OLD PIONEERING DAYS

Evening Star, Issue 19776, 28 January 1928, Page 15

OLD PIONEERING DAYS

The Dunstan Rush First Days of Cobb & Co. The Terror of “Scab”

No. X,

Besides grazing cattle on the run (continues the Orbell Diary), we now beean to buy sheep, as constant burning and feeding had made parts of it suitable for the latter. The first purchase was 800 young ewes that were just landed from New South Wales. All imported sheep had to bo dipped in tobacco water and sulphur. This was a Provincial regulation, and had to be complied with, subject to a heavy penalty if not observed. Subsequently lime and other disinfectants were used instead of tobacco, being much cheaper and equally effective. Wo had no dip at the lime on the run, and I obtained the use of one upon Cherry Farm. Edward had not yet arrived from the south, so T arranged with the local Government inspector of sheep to see that they were properly dipped, as I had had no previous experience. I had plenty of it later on. The reason for dipping all imported, sheep was because there was no infectious disease among sheep in the colony, and “scab” was known to be prevalent in New South Wales. The lease of the farm had now expired, and I engaged the man who had been with me during the three years of my occupancy to come as stockman pn the run. At the same time I engaged Tom Pratt, a half-caste. He was one of the most careful and

GOLD AT THE DUNSTAN

About this period another goldfield was discovered in the Dunstan district, and led to a greater influx of people than when Gabriel’s Gully was round. One day I counted as many as eleven vessels with Australian diggers anchored outside Otago Heads, some too large to cross the bar, others waiting to be towed up to Port Chalmers by the harbor tug. These men wore all making for the Dunstan, andt he principal route was via Waikouaiti. They were conveyed there by sea, landing at the mouth of the Waikouaiti River. A small canvas township soon sprang up there, chiefly sly grog shanties. Consequently there was a great deal of drinking and rowdyism. The Police Force was largely augmented in the district, and was kept very busy. After passing Waikouaiti the road to the field was up Shag Valley. .The distance would be about 100 miles. The whole country was soon swarming with prospectors. They over-ran every run, including ours, sinking holes in many gullies, searching for gold. These holes were never refilled, and were very dangerous, not only to horsemen, but to stock, f may say that thousands of sheep and not a few cattle were lost in them. A good deal of gold was obtained in the interior of Otago, but there was not sufficient payable country in the immediate vicinity of the Dunstan for_ all the workers, and new discoveries were made, all of which were alluvial. After a year or two quartz reefs were found and worked, and some of these continue to this day. The Otagoites, or arrivals prior to the discovery of gold, wore termed “old identities,” the Australians the “now iniquity.” Early settlers did not appreciate the new order of things. The Provincial Government had to_ make roads in all parts of the province to meet the demands of the increased population; as many roads had to be made in two or three years as would have sufficed for twenty years, had there been no goldfields. It was said that every pound’s worth of gold that was obtained cost the province 255. Cobb and Co.’s coaches were now

DRIVING CATTLE

I must return to my station work. We had built a cob hut near the centre of the run for mustering purposes. We had several hundred head of cattle at this time, distributed over an area of 60,000 acres. About once a month we had a general muster to draft the fat ones, which we sold in Dunedin; sometimes to butchers on the diggings, selling in lots of twenty or thirty head. We found it necessary to build a strong stockyard at The River, on the spot where the woolsbed now stands. This property had been purchased by Henry in its native or tussock state before he loft for England, and it was hefe he lived subsequently and until his death. This yard was a long day’s drive from Dunedin, and also a day’s journey from where we drafted upon the run. We drove them to this yard, preparatory to taking them on to Dunedin the following day, Edward and I staying at Hawksbury for the night. We would be up before daybreak, and start with the cattle as soon as light enough to do so. The route was over the old “ mountain track,” as it was called. Most of the cattle were very wild, and for an hour or two we often had hard work to keep them together. When the yard was opened they would rush out and make the earth tremble in the stampede. Wo simply _ had to let them go for a while, until they had had their run. All that we could do

COMBATING “SCAB”

One evening when 1 arrived at the station Edward told me that he believed that some of the 800 sheep I had purchased were “ scabby.” He had had experience of this disease. 1. had never seen it; before taking any action, he said he would like his opinion confirmed, so we sent for the Government sheep inspector, who put the question beyond a doubt. A short time before I had contemplated buying more sheep. Fortunately I had not done so, or they would have all been declared infected had they been put on the run with the others, and thus have added to the expense and loss. The small flock of 800 was not so serious a matter, though they gave us a lot of work that interfered with other operations. We had no dip or four hundred gallon tanks in which to boil the tobacco, etc., neither yards suitable; however, we soon.made a start. Employed a carpenter to make a small dip about 00ft long, while Edward and I made a manuka scrub yard and some hurdles of manuka saplings, then collected a lot of firewood, and arranged for the bullock dray to take up tanks, tobacco, sulphur, arsenic, and other necessities. This was the second time a dray had been driven to the station. To get to where w© had fixed upon was another matter. The spot we had fixed upon was by the side of a creek, for the purpose of a water supply; this was at the bottom of a deep gully, to which it was impossible for a dray to descend. Wo soon made a sledge, and by this means all that was required was conveyed to the dip. We had no time to get the 400-gallon tanks built into brickwork, nor could we have got a mason to do the work, so wo determined to start with one tank by raising it sufficiently high from the ground to admit the firewood by placing stones at the four corners; consequently it took an enormous quantity of wood to boil the water, which we carried from the creek in buckets. We lighted the fire when all was ready in the af-

