THE MACKENZIE COUNTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7808, 12 September 1903, Page 4

THE MACKENZIE COUNTRY.

ITS DISCOVERY. ' A STORY Of THE EARLY DAYS (By AN OLD SHAGROON.) In the beginning of the year 1855 the j^assrs Rhodes, of Canterbury, • missed a large number ef sheep frolii one of their southern runs s* the levels. Their manager, Mr Sidebottom, had their loss announced among ali the sheep stations in the vicinity, thinking the sheep might have strayed into their neighbours' flocks, for 9,t that early date there were no fences, only mere boundaries, which wexa looked after by boundary riders. Flocks were shepherded and' pu£ in large folds at night and well looked after, as protection against wild dogs. The sheep, runs at that time were understocked, and grass was abundant ; in fact, thf mower could make hay in most parts of the country. Subsequently, Mr Sidebottom .made tlhe^ discovery- that sheep had passed through arfunused track of country, far from any. settlement, aoid aift_r following tlhjfeir traces, principally by observing where the-^grass was trodden down, he determined to follow them, and made his arrangements in antici' pation of a long hunt. It must have beeiu some days befc<re he found -the sb-iep had gone over an almost impracticable mountain pass, which at the time was very rough with tall grass and shrubs. He reached the summit of the passj and, to his astonishment, saw " - A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY before him, which, apparently, was unknown before that time. When be got down to the plain the marks of sheop were more evident, but, sfcrai-ge to say, there were not signs of anyone "having driven them. After carefully following the tracks some distance, apd rounding a fine leading spur, under which ran a splendid stream of water, Lhe discovered the sheep, and, to his delight, a man, with dogs, attending thesn. Well knowing the kiij-d of man Sidebottom was, I have no doubt •he soon introduced himself to the snephere, Mackenzie, who was a powerful Highlander ■vWthoui, his plaid. Thero was no dfeubt in. Mr Side-bottom's nttnd but that he had to deai wi-thLa "Rob Ro>.". He rode up and ordered the Scot to return and bring the sheep- also. latter thought possession nine points in laiv, while Sidebottom said might was right and told him to " come on." Sidebottom was a tall? powerful young- man ; the Scotchman" was tall and wiry. Ib .must have been & very "willing go." Ifc endedin the sheep being delivered toXheir rightful .owners and Mackenzie finding himself in Lyttelton Gaol, where he remained for a considerable time. . After putting in some timp at Officers* Point, doing work ill-suited to a free squatter, Mackenzie quietly looked round to find ai chance to escape, which hie did before he had worn oust his prison clothes. One morning the news flew over the plains that the sheep-lifter Mackenzie had escaped, and most of the residents who were deeply interested in -sheep thought bf their flocks and. had thie_n carefully looked after, for at that tinie sheep were worth £2 per head, jind, indeed, could not be purchased, as tihere was a great demand ios stocking new runs rented from the Government. Everjr sheepowner there was a wolf among his flock, and had his fire-arms grimed, expecting a visit from Mackenzie. The Government offered —^ £100 RE\^_RD for tho capture, of -Mackenzie. For a considerable time nothing was heard of the escapee. One day a number of travellers met at a small hotel at Selwyn on the South Road. One of the number, a well-known' squatter, said quietly to a. young man- who had "just arrived with a pair of horses and au empty dray, on his way south, " I say, Charley, do you know who that fellow is," pointing to a tall man! whose clothes showed signs of being wellworn. "No," replied Charley. "Well, he's Mackenzie, and I advise ybu to wavtch . and find which road he takes." After a while the suspect left, travelling south. Tliere werei no. roads at that time, and the only guides to Timaru were manuka sticks placed about half a mile apart. Immediately the young man with the dray, called Charley, , started, and overtaking the traveller, off et-ed him a lift: After 'the man got in the dray, the driver turned the horses round for Christchurch, and told him he knew who he was, -and tliat he was going to give him into the charge of the police. Immediately the man jumped' off the dray and bolted off. Charley had a gun loaded with slugs in the dray, so he called out, "SURRENDER AT ONCE, OR I SHOOT? YOU," " • " meanwhile, taking aim. Thus persuaded, the 'runaway yielded. After getting into the dray Mackenzie became corojmunicative. He declared the law had no right to put him in prison for sheep stealing, because he did. not drive the sheep i'rojn their owner's run. His dogs, whom be had trained to drive sheep without laying a word to them, did the driving, and'he only walked ahead. When the pair reached the Selwyn Hotel most of the visitors had left except the well-known squatter who gave Charley the hint. The latter gave _y> additional assistance^ but afterwards appropriated a good deal of the credit for the capture of Mackenzie. The prisoner gave no further trouble, and. late in the eveningj they reached Christ-church.-when Charley handed nim otfer to the police. The delight of the squatters on finding that Mackenzie had been recaptured was intense. Once moro he was .sent *' over the hill," and after some months it was arranged by those in power to give him his liberty if he would undertake to make some other" colony the land of his adoption. It is understood that he promised to do so, and departed. A short time after the capture of Mackenzie, Charley decided to go to Australia, and he left instructions with a well-known merchant in- Christchurch to apply to the superintendent for the reward to send it to England towards the CrMean War Fund. After an absence of seven years, and after returning here to Canterbury, be was informed that a sum of £5 was lying there to his credit. Charley, however, left it there. ___I___ — ______