; so the gentlemen soon caught him +up, and flung their stones at him, but they dared not bring their +valuable horses too near for fear of a wound which probably would +have lamed them for life; and a heavy, rock or stone is a very +unmanageable weapon. I was not therefore at all surprised to see +that both shots missed, or only very slightly grazed the pig; but +what I confess to being perfectly unprepared for was the boar +charging violently down-hill on poor unoffending me, with his head +on one side ready for the fatal backward jerk, champing and foaming +as he came, with what Mr. Weller would call his "vicked old eye" +twinkling with rage. Helen could not realize the situation at all. +I tried to turn her, and so get out of the infuriated brute's way; +but no, she would press on to meet him and join the other horses at +the top of the hill. I had very little control over her, for I was +so laden with whips and stones that my hands were useless for the +reins. I knew I was in great danger, but at the moment I could only +think of my poor pretty mare lamed for life, or even perhaps killed +on the spot. I heard one wild shout of warning from above, and I +knew the others were galloping to my rescue; but in certainly less +than half a minute from the time the boar turned, he had reached me. +I slipped the reins over my left elbow, so as to leave my hands +free, took my whip in my teeth (I had to drop the others), and +lifting the heavy stone with both my hands waited a second till the +boar was near enough, leaning well over on the right-hand side of +the saddle so as to see what he did. He made for poor Helen's near +fore-leg with his head well down, and I could hear his teeth +gnashing. Just as he touched her with a prick from his tusk like a +stiletto and before he could jerk his head back so as to rip the leg +up, I flung my small rock with all the strength I possessed crash on +his head: but I could not take a good aim; for the moment Helen felt +the stab, she reared straight up on her hind-legs, and as we were +going up-hill, I had some trouble to keep myself from slipping off +over her tail. However, my rock took some effect, for the pig was +so stunned that he dropped on his knees, and before he could recover +himself Helen had turned round, still on her hind-legs, as on a +pivot, and was plunging and jumping madly down the hill. I could +not get back properly into my saddle, nor could I arrange the reins; +so I had to stick on anyhow. It was not a case of fine riding at +all; I merely clung like a monkey, and F---, who was coming as fast +as he could to me, said he expected to see me on the ground every +moment; but, however, I did not come off upon that occasion. Helen +was nearly beside herself with terror. I tried to pat her neck and +soothe her, but the moment she felt my hand she bounded as if I had +struck her, and shivered so much that I thought she must be injured; +so the moment F--- could get near her I begged him to look at her +fetlock. He led her down to the creek, and washed the place, and +examined it carefully, pronouncing, to my great joy, that the tusk +had hardly gone in at all--in fact had merely pricked her--and that +she was not in the least hurt. I could hardly get the gentlemen to +go to the assistance of the poor dogs, one of which was very much +hurt. Both F--- and Mr. B--- evidently thought I must have been +"kilt intirely," for my situation looked so critical at one moment +that they could scarcely be persuaded that neither Helen nor I were +in the least hurt. I coaxed F--- that evening to write me a +doggerel version of the story for the little boys, which I send you +to show them:- + + St. Anne and the pig. + You've heard of St. George and the dragon, + Or seen them; and what can be finer, + In silver or gold on a flagon, + With Garrard or Hancock designer? + + Though we know very little about him + (Saints mostly are shrouded in mystery), + Britannia can't well do without him, + He sets off her shillings and history. + + And from truth let such tales be defended, + Bards at least should bestow them their blessing, + As a rich sort of jewel suspended + On History when she's done dressing. + + Some would have her downstairs to the present, + In plain facts fresh from critical mangle; + But let the nymph make herself pleasant, + Here a bracelet, and there with a bangle + + Such as Bold Robin Hood or Red Riding, + Who peasant and prince have delighted, + Despite of all social dividing, + And the times of their childhood united. + + Shall New Zealand have never a fable, + A rhyme to be sung by the nurses, + A romance of a famous Round Table, + A "Death of Cock Robin" in verses? + + Or shall not a scribe be found gracious + With pen and with parchment, inditing + And setting a-sail down the spacious + Deep day stream some suitable writing; + + Some action, some name so heroic + That its sound shall be death to her foemen, + And make her militia as stoic + As St. George made the Cressy crossbowmen; + + A royal device for her banners, + A reverse for her coinage as splendid, + An example of primitive manners + When all their simplicity's ended? + + Here it is, ye isles Antipodean! + Leave Britain her great Cappadocian; + I'll chant you a latter-day paean, + And sing you a saint for devotion, + + Who on horseback slew also a monster, + Though armed with no sharp lance to stab it, + Though no helmet or hauberk ensconced her, + But only a hat and a habit. + + This dame, for her bravery sainted, + Set up for all times' adoration, + With her picture in poetry painted, + Was a lady who lived on a station. + + Her days--to proceed with the story + In duties domestic dividing, + But, or else she had never won glory, + She now and then went out a-riding. + It chanced, with two knights at her stirrup, + She swept o'er the grass of the valleys, + Heard the brooks run; and heard the birds chirrup, + When a boar from the flax-bushes sallies. + + The cavaliers leaped from their horses; + As for weapons, that day neither bore them; + So they chose from the swift watercourses + Heavy boulders, and held them before them. + + They gave one as well to the lady: + She took it, and placed it undaunted + On the pommel, and balanced it steady, + While they searched where the animal haunted. + + A bowshot beyond her were riding + The knights, each alert with his missile, + But in doubt where the pig went a-hiding, + For they had not kept sight of his