THE LURE OF IMPROVEMENTS 123 



7. Tuesday. C. H. S. and Kite packed a load of wool to Petane. T. S. 



attended muster at Waikari. T. C. K. and Hughie fencing all day. I 

 wrote to my mother. 



8. Wednesday. Kite and C. H. S. returned from Petane with pack-horses 



bringing stores. Two bullocks dead at Troutbeck's. One " tuted," the 

 other bogged. T. C. K. and Hughie finished fence at Kaikanui. 



9. Thursday. T. C. K., C. H. S. and Hughie went to the back country to 



erect mustering-yards at the "Burnt Bush." T. S. still at Waikari. 

 Kite went to McKinnon's (Arapawanui) for some of our sheep from 

 Moeangiangi. 



10. Friday. C. H. S., T. C. K., Hughie fencing at Burnt Bush. Kite came 



out about 8 A.M. and reported having got 60 sheep from Arapawanui, 

 mostly unshorn. We are short of tucker, as Hughie neglected to 

 fetch meat, and but very little bread. Killed young boar this evening ; 

 great rejoicing. 



11. Saturday. C. H. S., T. C. K., and Kite and Hughie, being starved out of 



camp, had to return to the station. Could not tackle the wild boar. 

 Posts and strainers for yards all split. Arrived at Tutira at 8.30 P.M. 



12. Sunday. All hands being knocked up, took it easy. T. S. arrived from 



Waikari with Finlayson and brought home 40 of our sheep. Finlayson 

 engaged to muster at 30/- per week. 



13. Monday. Hughie and Kite started early for the Burnt Bush to finish the 



yards. Finlayson went to Arapawanui to try and get Atta for the 

 muster. C. H. S., T. C. K., and T. S. put zinc on the posts of store and 

 cleaned it out. T. C. K. and C. H. S. drove the cattle from Kakanui 

 round to the Natural Paddock swamps. 



14. Tuesday. C. H. S., T. C. K., and T. S. got things ready for going muster- 



ing. Left Kakanui for Tutira about 11 o'c. Martin took 4 pack- 

 horse loads of stores to Ward's bush. Finlayson returned from 

 Arapawanui at 12.30 P.M. Atta couldn't come. George Goodall 

 arrived from Waikari. T. C. K. mended store door. C. H. S. killed 

 sheep. T. S. cooked. Kite and Hughie came from yards at 7.30 P.M. 

 C. H. S., T. S., G. G., Finlayson, Kite and Hughie went to camp at 

 Papa Creek. Parkes arrived from Petane with six bullocks from 

 Troutbeck at 13/10/-. T. C. K. returned to Kaikanui. 



15. Wednesday. T. C. K. went to look for horses ; couldn't find them. Went 



to Tutira to get the woolshed ready. Got soaked through going over. 

 Too wet to do anything, so returned, and got wet through again. 

 Changed things and stayed at home. Took order from Sparkes for 

 sledge iron-work and wrote to Faulknor. 



16. Thursday. Sparkes and Martin came to Kaikanui for sledge wheels. 



Sparkes took monkey-wrench to the bush, also one pack-saddle no 

 horse, as he packs one of the bullocks. Went to look for horses and 

 found Charlie dead in the swamp, strangled by his tether rope. Went 

 to Tutira at 2 P.M. and drove cattle over the Willows. Worked at 

 woolshed. Returned and stapled fence. Very heavy earthquake at 

 10.45 P.M. 



17. Friday. Found 10 head of cattle in the oats. Drove them as far as 



