RECOLLECTIONS OF M'KAY M'KENZIE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 60

RECOLLECTIONS OF M'KAY M'KENZIE.

By Geo. M. Hassing. Alas! the joys that forinne brings Are trifling and decay ; - And thos© who priz© the paltry things Mtors trifling still than thoy. In ; the early sixties, about the time of the discovery of gold in Gabriel's Cully, a small party of youthful pioneers "were seated one evening on the bank of the Upper •Clutha, just above Albertown, where the Clutha is joined by the Hawea River. A stranger was observed on the opposite bank immediately below the junction of the rivers, making signs for someone to cross him over. The frail, flatbottomed box that did duty for a boat was launched, and the traveller brought across.

He was a strange-looking individual, dressed in a peculiar garb. He was tall, lean, and sharp-featured, with a stubble of grey beard, and keen, restless eyes. Instead of the orthodox blue shirt, billycockhat, . and swag, he Avore a shabbylooking, brown frock-coat, a Scotch bonnet, and carried a large carpet bag. The kangaroo dogs, kept to destroy wild dogs, eyed him with suspicion, and one even ventured to snap a- piece out of the seat of his nether garments.

After an introduction to Mr John Huchan, manager for Messrs Wilkin and Thomson, runholders and owners of Wanaka Station, the stranger was cordially invited to a feed of mutton, damper, and tea. It was, however, noticed with astonishment that, before partaking of his meal, he offered up a most fervent prayer. The old man, who gave his name as M'Kay M'Kenzie, stated that he had engaged with Mr John Roy in Dunedin to proceed to his run at Roy's . Bay, Lake" Wanaka, to act as shepherd, and as the station to which he was bound was only some three miles farther on, he uroceeded on his journey' the same evening. On arrival at Roy's the manager, Mr Henry Norman, greeted him kindly, and duly installed him as shepherd. After a lapse of some months a hut was put lip at Glendhu Bay, some 10 miles from the homestead, and M'Kay was assigned to this hut. He had with him as hutkeeper a young man named. Ned Poole, and they seemed to get on very well together; but the strong religious tendency of M'Kay became more pronounced, and seemed to grow into a mania, which also powerfully affected the young man. On several occasions did I hear their voices pouring forth in sacred song wafted far across the placid waters of the lake when of a "calm evening I had occasion to row up or down the lake. The fear of the hutkeeper becoming demented caused the manager to discharge him, and M'Kay was left alone in the hut. ; In the meantime the Dunstan rush had occurred, and M'Grigor and Law had discovered gold in the Arrow River, which brought about Fox's rush. Just about this time M*Kay M'Kenzie went entirely off his head—in' fact, he became a raving maniac, and was sent under an escort of diggers to the Dunstan\ (Clyde), whence he was despatched to Dunedin. The carpet bag which M'Kay brought on his arrival Avas left behind at the station, as well as his old brown coat hung upon the door of his hut at Glendhu. Some time after his removal the manager, Mr Norman, in the presence of one of the station hands, named James Johnson, .known as Big Jim, opened the carpet bag, and, behold, the surprise of the two! when Scottish banknotes to the value of £BOO were unfolded. The money was counted and duly returned to the has. which was fastened iit> and put awav'safelv.

In the course-of a few months old M'Kay turned up at the station again, apparently sound in mind. His first inquiry was about the old brown coat, and when told that it was still hanging in the hut at Glendhu, where he left it. he immediately started off for it. But. alas! the country was then overrun with ficoldseekers looking for Fox's, and the coat had disappeared, and hn.s never since been heard of. No doubt it contained, sewed in Somewhere, papers of considerable value. The old man seemed quite disconsolate at the disappearance of the coat. The carpet bag seemed of secondary importance to him, and c when Mr, Norman brought it out, opened it. and counted out its contents, it did not affect the old man in the slightest degree. His pole lament was concerning the loss of the old broAvn coat. The next day old M'Kav left with his carpet bag nnd travelled doivn country toAvards the Lindis Pass. He obtained employment as shepherd at Mr John M'Lean's Morven Hills Station. After remaining there some months he again lost liis reason, and was remoA r ed to an asylum, and I lost all further account of him.

The country about- the lakes became at that time a seething mass of restless. anxious, hardy goldseelcers. Traffic had not yet found its road hv way of Kingston : but the Cardrona Valley and Crown Terrace, as also the Roaring Meg and Gentle Annie, were the principal route.'; for reaching the goldfield. Albertown became a busy little township, with several stores, notably M'Leod and Gibson's, and Geo. Taylor and Thomson's, of which the late Geo. Rnmpter and William .Baudinet, of Oamaru, were partners, the former carting the goods and the latter employed in the store. The two principal

hotels were Robert Kidd's and Henry Norman's. Things were humming in that little township, and the writer of this, who had a ferry boat on the river at the time, used to clear £IOO per week on that investment. In M'Leod and Gibson's store was employed a young man by name M'Lecd. Ho seemed a very intelligent fellow, and in conversation with Mm one evening I related the story of M'Kay M'Kenzie, as here told. Ho appeared deeply interested, and this is what he said: " I was born and brought up in Sutherlandshire, in Scotland, and I have in New Zealand only a few months. I remember a cattle-dealer in Sutherlandshire named M'Kay M'Kenzie, answering exactly to the description'you have just given. He was trusted by the small farmers and crofters to collect all the cattle they had to dispose of, and to drive them to the periodical sales, .and there dispose of them to the best advantage on behalf of these people. After each sale M'Kay would return and settle up fairly with the respective owners of the' cattle he had disposed of.. This business he had carried on for many years with satisfaction to all concerned, and thus gained the entire confidence of farmers and crofters. But on his last sale trip, when he had collected a larger mob of cattle than ever before, he did not return with the proceeds to those who had entrusted the cattle to him, but he disappeared to parts unknown."

Could this have been the same M'Kay M'Kenzie who prayed so loud and fervently, while at the same time clutching his ill-gotten plunder, the hard-earned money of his poor victims? The young 'man M'Leod, who threw light upon the contents of the carpet bag, unfortunately lost his life a few weeks later while bathing in the Cardrona at Albertown.