Travelling with Cattle

Evening Star, Issue 19774, 26 January 1928, Page 13

Travelling with Cattle

A River Fatality

Trouble with Tutu

We got back to the same station ii the evening. We did not stop, but continued driving all night, and so on, until 1 the next morning. Beautifully clear and bright the night was, but blowing a howling nor’-wester. Wo reached Healy’s Station, where there was a new stockyard, but a very small one. As it had not been used much we had difficulty in getting the brutes into it. After a lot of trouble we managed to get all in except four or five head. It was very vexing, because we had all day been looking for a sheep, which we thought was ensured when we reached this yard. After my experience at Campbell’s 1 determined to watch them until daybreak. The yard was so full that I though it possible they might break out, or the four or five outside might break away. I sent the two men to one of the huts, where they turned in, and I lay down in the tussocks not far from the yard—not to sleep, but to watch the cattle. The man had not left me half an hour when 1 was seized with an excruciating pain. I rolled about in the grass, believing I should never see daylight. However, after an hour or two 1 got better, and was glad to see the station hands coming out of their hut in the morning preparatory to getting breakfast. I soon joined them, and after having something to eat we went on again with the cattle. We

A FOOLHARDY PRACTICE

Soon after this we had another offer of a big mob belonging to Messrs Lockhart and Hogg, running on their country in the Hakataramea, Canterbury Province. It was arranged that f should go and look at them, and if the price was satisfactory I should purchase. I picked up on my way two young fellows at Oamaru to assist me in driving hack to Dunedin the fat ones, if I bought them. Mr Lockhart saw me by arrangement at the station, and had the cattle mustered, consisting of 680 head, including calves. After inspection it ended in my buying the whole lot, the price being £8 os per head, calves thrown in, or not counted under six months old. A condition of the purchase was that they should be delivered to me upon the south side of the Waitaki River. The fat. ones I was to draft at once, and lake the balance in a month. The following day I drafted 117 fat ones, and Mr Lockhart’s manager and a station hand, together with my two men, drove them down to the Waitaki to deliver on the south side. The river at the place of crossing was running very strong indeed, with a steep bank upon the opposite side. The cattle, of course, had to swim almost immediately after entering the water. The current carried them down a. considerable. distance to a spot where they could scramble up the bank on the other side. The manager and bis man —a Air Martelli—both on good horses, and splendid horsemen, swam as close to the cattle as possible, but on the

A GOOD CAMPING GROUND

I must return to the day upon which I took delivery of the 117 head of fat cattle on the south side of the Waitaki. There was a ferry boat at the ford, in which my party crossed over, swimming our horses by holding on to their bridles while seated in the boat. That evening, we readied a very good camping ground, three sides of which worn practically fenced by a rocky terrace. There was a thick mist, and 1 told my man that 1 would watch the cattle until 12 o’clock, when I would call them to relieve me.. The mob settled down very quietly and gave me no trouble, and at 12 ‘ I roused the young fellows up, and after giving them directions what to do went to a flax bush and lay down. I could not sleep, as 1 was too anxious. I heard the cattle bellowing occasionally, letting me know they 'were all right. 1 waited a liti.lo longer, and not hearing a sound of any description, imagined that something was wrong, so jumped up to ascertain the state of affairs, when, to my disgust, not a hoof was to be seen, and 1 discovered the two men both asleep. After my experience when • driving the last man from Long Valley I wondered if I was to blame. I came to the conclusion 1

DESERTING SAILORS

After two days and nights we arrived at Totara, and, feeling that the cattle were safe in the yard, 1 had a good sleep, which was the first .1. had had since the previous Sunday, or four days. We started on again early next morning, and reached Moeraki Station, where wo found another good and strong stock yard. We camped in the woolshed, and fared all right. During that day’s drive we passed two swaggers. Beyond saying “ (Jood day ” we took no notice of them. After dark they came to the woolshed for the night, not knowing that we were there. They proved to be two runaway sailors, and they told mo that when wc passed them during the day they noticed that T was riding in pants and high boots, and looked like a policeman (nearly everyone who had much riding wore this attire in those days), and expected me to arrest them. 1 had given them a great scare, and it was a relief that 1 would not understand, they said, when 1 passed on.