bristle. + + When--the tale needs but little enlarging + One turned round by chance on his courser; + To his horror, the monster was charging + At the lady, as if to unhorse her. + + But his fears for her safety were idle, + No heart of a hero beat stouter: + She poised the stone, gathered her bridle-- + A halo, 'tis said, shone about her. + + With his jaws all extended and horrid, + Fierce and foaming, the brute leapt to gore her, + When she dropped the rock full on his forehead, + And lo! he fell dying before her. + + There he lay, bristling, tusky, and savage; + Such a mouth, as was long ago written; + Made Calydon lonely with ravage, + By such teeth young Adonis was bitten. + + Then praise to our new Atalanta, + Of the chase and of song spoils be brought her, + Whose skill and whose strength did not want a + Meleager to finish the slaughter. + + She is sung, and New Zealand shall take her, + Thrice blest to possess such a matron, + And give thanks to its first ballad-maker, + Who found it a saint for a patron. + + + +Letter XXIII: Concerning a great flood. + + +Broomielaw, February 1868. +Since I last wrote to you we have been nearly washed away, by all +the creeks and rivers in the country overflowing their banks! +Christchurch particularly was in great danger from the chance of +the Waimakiriri returning to its old channel, in which case it +would sweep away the town. For several hours half the streets were +under water, the people going about in boats, and the Avon was +spread out like a lake over its banks for miles. The weather had +been unusually sultry for some weeks, and during the last five days +the heat had been far greater, even in the hills, than anyone could +remember. It is often very hot indeed during the mid-day hours in +summer, but a hot night is almost unknown; and, at the elevation we +live, there are few evenings in the year when a wood-fire is not +acceptable after sunset; as for a blanket at night, that is seldom +left off even in the plains, and is certainly necessary in the +hills. Every one was anxiously looking for rain, as the grass was +getting very dry and the creeks low, and people were beginning to +talk of an Australian summer and to prophesy dismal things of a +drought. On a Sunday night about eleven o'clock we were all +sauntering about out of doors, finding it too hot to remain in the +verandah; it was useless to think of going to bed; and F--- and Mr. +U--- agreed that some great change in the weather was near. There +was a strange stillness and oppression in the air; the very animals +had not gone to sleep, but all seemed as restless and wakeful as we +were. I remember we discussed the probability of a severe +earthquake, for the recent wave at St. Thomas's was in everybody's +mind. F--- and I had spent a few days in Christchurch the week +before. There was a regular low-fever epidemic there, and, he had +returned to the station feeling very unwell; but in this country +illness is so rare that one almost forgets that such a thing +exists, and we both attributed his seediness to the extraordinary +heat. + +When we were out of doors that Sunday evening, we noticed immense +banks and masses of clouds, but they were not in the quarter from +whence our usual heavy rain comes; and besides, in New Zealand +clouds are more frequently a sign of high wind than of rain. +However, about midnight F--- felt so ill that he went in to bed, +and we had scarcely got under shelter when, after a very few +premonitory drops, the rain came down literally in sheets. Almost +from the first F--- spoke of the peculiar and different sound on +the roof, but as he had a great deal of fever that night, I was too +anxious to notice anything but the welcome fact that the rain had +come at last, and too glad to hear it to be critical about the +sound it made in falling. I came out to breakfast alone, leaving +F--- still ill, but the fever going off. The atmosphere was much +lightened, but the rain seemed like a solid wall of water falling +fast and furiously; the noise on the wooden roof was so great that +we had to shout to each other to make ourselves heard; and when I +looked out I was astonished to see the dimensions to which the +ponds had. swollen. Down all the hill-sides new creeks and +waterfalls had sprung into existence during the night. As soon as +I had taken F--- his tea and settled down comfortably to breakfast, +I noticed that instead of Mr. U--- looking the picture of bright +good-humour, he wore a troubled and anxious countenance. I +immediately inquired if he had been out of doors that morning? +Yes, he had been to look at the horses in the stable. Well, I did +not feel much interest in them, for they were big enough to take +care of themselves: so I proceeded to ask if he had chanced to see +anything of my fifty young ducks or my numerous broods of chickens. +Upon this question Mr. U--- looked still more unhappy and tried to +turn the conversation, but my suspicions were aroused and I +persisted; so at last he broke to me, with much precaution, that I +was absolutely without a duckling or a chicken in the world! They +had been drowned in the night, and nothing was to be seen but +countless draggled little corpses, what Mr. Mantilini called "moist +unpleasant bodies," floating on the pond or whirling in the eddies +of the creek. That was not even the worst. Every one of my +sitting hens was drowned also, their nests washed away; so were the +half-dozen beautiful ducks, with some twelve or fourteen eggs under +each. I felt angry with the ducks, and thought they might have at +any rate saved their own lives; but nothing could alter the +melancholy returns of the missing and dead. My poultry-yard was, +for all practical purposes, annihilated, just as it was at its +greatest perfection and the pride and joy of my heart. All that +day the rain descended steadily in torrents; there was not the +slightest break or variation in the downpour: it was as heavy as +that of the Jamaica _seasons_ of May and October. F---'s fever +left him at the end of twelve hours, and he got up and came into +the drawing-room; his first glance out of the window, which +commanded a view of the flat for two or three miles, showed him how +much the waters had risen since midnight; and he said that in all +the years he had known those particular creeks he had never seen +them so high: still I thought nothing of it. There was no +cessation in the rain for exactly