THE LURE OF IMPROVEMENTS 125 



for the sheep for day's shearing found they had nearly all got out of 

 paddock back to reserve during the night, 48 woolly sheep only 

 remaining. T. C. K. went to Kaikanui to drive cattle to Natural Pad 

 dock. T. S. attended shed. Heavy rain began at 12 o'clock. Shearers 

 all went home. 48 sheep shorn, 3 lambs marked. Parks and wife 

 brought the young bullocks from the bush and report them as 

 shaping well. Took the camp oven from fencers' camp. He brought 

 back from bush one spade, keeping one spade and pick out there. 



29. Wednesday. T. S. and T. C. K. cleared up the shed and dried wool that 



got wet yesterday. Parks and wife left with 6 old bullocks for the 

 bush, and also packed " Dan " with piece of wire and camp over, etc. 

 He also took iron- work for sledge and gouge. C. H. S. and Kite 

 returned with pack-horses at 7 P.M., bringing stores. Had great trouble 

 on the road. 



30. Thursday. Kite took grey mare to fetch stores that had to be left on 



road yesterday. C. H. S., T. S., and T. C. K. worked at woolshed 

 drying wool, making up loads of wool, and cleaning shed (pressing) 

 of wool. Kite returned and pressed. T. S. set fire to Newton. 

 C. H. S. put stores in order, and T. C. K. fires Reserve and 

 assisted Kite. 



31. Friday. C. H. S. and T. S. and T. C. K. and Kite mustered Natural 



Paddock in the morning and finished pressing and weighing all 

 wool in the shed. In the afternoon Hughie cook. 



FEBRUARY 



1. Saturday. C. H. S. and Kite took pack-horses with wool to Petane. 



T. S., T. C. K. and Hughie drafted the sheep mustered yesterday, 

 and earmarked all that had been missed before; Put X-breds in 

 Newton block, and T. S. took the Merion wethers over Papa Creek. 

 T. C. K. mended store door and secured wool in the shed. 



2. Sunday. T. S., T. C. K. went to Tutira for the rams. C. H. S. and Kite 



returned from Petane bringing a few stores. T. S. and T. C. K. took 

 26 rams over to Kaikanui Paddock. 



3. Monday. C. H. S. and Kite mustered cattle to take to Petane to- 



morrow to the sale. T. C. K. and Hughie worked at fence. T. S. 

 went to drafting at Kaiwaka. 



4. Tuesday. C. H. S. and Kite took 24 head cattle to Petane. Hughie came 



over to Kaikanui at 7.30 A.M. ; sent him with pack-horse up to fencers' 

 camp for windlass, &c., to get posts from Natural Paddock in morning. 

 Heavy rain in afternoon. Stayed at home and wrote letters. Cleaned 

 whare, etc. First snow this year at Cox's. 



5. Wednesday. C. H. S. and Kite not yet returned from Petane. T. S. 



still at Kaiwaka. T. C. K. went to Tutira in canoe for salt, spades, 

 etc. Hughie at the Natural Pdk. rigging windlass for getting posts 

 out of the bush. T. C. K. returned to Kaikanui at 12 o'clock. Saw 

 large mob of sheep on the new burn outside Hughie's fence. Went 

 up the fence as far as the slip panel, and found the fence burnt in 