TROUBLE WITH TUTU

We left Totara early next morning, and when passing Moeraki we had an unpleasant experience. There had been a frost, and the grass was wet, and we had to drive through some tutu. It was scarcely noticeable, but the cattle, always ready to eat it, evidently grazed upon it as we passed through, because about an hour later some of them showed symptoms of poisoning, and in a very short time we had-to stop; first one and then another would stagger and fall down, and it was imposible to proceed; every few minutes one or more were attacked. Strange to say, they were the best conditioned. Wc bled them, which relieved some, but not all. Passers-by told us that we ought to give them all kinds of unprocurable things. 1 remember one recommended carbonate of soda, so we obtained this from the station that was not far off, but it did no good. It was a peculiar sight-to see great bullocks jump up in the air and fall heavily upon their sides, enough

Orbell Journal Continued

ndiscovcred that they had knocked the, yard about a good deal, and had they, been confined much longer would havebroken out. During the afternoon of that ddy we arrived at West Taieri. Before reaching the village we had to cross the Taieri .River, which was in partial flood—so much so that the cattle had to swim., Here we had delightful work. The cattle were naturally wild, coming from the back country where, probably they had never seen a man on foot. Upon both sides of the river leading to the river crossing a number of diggers were camped, waiting for the river to fall. As soon as they saw the cattle every man came to have a look at them. Instead of concealing themselves, they crowded in small numbers upon our track. Of course, the cattle broke away from us, going in all directions. Our ppor horses had a warm hour galloping after one lot, then another, to stop them. After a couple of hours we managed to get them back to the ford, and crossed the river; but the diggers were responsible for our losing three or four head that got away in the f ranges in spite of all our efforts to get them back. They were worth £6O or £7O. The next day we reached Dunedin, and the following day I sold them for £l7 each, gave delivery, and was very glad to see the last of them.

lower side, that they might keep them from drifting too far down the river, and also to endeavor to direct them across to a landing. They put them over all right without losing any. When the manager came back to where the cattle entered the river and where I was waiting I asked him if he could swim, because J thought I had. never witnessed such foolhardiness as these two men exhibited in swimming their horses in such a rapid body of water. He informed me that he could not swim, a stroke. I could not resist telling him that he was a fool. “Oh,” he replied, “I have done it so often that I can trust my horse; he swims like a duck, and so long as f stick to the saddle there is no danger.” “Take my advice for once,” I said, “and don’t do it again.” When we took delivery of the ramainder of the cattle a month later my brother Henry went for them, and when crossing them at the same spot the unfortunate manager was drowned and never seen again. This gives one an idea of the river and current. lie was riding the same horse, and I understood that while he was swimming the horse got some water in his ears, which caused him to plunge and roll over, unseating the rider. Before entering the river he took off his watch and- gave it to someone standing by, remarking that lie would never venture into the river again. He was a remarkably fine, handsome man, very popular, and known all over Canterbury. His name was Griffiths.

was not. It was only necessary to guard a very short distance, because, as 1 before explained, the place was enclosed in such a manner that the cattle could not escape except by almost walking over the men whene I had placed them. However, they were all gone, and nothing could be’ dent before daybreak. .Fortunately the morning broke with a clear sky, and it was a fine day. Instead of the cattle making their way back as. usual by the route we had driven them, they went in Hie opposite direction and into very broken country. AA’e resorted to tracking again, and following these for two or three hours we saw a few head in the distance. AVe made for them at once, but there were only about a dozen. AVe searched nearly every valley, and when the day was far advanced we had succeeded in collecting the whole of them. It was nothing but a great stroke of good luck. I. told tho men that 1. should not trust them again, and that we would drive night and day until we reached beyond Oamaru or Totara Station, where 1 knew there was a good yard. They were very sulky for a few hours, but became reconciled and accepted the position.

They wore young fellows of about twenty years of age, and when they found during the evening that T was friendly disposed they related their experiences. They belonged to the ship Lutterworth, and while anchored off Port Chalmers they let themselves down by the anchor chain into the water and swam ashore. They made out they were badly fed, etc., and cleared out. Before leaving us the next morning 1 gave them a pound each, for which they wore most grateful. AA f c still had two long days’ drive before reaching Dunedin, during which nothing particular occurred. I was fortunate in meeting a good market, and sold every head at £l7 10s per head. I have remarked that Henry went to take delivery of the cattle at Hakataramea a month after purchase. It was arranged that 1 should meet them on their way hack in the neighborhood of Oamaru. This 1 did, and heard of the loss of poor Griffiths,

to break every rib. During the day no less than sixty head were affected, and we lost sixteen of tho best and fattest in the mob, worth £l7 or £IS a head, so it was a severe loss. AA r e camped near the unfortunate place that night, and went on next day and readied AA’aikouaiti, and, after branding them, turned them on the run. About this period Henry informed me that ho was engaged to be married. His fiancee’s family were leaving for England shortly. Tho family left a few weeks later, and it was arranged that Henry should follow in two or three months, which he did, and was married soon after his arrival. He loft tho station business with me to manage. Finding that T could not give sufficient time to station work and business as well, T induced my brother, Edward, who was managing a. station in Southland, to come and occupy the same position on our station. ' (To be continued.)