twenty-four hours; but at +midnight on Monday, just as poor F--- was getting another attack of +fever, it changed into heavy, broken showers, with little pauses of +fine drizzle between, and by morning it showed signs of clearing, +but continued at intervals till midday. The effect was +extraordinary, considering the comparatively short time the real +downpour had lasted. The whole flat was under water, the creeks +were flooded beyond their banks for half a mile or so on each side, +and the river Selwyn, which ran under some hills, bounding our +view, was spread out, forming an enormous lake. A very conspicuous +object on these opposite hills, which are between three and four +miles distant, was a bold cliff known by the name of the "White +Rocks," and serving as a landmark to all the countryside: we could +hardly believe our eyes when we missed the most prominent of these +and could see only a great bare rent in the mountain. The house +was quite surrounded by water and stood on a small island; it was +impossible even to wade for more than a few yards beyond the dry +ground, for the water became quite deep and the current was running +fast. F---'s fever lasted its twelve hours; but I began to be +fidgety at the state of prostration it left him in, and when +Tuesday night brought a third and sharper attack, I determined to +make him go to town and see a doctor during his next interval of +freedom from it. + +Wednesday morning was bright and sunny, but the waters had not much +diminished: however, we knew every hour must lessen them, and I +only waited for F---'s paroxysm of fever to subside about mid-day +to send him off to Christchurch. I had exhausted my simple +remedies, consisting of a spoonful of sweet spirits of nitre and a +little weak brandy and water and did not think it right to let +things go on in this way without advice: he was so weak he could +hardly mount his horse; indeed he had to be fairly lifted on the +old quiet station hack I have before mentioned with such deep +affection, dear old Jack. It was impossible for him to go alone; +so the ever-kind and considerate Mr. U--- offered to accompany him. +This was the greatest comfort to me, though I and my two maids +would be left all alone during their absence: however, that was +much better than poor F--- going by himself in his weak state. Six +hours of sunshine had greatly abated the floods, and as far as we +could see the water was quite shallow now where it had overflowed. +I saw them set off therefore with a good hope of their +accomplishing the journey safely. Judge of my astonishment and +horror when, on going to see what the dogs were barking at, about +two hours later, I beheld F--- and Mr. U--- at the garden gate, +dripping wet up to their shoulders, but laughing very much. Of +course I immediately thought of F---'s fever, and made him come in +and change; and have some hot tea directly; but he would not go to +bed as I suggested, declaring that the shock of his unexpected cold +bath, and the excitement of a swim for his life, had done him all +the good in the world; and I may tell you at once; that it had +completely cured him: he ate well that evening, slept well, and had +no return of his fever, regaining his strength completely in a few +days. So much for kill-or-cure remedies! + +It seems that as soon as they neared the first creek, with very +high banks, about a mile from the house, the water came up to the +horses' fetlocks, then to their knees, but still it was impossible +to tell exactly where the creek began, or rather, where its bank +ended; they went very cautiously, steering as well as they could +for where they imagined the cutting in the steep bank to be; but I +suppose they did not hit it off exactly, for suddenly they went +plump into deep water and found themselves whirling along like +straws down a tremendous current. Jack was, however, quite equal +to the occasion; he never allows himself to be flurried or put out +by anything, and has, I imagine, been in nearly every difficulty +incident to New Zealand travelling. Instead, therefore, of losing +his head as Helen did (Mr. U--- was riding her), and striking out +wildly with her forelegs to the great danger of the other horse, +Jack took it all as a matter of course, and set himself to swim +steadily down the stream, avoiding the eddies as much as possible: +he knew every yard of the bank, and did not therefore waste his +strength by trying to land in impossible places, but kept a +watchful eye for the easiest spot. F--- knew the old horse so well +that he let him have his head and guide himself, only trying to +avoid Helen's forelegs, which were often unpleasantly near; his +only fear was lest they should have to go so far before a landing +was possible that poor old Jack's strength might not hold out, for +there is nothing so fatiguing to a horse as swimming in a strong +current with a rider on his back, especially a heavy man. They +were swept down for a long distance, though it was impossible to +guess exactly how far they had gone, and F--- was getting very +uneasy about a certain wire fence which had been carried across the +creek; they were rapidly approaching it, and the danger was that +the horses might suddenly find themselves entangled in it, in which +case the riders would very likely have been drowned. F--- called +to Mr. U---to get his feet free from the stirrups and loosened his +own; but he told me he was afraid lest Mr. U--- should not hear him +above the roaring of the water, and so perhaps be dragged under +water when the fence was reached. However, Jack, knew all about +it, and was not going to be drowned ignominiously in a creek which +would not have wet his hoofs to cross three days before. A few +yards from the fence he made one rush and a bound towards what +seemed only a clump of Tohi bushes, but they broke the force of the +current and gave him the chance he wanted, and he struggled up the +high crumbling bank more like a cat than a steady old screw. Helen +would not be left behind, and, with a good spur from Mr. U---, she +followed Jack's example, and they stood dripping and shivering in +shallow water. Both the horses were so _done_ that F--- and Mr. U- +-- had to jump off instantly and loose the girths, turning them +with their nostrils to the wind. It was a very narrow escape, and +the disagreeable part of it was that they had scrambled out on the +wrong side of the creek and had to recross