conscientious men 1 ever had anything to do with, faithful and most reliable, ft was a pleasure to employ such a fellow. He was a splendid rider, and rode with judgment when mustering or drafting cattle. We frequently drafted without a yard. We had what we termed a mustering ground, a flat piece of country—say, twenty acres. Here we assembled all the stock we could get together in one day. Three or four hands on horseback would surround and keep them together, while another would ride into the middle of them, select a fat beast, edge him out of the mob, drive away a short distance, when another man would look after him and the drafter return for another. Phis is when judgment is required, and very few men, even stockmen, are good at the work. It is interesting' to witness a good rider upon a good horse doing this. A horse accustomed to this gets quite excited directly he notes the animal wanted, which is done by throwing the whip lightly over the beast. He will follow it in and out 'through the whole herd until it is separated from them without any guidance. This half-caste is now a member of Parliament, and has been for many years. His Maori name is Tamata Parata, and he is respected by every member of the House.

running to all parts of Otago, from Invercargill to Oamaru, and inland to every place where there was, population. The service was splendidly managed, and was a great convenience to the travelling public. The expense must have been very heavy, but the fares were equally so, and large profits were made by the company. Several hundreds of horses were employed, which meant work for numberless men. Four, five, and six horses were required for each coach, according to the country they traversed, the greater part of which had no formed roads, especially the inland routes. The drivers could not bo excelled; no weather stopped them, and they were most punctual in arriving and departing from the various depots. The company erected stables at all these points, and the cost q£ feed, delivered at up-country stables,' must have been enormous. It was a business that dwarfed nearly all others. I have forgotten the number of men employed. They had blacksmiths for shoeing horses, harnessmakers, coachbuilders, stablemen, and boys out of number, to run the coach three times a week from Dunedin to Oamaru and Sack reauired between thirty and forty horses. The stopping places for the purpose of changing horses were, after leaving Dunedin; Waitati, Waikouaiti, Palmerston, Hampden, Herbert, then Oamaru. They ran through in one day and back the following one. The distance was over eighty miles, and one driver did the work for weeks together, which was not a bad performance. The average rate of travelling was seven miles an hour upon formed roads, and not more than between five and six miles over tussocks. To passengers seated inside the coach going over rough country was something to be remembered. The drivers were generally most amusing characters. full of anecdotes and yarns or stories, so much so that one never knew when they were telling the truth. Notwithstanding, they were very popular. As a rule nearly all coacbdrivers ingratiate themselves into the hearts of the public.

was to bead them in the direction wc wanted them to go. There was no level country, which made them more difficult to manage. By the time we got them upon the leading range to Dunedin they steadied, and we bad little trouble afterwards. When we had the cattle in the river yard we were obliged to go on the next morning irrespective of weather, I have referred to this journey in my remarks about the mail carrier and travellers who stayed at Hawksbury. It undoubtedly was vile country to travel in rough weather. Perhaps it would he a lovely morning when we left Hawksbury, and before midday we would bo in a storm of sleet, hail, and snow, our hair covered with icicles, and the road almost invisible beyond the cattle in the lead on account of the thick weather. I remember one day in particular that was clear and very fine when we started, there being no snow on the hills; by the time we were halfway on onr journey there was a foot of snow all round us, and on top of “Snowy Mountain” and Flagstaff it was proportionately deeper. Upon another day a howling gale of wind stopped us for two or three hours; neither cattle, horses, nor ourselves could face it; we were fairly blown off the range into the side gully. Wo generally managed to get through in one day; next morning would sell the cattle, and return to Waikouaiti.

ternoou, and sat up all night piling on the wood, and it was 8 o’clock the next morning before the water boiled. The tobacco was put into the tank overnight and kept simmering until all its strength was extracted. Arsenic is very difficult to dissolve. This was boiled in a bucket with soda crystals and then mixed with the tobacco water and sulphur, and was ready for use. “Scan” is a cutaneous disease and very infectious. _ A small insect that requires a magnifying glass to see it penetrates the skin and irritates the sheep When affected they would be seen biting the spot, which when first appearing would bo less in size than a threepenny piece. If not dealt with at once, the wool comes off, the animal loses flesh, and by constant rubbing itself, if left for long undipped, very little wool would be left upon its back. It is one of the most infectious diseases that affect sheep, and means ruination to the owner if not taken in hand at once. It spreads through a flock most rapidly ; one sheep would infect thousands in a very short time. A small piece of its wool left on a post or rail of a yard is sufficient to convey it to others; or when grazing in rough places a piece catches on a bramble bush or rock, and a healthy sheep following in the same track coming in. contact with it will carry it to others. Thus the whole flock becomes infected; not necessarily every sheep, but a sufficient number for the sheep inspector to declare the whole infected, and all have to be dipped. It is a most expensive business. Tobacco in those days cost Is per lb. The unmanufactured article was used. All sheep upon a run declared infected have to be dipped three times with an interval of ten days between each dipping. The water must be kept at a temperature of I2odeg. Fahr. while the sheep are being put through. From what I have said it will be understood that to eradicate scab from a big flock ,s a serious matter.