278 Transactio7is . — Miscellaneous. 



camp on the Saddle Hill Eange, near Dunedin, we, as was 

 our custom, let the riding-horses and pack-horse go among the 

 cattle, to save them for the more severe work of returning 

 after any beast which might stray on the back-track during 

 the night, and because, our rate of travelling being slow, we 

 were as well on foot. There was snow on the ground, and 

 during the day we passed a miniature snow-hut, where lately 

 a man and woman, having their horses bogged, had managed 

 to exist through a stormy night. In fact, some person had 

 lately found the lady's horse (presumably dead), and placed 

 the side-saddle on a cairn of stones, with a paper attached 

 asking that we take it on to the first house at the foot of 

 Saddle Hill. Many cairns of stones were erected to direct the 

 traveller round the bogs, but in our own case we omitted to 

 notice a cairn at an angle, and, making a straight line to the 

 cairn beyond, went into the morass, and lost some hours 

 extricating the pack-horse, &C.'' 



But to return to my proper subject. The three of us 

 commenced to collect the cattle and drive them forward, we 

 being on foot, when one of us was chased some distance by a 

 wild cow that had become separated from her calf. This cow 

 returning to the herd, we got the cattle moving in the right 

 direction, but soon were chased by other cows, I having to 

 flee to a cairn of stones in great fear and haste. It became 

 evident that about twenty wild cows and a large wild bull 

 had got into our mob. Being unable to get our riding-horses 

 from amongst the cattle on account of these fierce cows, we 

 seemed to have quite lost command of the situation. Pre- 

 sently the bull galloped down the sloping ground towards the 

 forest (possibly above Blueskin), followed by the other wild ani- 

 mals, and with some twenty of our biggest steei's followdng 

 madly after. I was, as you may suppose, transfixed with horror 

 at the sight, but started my sheep-dog Maori after them, and 

 he actually ran in behind the wild cattle and luckily suc- 

 ceeded in checking the leaders of our mob till we came to his 

 assistance. This action of the dog surely showed his great 

 sagacity, and is well worthy of record. 



In the great forest extending, till lately, some seventy 

 miles in unbroken line on the south of Hawke's Bay and 

 northern part of the Wellington Province many wild cattle 

 have been killed, and noting those which I have seen, which 

 resembled shorthorn cattle, it was evident that many showed 

 the inclination to breed a black colour. I saw among or- 

 dinary colours some black-and-white cows, and dark-red- 

 brown and brindled bulls — one cow a beautiful light-yellow 

 and white patches. On questioning others who have hunted 

 these cattle, they all agree that they incline to a darker or 

 black colour among individuals of those seen. These cattle 