it to get home: however, +they rode on to the next stream, which looked so much more swollen +and angry, that they gave up the idea of going on to Christchurch +that night, especially as they were wet through to their chins, for +both horses swam very low in the water, with only their heads to be +seen above it. + +The next thing to be considered was how to get back to the house. +It never would do to risk taking the horses into danger again when +they were so exhausted; so they rode round by the homestead, +crossed the creek higher up, where it was much wider but +comparatively shallow (if anything could be called shallow just +now), and came home over the hills. Good old Jack had an extra +feed of oats that evening, a reward to which he is by no means +insensible; and indeed it probably is the only one he cares for. + +The Fates had determined, apparently, that I also should come in +for my share of watery adventures, for we had an engagement of +rather long standing to ride across the hills, and visit a friend's +station about twelve miles distant, and the day we had promised to +go was rather more than a week after F---'s attempted journey. In +the meantime, the waters had of course gone down considerably, and +there was quite an excitement in riding and walking about our own +run, and seeing the changes the flood had made, and the mischief it +had done to the fencing;--this was in process of being repaired. +We lost very few sheep; they were all up at the tops of the high +hills, their favourite summer pasture. + +I think I have told you that between us and Christchurch there is +but one river, a most peaceable and orderly stream, a perfect +pattern to the eccentric New Zealand rivers, which are so +changeable and restless. Upon this occasion, however, the Selwyn +behaved quite as badly as any of its fellows; it was not only +flooded for miles, carrying away quantities of fencing near its +banks, and drowning confiding sheep suddenly, but at one spot about +four miles from us, just under the White Rocks, it came down +suddenly, like what Miss Ingelow calls "a mighty eygre," and +deserted its old timeworn bed for two new ones: and the worst of +the story is that it has taken a fancy to our road, swept away a +good deal of it, breaking a course for itself in quite a different +place; so now, instead of one nice, wide, generally shallow river +to cross, about which there never has been an evil report, we have +two horrid mountain torrents of which we know nothing: no one has +been in yet to try their depth, or to find out the best place at +which to ford them, and it unfortunately happened that F--- and I +were the pioneers. When we came to the first new channel, F--- +with much care picked out what seemed the best place, and though it +was a most disagreeable bit of water to go through, still we +managed it all right; but when we came to the next curve, it was +far worse. Here the river took a sharp turn, and came tearing +round a corner, the colour and consistency of pea-soup, and making +such a noise we could hardly hear ourselves speak standing close +together on the bank; once in the stream, of course it would be +hopeless to try to catch a word. I am ashamed to say that my fixed +idea was to turn back, and this I proposed without hesitation; but +F--- has the greatest dislike to retracing his steps, and is +disagreeably like Excelsior in this respect; so he merely looked +astonished at my want of spirit, and proceeded very calmly to give +me my directions, and the more he impressed the necessity of +coolness and caution upon me, the more I quaked. He was to go over +first, alone; I was to follow, having first tucked my habit well up +under my arm, and taken care that I was quite free so as not to be +entangled in any way _if_ Helen should be swept away, or if a +boulder should come down with the stream, and knock her feet from +under her: I was not to be at all frightened (!), and I was to keep +my eyes fixed on him, and guide Helen's head exactly by the motion +of his hand. He plunged into the water as soon as he had issued +these encouraging directions; I saw him floundering in and out of +several deep holes, and presently he got safe to land, dripping +wet; then he dismounted, tied Leo to a flax bush, and took off his +coat and big riding-boots,--I thought, very naturally to dry them, +but I should have been still more alarmed, if possible, had I known +that this was to prepare to be ready to swim to my help in case of +danger. As it was, my only hope was that Helen might not like the +look of the angry flood, and would refuse to go in;--how I should +have blessed her for such obstinacy!--but no, she was eager to +rejoin her stable companion, and plunged in without hesitation. I +found it much worse even than I dreaded; the water felt so +resistless, as if it _must_ sweep me right out of the saddle; I +should like to have clutched Helen's mane or anything to have kept +me on, but both hands were wanted to hold the reins quite low down, +one on each side of her withers, so as to guide her exactly +according to F---'s pilot-hand on the opposite bank: steering +implicitly by this I escaped the holes and rocks which he had come +against, and got over safely, but trembling, and with chattering +teeth. F---said, quite disdainfully, "You don't mean to say you're +really frightened?" So then I scolded him, rather incoherently, and +demanded to be praised for coming at all! I wrung my habit out as +well as I could, F--- poured the water out of his boots, and we +proceeded, first over a plain, and then to climb a high steep hill. +I wonder if you have any idea how disagreeable and dangerous it is +to go zigzag up the side of a mountain after such rain as we have +had. The soil was just like soap, nothing for the horses' hoofs to +take hold of, not a pebble or a tuft of grass; all had been washed +away, and only the slippery clay remained. As usual, F--- went +first and I followed, taking care not to keep below him, lest he +and Leo should come "slithering" (that is the only word for it) +down upon me; but, alas, it was Helen and I who slithered! Poor +dear, all her legs seemed to fly from under her at once, and she +came down on her side and on my legs. I felt the leaping-crutch +snap, and found my left shoulder against the ground; I let go the +reins, and thought we had better part company, but found I could +not move for her weight; _she_ struggled to get up, and we both +slipped down, down--down: there was no reason why we should not +have gone on to the bottom of the hill, when a friendly tussock +afforded her an instant's resting-place for her hind hoofs, and she +scrambled to her feet like a cat. I found myself still on her +back; so I picked up my reins and tried to pretend that I had never +thought of getting off. F--- dared not stir from his "bad +eminence;" so Helen and I wended our slippery way up to him, and in +answer to his horrified "Where is your habit?" I found I was torn +to ribbons; in fact, my skirt was little more than a kilt, and a +very short one too! What was to be done? We were only three or +four miles from our destination, so we pushed on, and at the last I +lingered behind, and made F--- go first and borrow a cloak or +shawl. You would have laughed if you had heard my pathetic +adjurations to him to be sure to bring it by himself. I was so +afraid that some one else would politely insist on accompanying +him. But it was all right, though even with this assistance it was +very difficult to arrange matters so as to be tolerably +respectable. My hostess was shocked at my tattered, wet plight, +and dried me, and dressed me up till I was quite smart, and then we +had a very pleasant day, and, best of all, came home by a different +road, so as to avoid the slippery descent and the rivers in the +dark; but I still mourn for my habit!-it was my last. Three have +disappeared, owing to unfortunate accidents, this year, and now I +am reduced to what can be contrived out of a linsey dress. + +Letter XXIV: My only fall from horseback. + + +Broomielaw, June 1868. +The autumn has passed away so quickly that I can hardly believe the +winter has reached us so soon--the last winter we shall spend in +New Zealand. I should like to have been able to boast, on my +return to England, that in three years' constant riding, on all +sorts of horses, good, bad, and indifferent, and over abominable +roads, I had escaped a fall; but not only have I had a very severe +one, but it was from my own favourite Helen, which is very trying +to reflect upon. However, it was not in the least her fault, or +mine either; so she and I are still perfectly good friends. + +We had been spending two days up at Lake Coleridge, as a sort of +farewell visit, and on our way down again to Rockwood, a distance +of about twenty miles, we stopped to lunch, by invitation, at a +station midway. There was so much to be seen at this place that we +loitered much longer than was prudent in the short days, and by the +time we had thoroughly inspected a beautiful new wool-shed with all +the latest improvements (from which F--- could hardly tear himself +away), the fish-ponds elaborately arranged for the reception of the +young trout expected from Tasmania and the charming garden well +sheltered by a grove of large wattle-trees, it was growing dusk, +and we prepared to push on as fast as possible; for nothing is more +disagreeable than being caught in the dark on a New Zealand track, +with its creeks and swamps and wire fences: the last are the most +dangerous obstacles, if you get off the track, or if the gate +through the fence has been placed for convenience a few yards on +one side of it; the horses cannot see the slender wires in the +dark, and so fall over them, injuring themselves and their riders +most seriously sometimes. Having still about eight miles to go, we +were galloping gaily over a wide open plain, our only anxiety +arising from the fast failing daylight; but the horses were still +quite fresh, and, as the French idiom would have it, devoured the +ground at a fine pace; when, in an instant, the ground appeared to +rise up to meet me, and I found myself dragged along on the extreme +point of my right shoulder, still grasping both reins and whip. I +was almost under the feet of the other horse, and I saw Helen's +heels describing frantic circles in the air. F--- shouted to me to +let go, which it had never occurred to me to do previously. I did +so, and jumped up instantly, feeling quite unhurt, and rather +relieved to find that a fall was not so dreadful after all. I then +saw the cause of the accident: the handle of a little travelling- +bag which had been hung over the pommel of my saddle had slipped +over the slight projection, and as it was still further secured by +a strap through the girth, it was dangling under poor Helen, whose +frantic bounds and leaps only increased the liveliness of her +tormentor. I never saw such bucks and jumps high into the air as +she performed receiving a severe blow from the bag at each; it was +impossible to help laughing, though I did not see how it was all to +end. She would not allow F--- to approach her, and was perfectly +mad with terror. At last the girths gave way, and the saddle came +off, with the bag still fastened to it; the moment she found +herself free, she trotted up to me in the most engaging manner, and +stood rubbing her nose against my arm, though she was still +trembling all over, and covered with foam. + +By this time I had made the discovery that I could not raise my +right arm; but still a careful investigation did not tell me it was +broken, for it gave me no pain to touch anywhere, except a very +little just on the point of the shoulder. F--- now went to pick up +the saddle and the reins; it was difficult to find these latter in +the fast gathering darkness and I held his horse for him. To my +horror I found after standing for a moment or two, that I was going +to faint; I could not utter a word; I knew that if my fast-relaxing +fingers let go their hold of the bridle the horse would set off +towards home at a gallop, Helen would assuredly follow him, and we +should be left eight miles from the nearest shelter to find our way +to it, with a deep creek to cross. F--- was fifty yards off, with +his back to me, searching for some indispensable buckle; so there +was no help to be got from him at the moment. I exerted every atom +of my remaining strength to slip the bridle over my left arm, which +I pressed against my waist; then I sat down as quietly as I could, +not to alarm the horse, bent forward so as to keep my left arm +under me lest the bridle should slip off, and fainted away in great +peace and comfort. The cold was becoming so intense that it soon +revived me, and F---, suspecting something was wrong, came to +relieve me of the care of the horse, and contrived to get the +girths repaired with the ever-ready flax, and the bag secured in a +very short time. But when it came to mounting again, that was not +so easy: every time I tried to spring, something jarred horribly in +the socket where the arm fits into the shoulder, and the pain was +so great that I had to lie down on the ground. It was now nearly +seven o'clock, quite dark, and freezing hard; we were most anxious +to get on, and yet what was to be done? I could not mount, +apparently, and there was no stone or bank to stand on and get up +by for an immense way. At last F--- put me up by sheer strength. +I found myself so deadly sick and faint when I was fairly in the +saddle that it was some time before I could allow Helen to move; +and never shall I forget the torture of her first step, for my +shoulder was now stiffening in a most unpleasant way. F--- said it +would be easier to canter; so we set off at full speed, and the +cold air against my face kept me from fainting as we went along, +though I fully expected to fall off every moment; if Helen had +shied, or stumbled, or even capered a little, I should have been on +the ground again. In my torture and despair, I proposed to be left +behind, and for F--- to ride on and get help; but he would not hear +of this, declaring that I should die of cold before he could get +back with a cart, and that it was very doubtful if he should find +me again on the vast plain, with nothing to guide him, and in the +midnight darkness. Whenever we came to a little creek which we +were obliged to jump, Helen's safe arrival on the opposite bank was +announced by a loud yell from me, caused by agony hardly to be +described. The cold appeared to get _into_ the broken joint, and +make it so much worse. + +At last we reached Rockwood, and never was its friendly shelter +more welcome. Everything that could be thought of was done to +alleviate my sufferings; but I resembled Punch with his head on one +side, for I had a well-defined and gigantic hump on my back, and my +shoulder was swollen up to my ear. The habit-body was unpicked, as +it was impossible to get it off any other way. Of course, the +night was one of great agony; but I thought often, as I paced the +room, how much better it was to have a blazing fire to cheer me up, +and some delicious tea to put my lips to "when so dispoged" (like +the immortal Mrs. Gamp), than to be lying on the open plain in a +hard frost, wondering when F--- and his cart would arrive. + +The next day we returned home, much against our host's wish; and I +walked all the way, some six miles of mountain road, for I could +not bear the idea of riding. F--- led the horses, and we arrived +quite safely. His first idea was to take me down to a doctor, but +the motion of driving was greater agony than riding, as the road +was rough; so after the first mile, I entreated to be taken back, +and we turned the horses' heads towards home again; and when we +reached it, I got out all my little books on surgery, medicine, +etc., and from them made out how to set my shoulder in some sort of +fashion, with F---'s help. Of course it is still useless to me, +but I think it is mending itself; and after a week I could do +everything with my left hand, even to writing, after a fashion. +The only thing I could _not_ do was to arrange my hair, or even to +brush it; and though F--- was "willing," he was so exceedingly +awkward, that at last, after going through great anguish and having +it pulled out by handfuls, I got him to cut it off, and it is now +cropped like a small boy's. He cuts up my dinner, etc. for me; but +it is a very trying process, and I don't wonder at children often +leaving the nasty cold mess half eaten. I shall be very glad to be +able to use my own knife again. + + + + +Letter XXV: How We lost our horses and had to walk home. + + +Broomielaw, November 1868. +This will actually be my last letter from the Malvern Hills; and, +in spite of the joy I feel at the hope of seeing all my beloved +ones in England, I am _so_ sorry to leave my dear little happy +valley. We have done nothing but pay farewell visits lately; and I +turn for a final look at each station or cottage as we ride away +with a great tightness at my heart, and moisture in my eyes, to +think I shall never see them again. You must not be jealous at the +lingering regrets I feel, for unless you had been with me here you +can never understand how kind and friendly all our neighbours, high +and low, have been to us from the very first, or how dearly I have +grown to love them. I don't at all know how I am to say good-bye +to my dear Mrs. M---, the shepherd's wife I told you of. I believe +she will miss me more than any one; and I cannot bear to think of +her left to pass her days without the help of books and papers, +which I was always so glad to lend her. I often walk down the +valley to take tea with her of an afternoon and to say good-bye, +but I have not said it yet. I wish you could see her parlour as I +saw it yesterday afternoon--her books in a bookcase of her +husband's manufacture, very nice and pretty; her spinning-wheel in +the comer; the large "beau-pot" of flowers in the window; and such +a tea on the table!--cream like clots of gold, scones, oat-cakes, +all sorts of delicacies! She herself is quite charming--one of +Nature's ladies. I have given her, as a parting gift, a couple of +Scotch views framed; and they hang on the wall as a memento of +places equally dear to both of us. + +It is a sorrow to me to leave the horses and dogs and my pet calves +and poultry; even the trees and creepers I go round to look at, +with the melancholy feeling of other owners not loving them so much +as I have done. However, I must not make my last letter too +dismal, or you will feel that I am not glad enough to return to you +all. My only apology is, I have been so _very_ happy here. + +Now for our latest adventure, as absurd as any, in its way. Have I +ever told you that our post-office is ten miles off, with an +atrocious road between us and it? I know you will throw down this +letter and feel rather disgusted with me for being sorry to leave +such a place, but we don't mind trifles here. Lately, since our +own establishment has been broken up, we have been living in great +discomfort; and among other things we generally, if not always, +have to go for our own letters twice a week. Upon this occasion F- +-- and I had ridden together up the gorge of the Selwyn rather late +in the afternoon, to avoid the extreme heat of the day. When we +reached the shepherd's hut I have before mentioned, and which is +now deserted, I proposed to F--- to go on over the hills alone and +leave me there, as I was very hot and tired, and he could travel +much quicker without me--for I am ashamed to say that I still +object to riding fast up and down slippery hills. I cannot get rid +of the idea that I shall break my neck if I attempt it, whereas F-- +- goes on over the worst road just as if it was perfectly level. +Excuse this digression, for it is a relief to me to be a little +spiteful about his pace whenever I have an opportunity, and it will +probably be my last chance of expressing my entire disapproval of +it. + +Helen was tied up to a post, and F---, after helping me to +dismount, set off at a canter over the adjoining swamp on his way +to cross the chain of hills between the river and the flat where +the great coach-road to the West Coast runs. I had brought the +ingredients for my five o'clock tea (without which I am always a +lost and miserable creature), and I amused myself, during my +solitude, by picking up dry bits of scrub for my fire; but I had to +go down the river-bank for some driftwood to make the old kettle, +belonging to the hut, boil. I could not help wondering how any +human being could endure such solitude for years, as the occupant +of a hut like this is necessarily condemned to. In itself it was +as snug and comfortable as possible, with a little paddock for the +shepherd's horse, an acre or so of garden, now overgrown with +self-sown potatoes, peas, strawberry, raspberry, and gooseberry +plants, the little thatched fowl-house near, and the dog-kennels; +all giving it a thoroughly home-like look. The hoarse roar of the +river over its rocky bed was the only sound; now and then a flock +of wild ducks would come flying down to their roosting-place or +nests among the Tohi grass; and as the evening closed in the +melancholy cry of the bittern and the weka's loud call broke the +stillness, but only to make it appear more profound. On each side +of the ravine in which the hut stands rise lofty hills so steeply +from the water's edge that in places we can find no footing for our +horses, and have to ride in the river. At this time of the year +the sheep are all upon the hills; so you do not hear even a bleat: +but in winter, they come down to the sunny, sheltered flats. + +It appeared to me as if I was alone there for hours, though it +really was less than one hour, when F--- returned with a large +bundle of letters and papers tied to his saddle-bow. Tea was quite +ready now; so he tied up his horse next Helen, and we had tea and +looked at our letters. One of the first I opened told me that some +friends from Christchurch, whom I expected to pay us a visit soon, +were on their way up that very day, and in fact might be expected +to arrive just about that hour. I was filled with blank dismay, +for not only did the party consist of three grown-up people--nay, +four--but three little children. I had made elaborate plans in my +head as to how and where they should all be stowed away for a +fortnight, but had naturally deferred till the last moment to carry +out my arrangements, for they entailed giving up our own bedroom, +and "camping" in the dining-room, besides wonderful substitutes of +big packing-cases for cribs, etc. etc. But, alas! here we were +eight miles from home and nothing done, not even any extra food +ordered or prepared. The obvious thing was to mount our horses and +return as fast as ever we could, and we hastened out of the hut to +the spot where we had left them both securely tied to the only +available post, through which unfortunately five wires ran, as it +was one of the "standards" of a fence which extended for miles. +Just as we came out of the hut in a great bustle, our evil destiny +induced F---'s horse to rub its nose against the top wire of the +fence; and in this process it caught the bar of its snaffle-bit, +and immediately pulled back: this made all the wires jingle. Helen +instantly took alarm, and pulled back too: fresh and increased +vibration, extending up the hill-side and echoing back an appalling +sound, was the result of this movement. In an instant there were +both the horses pulling with all their force against the fence, +terrified to death; and no wonder, for the more they pulled the +more the wires jingled. F--- did all he could to soothe them with +blandishments. I tried to coax Helen, but the nearer we drew the +more frantically they backed and plunged, and the more the noise +increased--till it was a case of "one struggle more and I am free;" +and leaving their bridles still fastened to the fatal fence by the +reins, we had the satisfaction of seeing both our horses careering +wildly about--first celebrating their escape from danger by joyous +and frantic bounds and kicks, and then setting off down the gorge +of the river as hard as they could go. I fairly sat down and +whimpered a little, not only at the thought of our eight miles' +walk over shingle with a deep river to be crossed nine times, but +at the idea of my poor little guests arriving to find no supper, no +beds, "no nothing." + +F--- tried to cheer me up, and said the only thing was to get home +as quick as possible; but he did not expect to find that our +friends had arrived, for it had been very hazy over the plains all +day, and probably had rained hard in Christchurch; so he thought +they would not have started on their journey at all. But I refused +to accept any comfort from this idea, and bemoaned myself, entirely +on their account, incessantly. When we came to the first crossing, +F--- picked me up and carried me over dry-shod, and this he did at +all the fords; but in one we very nearly came to grief, for I was +tilted like a sack over his shoulder, and when we were quite in the +middle, and the water was very deep, up to his waist, he kept +hoisting my feet higher and higher, quite forgetting that there was +plenty more of me on the other side of his shoulder; so it ended in +my arms getting very wet, which he did not seem to think mattered +at all so long as my feet were dry; whereas I rather preferred +having my feet than my head plunged into a surging, deafening +yellow current. At the entrance of the gorge is a large stockyard, +and near to it, at least a mile or two off, a large mob of horses +is generally to be found feeding. We heard great neighing and +galloping about amongst them as we came out of the gorge; it was +much too dark to distinguish anything, but we guessed that our +horses had joined these, and the sounds we heard were probably +those of welcome. But the whole mob set off the moment we came +near, and crossed the river again, entailing a tenth wetting upon +poor F---. I was posted at the entrance of the gorge, with +instructions to shout and otherwise keep them from going up by the +route we had just come; but it was more than an hour before F--- +could get round the wary brutes, so as to turn them with their +heads towards the stockyard. Of course, he had to bring up the +whole mob. My talents in the shouting line were not called out +upon this occasion, for they all trotted into the stockyard of +their own accord, and I had nothing to do but put up the slip-rail +as fast as I could with only one available arm, for though it is +better, I cannot use the other yet. When F--- came up we both went +into the yard, and could soon make out the two horses which had +their saddles on--that was the only way we could distinguish them +in the dark. It was now nearly eleven o'clock, and though warm +enough it was very cloudy, not a star to be seen. We fastened on +the patched up bridles as well as we could by feeling, and mounted, +and rode home, about three miles more, as fast as we could. When +we entered the flat near our own house, we heard loud and prolonged +"coo-ees" from all sides. The servants had made up their minds +that some terrible misfortune had happened to us, and were setting +out to look for us, "coo-eeing" as they came along. F--- pointed +out to me, with a sort of "I-told-you-so" air, that there was no +light in the drawing-room--so it was evident our friends had not +arrived; and when we dismounted I found, to my great joy, that the +house was empty. All our fatigue was forgotten in thankfulness +that the poor travellers had not been exposed to such a cold, +comfortless reception as would have awaited them if they had made +their journey that day. I must tell you, they arrived quite safely +the next evening, but very tired, especially the poor children; +however, everything was ready, and the little boys were +particularly pleased with their box beds, greatly preferring the +difficulties of getting in and out of them to their own pretty +little cribs at home. Such are boys all over the world! + +Next month we leave this for ever, and go down to Christchurch to +make our final arrangements for the long voyage of a hundred days +before us. As the time draws near I realize how strong is the tie +which has grown, even in these few short years, around my heart, +connecting it with this lovely land, and the kind friends I have +found in it. F--- feels the parting more deeply than I do, if +possible, though for different reasons; he has lived so long among +these beautiful hills, and is so accustomed to have before his eyes +their grand outlines. He was telling me this the other day, and +has put the same feelings into the following verses, which I now +send you. + + A farewell. + The seamen shout once and together, + The anchor breaks up from the ground, + And the ship's head swings to the weather, + To the wind and the sea swings round; + With a clamour the great sail steadies, + In extreme of a storm scarce furled; + Already a short wake eddies, + And a furrow is cleft and curled + To the right and left. + + Float out from the harbour and highland + That hides all the region I know, + Let me look a last time on the island + Well seen from the sea to the snow. + The lines of the ranges I follow, + I travel the hills with my eyes, + For I know where they make a deep hollow, + A valley of grass and the rise + Of streams clearer than glass. + + That haunt is too far for me wingless, + And the hills of it sink out of sight, + Yet my thought were but broken and stringless, + And the daylight of song were but night. + If I could not at will a winged dream let + Lift me and take me and set + Me again by the trees and the streamlet; + These leagues make a wide water, yet + The whole world shall not hide. + + Now my days leave the soft silent byway, + Arid clothed in a various sort, + In iron or gold, on life's highway + New feet shall succeed, or stop short + Shod hard these maybe, or made splendid, + Fair and many, or evil and few, + But the going of bare feet has ended, + Of naked feet set in the new + Meadow grass sweet and wet. + + I will long for the ways of soft walking, + Grown tired of the dust and the glare, + And mute in the midst of much talking + Will pine for the silences rare; + Streets of peril and speech full of malice + Will recall me the pastures and peace + Which gardened and guarded those valleys + With grasses as high as the knees, + Calm as high as the sky: + + While the island secure in my spirit + At ease on its own ocean rides, + And Memory, a ship sailing near it, + Shall float in with favouring tides, + Shall enter the harbours and land me + To visit the gorges and heights + Whose aspects seemed once to command me, + As queens by their charms command knights + To achievements of arms. + + And as knights have caught sight of queens' faces + Through the dust of the lists and the din, + So, remembering these holiest places + In the days when I lose or I win, + I will yearn to them, all being over, + Triumphant or trampled beneath, + To this beautiful isle like a lover, + To her evergreen brakes for a wreath, + For a tear to her lakes. + + The last of her now is a brightening + Far fire in the forested hills, + The breeze as the night nears is heightening, + The cordage draws tighter and thrills, + Like a horse that is spurred by the rider + The great vessel quivers and quails, + And passes the billows beside her, + The fair wind is strong in her sails, + She is lifted along. + + THE END. + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Station Life in New Zealand , by Lady Barker + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STATION LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND *** + +This file should be named stlnz10.txt or stlnz10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, stlnz11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, stlnz10a.txt + +Produced by P J Riddick + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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